Greetings

October 22, 2008 Comments closed » New This Month

In late September, Roberto Caporuscio of the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, returned to work with us. I am only sorry that he is not with us every day! Roberto is such a great teacher and inspiration. Not only did we continue to work with how we extend the dough and engage the oven, Roberto introduced several new antipasti (assagi) to our repertoire that we will be offering on our menu as specials, such as carciofi e patate, carote al parmigiano, mozzarella in carrozza, melanzane involtini, polpette di finocchietti, angioletti to name just a few. We also played with the form of the pizza, such as quattro catone or four corners (making pies with four mini calzone); naso a naso or nose to nose (one calzone facing another); cornicione ripeino or stuffed borders; volcano (one on top of the other), and pizza fritta or fried pizza.

Roberto and I had some time to play as well. Zucchero, the popular and great Italian blues artist was in the US for a brief tour. We were given the opportunity to cook for him and his ensemble on the dates he performed in Chicago. If you aren’t familiar with Zucchero, check out his music and his history. He has played with many, many great artists from the world over. It truly was a lot of fun to be part of these events.

I followed Zucchero to New York where he performed on his birthday at Carnegie Hall. During this trip I was able to take some time with Lou DiPalo, whose great grandfather began the family’s Latteria (cheese and ricotta shop) in 1910 in lower Manhattan’s “Little Italy”. Lou is a wonderful guy, very willing to share his great knowledge of cheese, Italian meats and other Italian specialty products. There’s nothing like fresh mozzarella! Casa della Mozzarella on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx is another great place to visit.

As we experience the changing of the seasons, the pizze we offer evolve to complement those changes. You will see a greater use of pancetta, porcini, guancialle, potato and egg, and the hand-dipped ricotta more widely used. A new favorite is the “L’Antonio,” L'Antonio pizza consisting of bufala mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, speck (a dry-cured smoked ham from Alto Adige) and our creamy ricotta. This pie is named in honor of Antonio Starita, one of the great pizzaiuoli of Naples. A third generation pizza maker, you can find him in the neighborhood called Materdei. Pizzeria Starita dates back to 1901. The year of Italy’s Giubileo, Antonio had the good fortune to present Pope John Paul with his “Pizza Del Papa.” Crema di zucca, fiorilli, zucchini, pepperoni (peppers) and provola were the ingredients.

Our soups also change with the seasons. Fagioli e scarola, minestra with prosciutto and soppressata, and one with mussels and clams are now back in rotation. Soups are soothing, the classic comfort food, and something we are all in need of as we face greater challenges in our daily lives.

One of our greatest pleasures at Spacca Napoli is hearing from someone that this is where they want to be, that we are able to provide a sense of belonging and community, as the following little story illustrates. Recently one of our regular diners came in to eat. I spoke with her at the end of her meal and realized that she had called earlier to see how busy we were. She then told me that she had originally planned to stay home that night, but decided that she wanted some company, and that she wanted to be with us. Not only do we aspire to offer good food and drink, it is our intent to make our place feel like it is yours as well. I’ll close with an autumnal welcome to all of our customers, new and continuing. Let us know how you like our new offerings. I am thankful for your continued support, kindness and feedback.

September Beginnings

September 14, 2008 Comments closed » Uncategorized

After almost two weeks of pause, we are about to refire the oven. I am excited to get back in the dough room, to begin thinking once again of our pizze, antipasti, wine and sweets. I am excited to have the staff return, to see many of you who have come in on a regular basis and to make new acquaintances as well. It has truly been a pleasure to see our community grow.

JonathanI find taking a break helpful. The opportunity to rest and reflect allows me a moment to focus more clearly on what we are trying to do with Spacca Napoli. None of this would have happened without my and my family having had experienced the good life of the Mediterranean. I have tried to share some of those qualities that seem to make that life special and enjoyable: good food and wine, a slower pace, a celebration of both young and old. I have tried my best to select worthy cheeses, oils and vinegars, to put forth fresh ingredients that my aunt Joyce Goldstein, a continuing inspiration, (see www.JoyceGoldstein.com) would describe as “simple and unpretentious.”

Pizza is a wonderful thing. It is simple to prepare. With just a few ingredients, you can have something dance in your mouth, even make you cry. It can be eaten at the table

or on the street, by yourself or with a large group. Watching the hands of those who extend the dough and work the oven is a thing of beauty. There is art in those motions.

I am appreciative of my pizzaiuoli (pizza makers) and the others who help me put food on the table. Every day I feel want to start at the beginning. I am always asking about the dough; how it feels, performs, tastes. There are many styles, all are good.

DE GUSTIBUS NON DISPUTANDUIUM EST. TASTE IS NOT TO BE DISPUTED. Over the past two years, several artisanal pizzerias have opened, I am proud to be one of them.

It is my wish to learn more of this wonderful way of being.. In our first week open this fall Roberto Caporuscio of the Associazioni Pizzaiuoli Napoletani will be in residence. I look forward to his guidance, his gentle voice and soft touch. I want Roberto to look at our hands, how we touch the dough, how we add ingredients that give life to the pies we make. There is constant discussion about the nuances, of taste, texture, the feel of the dough, its resilience, its air… For me, its all about passion; to share something good, to enjoy all those who come in. I have a lot to learn, I have only just begun. During the latter half of October I will travel once again to the Gargano in Puglia, Napoli and the Cilento further south in Campania. It is always my desire to taste something new, to deepen my understanding of what I have already experienced. Thank you all for your support and kindness. My apologies to those for whom I have not done enough.

Sincerely,

Jonathan

Summer in the City — Buon Estate!

June 20, 2008 Comments closed » Uncategorized

Jon GoldsmithWith warm weather here and joyfully opening up our outdoor seating we want to thank everyone for coming out as the summer season gets underway. We hope you are loving the sunny afternoons lengthening more slowly into evening and the big night skies which make it perfect for meeting friends and hanging out–Italian style!

Summer seems to affect us all–Many of our clients are families who bring their kids who can hang out and play, free of bulky layers; and there just seems to be more relaxation in the air. In Italy life happens on the sidewalks as much as anywhere else; and at Spacca Napoli we are blessed with a quiet corner and lots of space to spread out. We hope being outside when weather permits makes sometimes having a wait be more playfully enjoyed. We do strive to make space possible for everyone to enjoy our offerings, and hope the increased summer seating helps us do so. We encourage you to enjoy the wait when there is one; maybe meet someone new outside as you savor the summer days!

Summer often highlights festive ceremonial events, and we have been thrilled to host several graduation parties, from fifth graders to high school to university.

Some of our clients have lately been calling and asking for special pizzas, and we will gladly take your favorite into consideration when planning each week’s menu, accomodating whenever we can. It make take a couple days, but we would love to hear requests from you and will let you know when they will be on the menu. Look for some new seasonal fare in our appetizer specials such as polpi alla luciana, a signature dish from Naples.

Check out these wonderful new cookbook releases also focusing on Mediterranean fare; Tony & Cathy Mantuano of Spiaggia Restaurant have co-written Wine Bar Food: Mediterranean Flavors to Crave with Wines to Match; prolific author Joyce Goldstein has just released Mediterranean Fresh: A Compendium of One-Plate Salad Meals and Mix and Match Dressings (full disclosure: Goldstein is my aunt) These chefs inspire us all to live, shop and cook creatively!

Reminder that we are now open on Tuesdays for dinner in addition to our established hours.

Grazie,

Jonathan Goldsmith

It has been an exciting month for Spacca Napoli!

May 16, 2008 Comments closed » New This Month

Jon GoldsmithWe are now members of APN (Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani). Spacca Napoli will be honored as the first in the US to receive membership in this prestigious and select group at the Campionato Internazionale, an international pizza competition held in Naples each May.

Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani logoAlong with this honor, Accademia Barilla has included us in a May tour of the Parma region to learn more about important local food purveyors and their traditions. The focus will be on producers of cheese, meats, balsamic vinegar and wine. In Naples I will again visit with di Mateo, da Michele and Don Antonio of Starita as well as ‘walk the streets’ in search of more ideas to bring back to Chicago.

Campionato Internazionale del Pizzaiuolo Napoli 7Our participation with the Provincial Councils of Avellino, Caserta and Napoli as part of the Global Food and Style Show yielded great tastings for our customers! Each night we sampled distinct recipes from the region of Campania such as Pasta e Fagioli con Le Cozze, Fusilli alla Napoletana and Paccheri al Ragu. And we are thankful to have participated with First Slice in a benefit held at Architectural Artifacts. The event helped raise funds to purchase a van that will better help to serve people in need.

As the spring season thaws us, Spacca Napoli continues to introduce special appetizers and pizzas: Bresaola con rucola, and Pepperoni e patate are excellent starters. New pizzas you will love are UBO: fior di latte, bufala, prosciutto crudo and cotto and Alla Dorsena: panna cucina, pomodorini, salmone e asparagi!

Hope to see you soon!

Grazie,

Jonathan Goldsmith

Welcome Springtime!

April 11, 2008 Comments closed » Uncategorized

Margherita pizzaSpring at Spacca Napoli brings with it new lighter fare such as a minestra di zucchini and Maccu di San Giuseppe. Arthur Schwartz, The Food Maven, describes the latter soup as combining “two foods that are preserved for winter — dried beans and dried chestnuts — with the greens that are just emerging from the cold winter earth.” We have introduced a pizza made with a varietal of mozzarella called burrata, a creamy, light and spectacularly flavorful cheese renowned for its freshness and soft texture. Red pepper, onion and zucchini trifoliate along with porcini and a touch of bufala mozzarella make this a white pizza dream!

We look forward to the re-opening of the outdoor café as the weather permits. This coming June, Spacca Napoli will extend its hours to include Tuesday evenings so we can celebrate more of the good summer weather and longer hours of daylight we have all been waiting for.

We are very excited about our upcoming involvement with the Provincial Councils of Avellino, Caserta and Napoli. We have been asked to team up with them to promote the food of Campania and the Mediterranean Diet as “something unique and upscale that can be interpreted in modern ways as well as traditional.” The week prior to the Global Food and Style Expo in Chicago which is April 27-29, 2008, Spacca Napoli will be offering a tasting of Pasta e Fagioli con Le Cozze, Fusilli alla Napoletana and Paccheri al Ragu.

In closing we bid a fond farewell to Adrian Landin, one of our wait staff who has been with the pizzeria since the early days, as he ventures on to Central and South America. We wish him good luck in his journeys and will miss his energy!

Grazie,

Jonathan Goldsmith

Greetings and Buon Anno from everyone at Spacca Napoli!

March 1, 2008 Comments closed » Uncategorized

I would like to thank all of our customers and friends for making 2007 a wonderful year. As our 2nd anniversary approaches on February 14 and we begin our third year there is so much to celebrate and look forward to. We are grateful for being embraced by the local and larger food community, as we strive to continue to bring you the best from the true food culture of Italy. We cherish the relationships that have formed with all of our customers and want to express how much these are valued!

Our hope is that Spacca Napoli continues to evolve into what my aunt and chef Joyce Goldstein (of Square One Restaurant and Mediterranean Kitchen fame) has written of as the need in our lives for a ‘third place’ — along with home and work — a place where friends can meet, dine, talk and enjoy life and feel in relationship to others, neighborhood, and a kind of authenticity.

In 2008 look for us to introduce more pizzas and some new appetizers…. We are planning some special food treats for our anniversary, so please stop in and help us celebrate! The entire week of February 14th we will celebrate and invite you to join us!

Auguri,

Jonathan Goldsmith