They say you truly haven’t lived until you have eaten Italian pizza. Compared to others, Italian pizza is paper thin and made with fresh ingredients and a whole lot of love. Thankfully, you don’t have to travel outside of Chicago to experience good Italian pizza.

I made a stop at Roscoe Village’s Spacca Napoli in the effort to fill the void in my heart from studying in Rome. While studying in Rome, I ate my way through 22 different cities in Italy in hopes of finding a pizza so delicious it could be worthy of being deemed “my favorite pizza.”

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After a few months of pizza and slightly tighter pants, I finally could say I found my favorite pizza at Incrocio Montegrappa. It was found in a little hole-in-the-wall in Bologna, Italy.

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Photo by Jaclyn Puccini

I mean, look at this thing! I ordered the prosciutto motto, which is an awesome Italian ham bursting with flavor. Don’t worry though, Spacca Napoli’s pizzas are just as heart-eye emoji worthy.

At Spacca Napoli, I suggest you order an antipasti, which is an Italian dish similar to an appetizer in the United States. I recommend the Proscuitto e Bufala, Melanzane, and Antipasta Mista. It all comes with focaccia bread drizzled with olive oil to make little open-faced sandwiches out of any antipasti dish. Score.

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It was everything I expected and more, making it an exact replica of Italian pizza. From the perfectly sweet sauce to the lightly toasted crust, this pizza pie is a total 10.

Bring a few people with you and opt for the sharing method. Why? Because you can order multiple different types, so you get to try a little bit of everything. My Italian family believes that the best way to enjoy life is by coming together with family and friends over a good meal.

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Photo by Jaclyn Puccini

I recommend Salsiccia (sausage) for bold flavor. You cannot go wrong with Bufalina (buffalo mozzarella,) because of its simple ingredients of sauce, basil, and mozzarella. Funghi (mushroom) was so delicious and hey, you can even tell mom you’re eating your veggies.

Bufalina is made with mozzarella di bufala, which is Italian for buffalo mozzarella. It’s way creamier and softer than regular mozzarella.

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Photo by Jaclyn Puccini

Lastly, finish off with one of Spacca Napoli’s amazing desserts. We got the Tartufo, which is a ball of chocolate mousse covered in cocoa powder and hazelnuts. IT. IS. PERFECTION.

If you have eaten Italian pizza, Spacca Napoli will make you #nostalgic.  If you haven’t, the best is yet to come. Buon Appetit.