Spacca Napoli

Spacca Napoli
1769 W. Sunnyside Ave.
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: Ravenswood
Spacca Napoli's website

As much as we love Chicago-style pizza, it's good to know that there are a plethora of thin-crusted pizza options in this city. One of those options is Spacca Napoli, a Neapolitan-style pizzaria in Ravenswood.


While Chicago-style pizza is thick, heavy and ultra-caloric, Neapolitan-style is perhaps the exact opposite: a light, extremely thin and often simplistic pie. We went to Spacca on a Sunday evening with my parents, and the large crowd (both inside and outside) told us that the pizza here must be pretty good. We got some Italian sodas and ordered two Margherita pizzas. As previously stated, the Neapolitan-style pizza is thin, light and simple. The pizzas are made in a large, custom-built wood-burning fire oven, creating a light char on the outer edge of the crust, while keeping the inside soft and chewy. We really loved the mixed texture of crunchy and chewy. The cheese was light and did not overpower, while the sauce was a unique blend of Italian herbs and spices.


Keep in mind that the pizzas come in one size (we think 12"), and while you may think (as we did) that one pizza can be adequately shared by two people, think again. We got two to split between four people, and were slightly unsatisfied. Perhaps an appetizer or two would have done the trick. We must admit though that the customer service was very good. Upon leaving the restaurant, we were each given a free pistachio canoli by the owner himself. Although the experience lacked in the value department, the free canolis were a nice added touch. If the pizzas would have been a little bigger or cheaper ($12.50 each) this place would really impress. Nonetheless, Spacca Napoli makes some tasty, traditional Neapolitan pizzas that are a far cry from Chicago's usual deep dish offerings. We give Spacca Napoli an 8.4 out of 10.
Quality of Food: 8.4
Value: 7.8
Atmosphere: 8.6
Customer Service: 8.8
Overall: 8.4

Roong Petch Thai Restaurant

Roong Petch Thai Restaurant
1828 West Montrose Avenue
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: Ravenswood
Roong Petch's Website
Roong Petch is a thai restaurant in Ravenswood, right off the Montrose Brown Line stop. Since moving to Ravenswood a few months ago, this has already become a regular destination for us whenever we are craving thai food.

On our most recent visit we decided to take advantage of their lunch special. The lunch special consists of an appetizer, bowl of soup and one of a dozen or so dishes to choose from, all for only $5.50. They even have vegetarian options for the soup and appetizer. We both chose the red curry.

Pot Stickers and Chicken Noodle Soup

Red Curry (w/chicken)

After three or four visits to this restaurant, we really haven't had any bad experiences in terms of the food. The curry is delicious. The vegetables and meat are always fresh, and the dishes are always flavorful. The entrees are reasonably priced and the lunch special is a great deal. One minor complaint is that they only had one server for the whole restaurant during the lunch hour, thus resulting in rather slow service. Friendly, but slow. Despite this, it's still well worth a visit. Nothing special, just tasty, affordable thai food. We give it an 8.2 out of 10.
Quality of Food: 8.6
Value: 8.7
Atmosphere: 8.2
Customer Service: 7.4
Overall: 8.2

Margie's Candies

Margies Candies
1813 West Montrose Avenue
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: Ravenswood
Margie's Candies website
We are lucky to have this candy and ice-cream establishment in our neighborhood here in Ravenswood. There's also a second location in Bucktown. The one in Ravenswood is right off the Montrose Brown Line stop and it's incredibly tempting to walk in every time we pass by. Margie's is probably best known for its ice cream, but also offers cakes, pies and plenty of hand-made chocolates. They even have a few sandwiches on the menu for those who want more than the occasional sweet fix. However, ice cream was on our minds for this particular visit.


It was difficult to choose only one item from their extensive list of shakes, malts and sundaes. We finally decided on the Terrapin Sundae, a concoction of two large scoops of ice-cream topped with butterscotch, whipped cream and a small chocolate turtle on top.


Each sundae also comes with a generous serving of delectable hot fudge and two delicious sugar wafers. They also allow you to personalize your sundae by choosing from their dozen or so flavors of ice-cream. Despite this option, we chose traditional vanilla, and were more than satisfied with our sundae. Each topping was succulent and savory, and the hot fudge is to die for. We must emphasize the size of their sundaes. We split this $5-6 sundae and we both had more than enough to satisfy our sweet tooth(s). One minor complaint is that it's a rather small place with limited seating and it can get pretty crowded on a warm summer evening. They do however have some nice outdoor seating during the summer months, so that's a plus. Overall, the excellent quality and value of Margie's Candies makes it a must-stop Chicago ice-cream shop. We give it an 8.9 out of 10.
Quality of Food: 9.4
Value: 9.2
Atmosphere: 8.3
Customer Service: 8.7
Overall: 8.9