Stopping Off For Dessert--Ciao Napoli

Ciao Napoli Pizzeria
2607 N. Milwaukee
Chicago, IL 60647

Photos by Megg at Pop Artichoke!


Some days you are just in the mood to make a real evening of your dining experience; the sort of night where you “stop off” for something. Even if that is kind of old fashioned, there are plenty of reasons to have a scene change from dinner to dessert. Thankfully, Logan Square has a great little spot that works as a great dessert place.

Sitting right off of the square, Ciao Napoli Pizzeria is another brick oven pizza restaurant in the neighborhood. You could say that this restaurant is the pizza alternative to The Boiler Room, given that there is a notable absence of the type of man-child that wears his sister’s jeans and a flannel shirt. Having said that, pizza is not the objective of this review. While I would recommend having one of their pizzas one day, I contend that this place does an excellent dessert and that should not be overlooked. Either on a date or catching up with an old friend (Pop Artichoke!), there are many reasons for foodies to fit desserts into an evening.

Ciao offers a large list of gelatos and sorbets—always a crowd pleaser. From your standard pistachio and chocolate gelatos to lemon and melon sorbets, there is a large, tasty selection to choose from. I am usually partial to a light sorbet after dinner, but given that we are doing Desserts with a capital “D”, let’s dive right in.

One special that they do offer on occasion is a Cannoli Martini. No, it’s not a cocktail, it is four to five cannoli shells sticking out of a martini glass filled with the cannoli filling of sweetened ricotta cheese and chocolate chips. The riccota was tasty, but had they added pistachios to it, I think it would have added another dimension to this—a missed opportunity in my eyes.



The recommended dish is the Zeppole, which are effectively “Italian doughnuts”. These were so good and reminded me of beignets from New Orleans. Freshly fried dough that is still warm, rolled in powdered sugar and a drizzle of Nutella on top of it. These were fantastic for dessert. Plus, they give you enough for two or three people.



Now, what drink shall accompany your doughnuts? While we could just have a glass of some sweet Moscato wine with our dessert, I think we should venture into the digestivo territory. Yes, the scary cordials that sit on the back of dessert menus that no one ever orders. I say, with a little careful guidance, you can be drinking these like a pro.

Understand that the point of a digestivo in Italian meals is to conclude the meal and aid in digestion. Many of the digestivos have a upwards of forty spices and herbs in them. Some of these spices and herbs actually compliment some flavors in your dessert and I don’t really see any reason why we cannot break rules a little bit and have a digestivo with dessert.

I found the Nonino Amaro to be sweet and have orange flavors in it. It paired very well with the Zeppole. The Strega had a strong alcohol burn to it and almost tasted like Sambuca. It did complement the Cannoli Martini. For dessert I would avoid the Fernet Branca because of it’s savory and bitter flavor. If you’re going to drink savory digestivos, it’s best that you observe the “concluding of the meal” rule. Always ask the wait staff for their recommendations and if you’re ever in doubt, you can always play it safe with Limoncello.

Dessert doesn’t have to just be the tail end of the main event, it can be THE main event. As foodies, we should, on occasion, make more out of dessert as a meal in its own. Ciao in Logan Square gives you this option with an excellent dessert menu.


Getting down to Brass Tax:

Date place? Yes.
Friend Hang out? Yes, with a FEW friends.
Recommended dish: Zeppole
Recommended drink: Nonino Amaro
Price Range (2 People): +/- $25