Napoli Per Tutti brings a slice of authentic Italian pizza perfection to Schaumburg

Out with the frappuccinos! In with the formaggi!

Tucked away in what used to be a Starbucks on the southeast corner of North Barrington Road and Holmes Way in Schaumburg is now the home of the area's newest pizzeria and Italian eatery. Napoli Per Tutti, started by business partners Dave Murkowski, Henry de Leon and Olga de Leon, opened its doors over the summer and has since been serving up authentic Italian antipasti, pizza, beverages and desserts to hungry diners.

Although many Italian favorites are featured on the slim and simple menu, thin-crust pizzas lifted out of the wide-mouth Mediterranean Sea blue, tile-covered wood-burning oven on giant spatula boards is the specialty of the house. In fact, this place is so Italian, pizza is referred to on the menu as pizze.

But, it would not be accurate to refer to Napoli Per Tutti as simply a pizza place. Inside its cozy, upscale dining room, visitors can choose from other traditional Italian antipasti, salads, wines and don't forget the dolci - yes, you'll want to save room for dessert.

Diners might want to whet their appetites with antipasti like bruschetta, vedure misto (zucchini, bell peppers, artichoke, Calabrian peppers and asparagus), prosciutto e buffala (prosciutto crudo, buffalo mozzarella and olive oil) or burrata al forno (imported Burrata baked with marinara sauce).

The pizze selection is similar to the wine list in that it offers red (Rossa) and white (Bianca) thin-crust pies. After asking our server a few questions about the size of each pizze, which is about a foot in diameter, my dining partner and I decided on a pizze daily double.

We ordered up one Margherita Pizze off the Rossa menu, complete with a combination of pecorino cheese, which is made from sheep's milk, and semisoft fior di latte cheese. Sweet San Marzano tomatoes and sauce decorate the top, along with basil leaves and a splash of olive oil.

Our other pie was the Pizze Sorrentina from the Bianca menu. It came topped with imported mozzerella di Bufala cheese, basil and tomatoes - but without tomato sauce. Each pizze can easily become a meal for one or can be split between two if you're eating light. Pizzes are brought to the table piping hot with a round cutter to mark out your own slices.

Each pie was light with a chewy, thin crust and cooked to perfection. While the pizzes were very good, I was hoping for a bit more flavor burst from the tomatoes and basil. You can also add red pepper flakes and extra parmesan cheese from table shakers if you want to give your slice a little more kick or cheesy goodness.

Another noteworthy pizze on the menu is the not-so-Italian-sounding Speck con Kale, featuring roasted fresh kale, smoked mozzerella cheese, speck (which is cured, smoked pork slices), balsamic glaze and olive oil. You can also order pizze served with mushrooms, sausage, Gorgonzola cheese, artichokes, olives and yes, anchovies.

Napoli's Dolci menu items almost make you want to skip the meal and go right for dessert. In addition to traditional Italian favorites such as tiramisu with mascarpone and ladyfingers soaked in espresso with Baileys Irish crème and cannoli with whipped chocolate ricotta filling, there are a few other delicacies you might not have tried before.

Sure, Nutella isn't new, but at Napoli it comes served on pizza dough with bananas and powdered sugar. There's also the Tartufo. It's a sweet treat featuring zabaglione, which traditionally is served like a beverage made with egg yolks, sugar and sweet wine. However, you can enjoy it at Napoli served with chocolate mousse, gelato, hazelnuts and cocoa powder.

Some of these menu items may sound a bit intimidating for non-Italians, but Napoli Per Tutti is anything but intimidating. In fact, it goes out of its way to make things simple to order and try for the first time. Napoli would seem to be the perfect place for lunch during the week, but for now, it doesn't open until 3 p.m. on weekdays, although it does open at noon on Saturdays and Sundays.

Perhaps if the buzz grows about this new taste of Italy on Schaumburg's west side, the doors might open earlier for pizze lovers during the week.

Napoli Per Tutti

181 N. Barrington Road, Schaumburg, (224) 653-9464, napolipertutti.com/

Cuisine: Authentic Italian pizzeria and eatery

Setting: Casual

Hours: 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 3 to 10 p.m. Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday

Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.