Salame pizza at Antica Pizzeria
 

Neapolitan pizza is to the ’00s what martinis were to the ’90s. Nearly a dozen high-profile spots opened in the past year, and it appears that the latest Pizza Belt is Uptown and Andersonville, where Monticchio (4882 N. Clark St.; 773-275-7080), Antica Pizzeria (5663 N. Clark St.; 773-944-1492), and Great Lake (1477 W. Balmoral Ave.; 773-334-9270) all turn out boutique pies with an eye toward Naples. Not even a stagnating restaurant climate can stop more pizza ovens from firing up around town; we can’t wait for Nella PIzzeria Napoletana (2423 N. Clark St.), a traditional spot coming in March from Spacca Napoli’s original pizzaiolo, Nella Grassano.

Photograph: Anna Knott