Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Napoli Pizza opened in Rocky Ridge in October 2023.
The Birmingham metro area has lost a lot of Italian restaurants over the years, but a new one in Rocky Ridge is conjuring up memories of long-gone places such as LaVoy’s in Homewood, Romeo’s on Southside or Sal’s Italian across town in Roebuck.
Napoli Italian Restaurant & Pizza opened its doors in October in the former location of Johnny Brusco’s New York Style Pizza, between IZ Cafe and Alabama Biscuit Co., and already has developed a loyal following.
The interior is all rustic Italian elegance, with white tablecloths on every table and empty wine bottles used as decorations throughout the restaurant. Additionally, the lighting is low in an effort to create a warm and intimate dining experience where customers can enjoy a conversation.
Owner and operator Sefer Dika said it’s common to see the same faces multiple times per week.
“I have a lot who come around two and three times a week. A lot of people are supporting me and want me to be successful,” he said.
“It’s very comfortable here. They feel like when they come in here, they feel like they’re coming home,” Dika added. “If their reservations are for 5 o’clock, they’re still here til 9 o’clock or 10, til we close. At the same time, it makes me very happy.”
The food at Napoli is classic Northern Italian, with the occasional twist thrown in. The menu features traditional pasta dishes such as baked ziti, lasagna and fettuccine pesto. Other fare includes marsala, piccata and scarpariello with either chicken or veal. Seafood dishes on the menu include shrimp scampi, lobster ravioli and zuppa di pesce, a traditional fish soup with clams, mussels, salmon, shrimp and calamari in garlic and a red or white sauce.
Diners will also find strombolis, calzones and pizzas with fresh toppings. The pizza menu features traditional options, such as the margherita with mozzarella, fresh basil and crushed tomato sauce, or the Mediterranean with a garlicky white sauce, onions, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, feta and mozzarella cheese.
But Dika isn’t afraid to experiment with his pizzas, offering several specialty pies that may raise an eyebrow from purists. For instance, there is the Buffalo chicken pizza or the cheese fry pizza, topped with French fries, cheddar cheese sauce and mozzarella.
Dika, a native of Albania, emigrated to the United States 30 years ago amid the political turmoil in his home country in the mid-1990s. He found his way to Connecticut with no money, no papers and few prospects.
He got his first job washing dishes in an Italian restaurant, learning to cook over time and making a living in the restaurant business, eventually owning a restaurant in Austin, Texas. Dika and his wife raised three sons, all college graduates and successful business owners in the Northeast.
Napoli Italian Restaurant & Pizza is Dika’s third restaurant and, he says, his last. Now in his 60s, Dika and his wife ended up in Vestavia Hills after compromising on where to live after returning to the South, following several years back in Connecticut.
“My wife, she wanted to go back to Texas. I wanted Florida, but this was in between,” Dika said. “The people are very happy here. I think we made a good decision.”
Napoli Italian Restaurant & Pizza is located at 2516 Rocky Ridge Road and is open by reservation only from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. seven days a week.
For reservations, call 205-326-7478.
