North Italia is a culinary illusion: It’s a chain restaurant that doesn’t feel like a chain restaurant, managing to feel like an (upscale) neighborhood pizza and pasta place, despite being situated almost exclusively in massive shopping malls.
The North Italia in Los Cerritos Center is one of nearly 50 branches in close to 20 states. It’s owned by The Cheesecake Factory, with which it shares no dishes at all, not even a ricotta cheesecake with pepperoni. And it’s North Italian more in name (much more!) than in cuisine. Because here in SoCal, hardcore authenticity is a nice notion; but not necessarily how we roll.
If we’re to get technical about the points of difference, we should begin with fabled food journalist Waverley Root’s description of Italy’s “gastronomic Mason-Dixon line”: The North is generally more affluent and undeniably more industrial, while the South is poorer, and more dependent on eating what can be grown and produced. The North is the land of butter, cream, cheese, risotto, polenta and meat. In the South, they eat olive oil, seafood, tomatoes, eggplant and pepper — and, of course, pasta and pizza. By which metric, North Italia is really Pan Italia … with a little California tossed in for good measure.
If we’re keeping score, at North Italia under the entrées, there are three fish dishes, two chicken and two meat — mark up one for the South. There are 10 pastas, one polenta, and two ricotta; the South wins again. And there are seven varieties of pizza, which was born in Naples to the South. But then, I quibble.
North Italia is a Modern Italian concept — far more enjoyable and authentic than chain operations like Olive Garden, Carrabba’s, Maggiano’s, Romano’s and Buca di Beppo. If anything, the restaurant is closer in style to the Il Fornaio chain. As I said, it may be a chain — but it’s easy to pretend it’s not a chain.
And that’s what their original mission statement told us: “We’ve turned a modern lens on traditional Italian cooking. North Italia is our love letter to Italy — a place that makes you feel like you’ve stepped off a charming side street to discover a culinary gem.”
North Italia in Cerritos is the latest addition to a fast-growing chain of stylish Northern Italians, with a heavy focus on many pastas, along with trendy meat and cheese boards. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
The dining area at North Italia in Cerritos allows a peek into the kitchen. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
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North Italia in Cerritos is the latest addition to a fast-growing chain of stylish Northern Italians, with a heavy focus on many pastas, along with trendy meat and cheese boards. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
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The choice of dishes is well-curated — 14 small plates, six salads, seven pizzas, 10 pastas, seven entrées, seven “For the Table” side dishes … and two Chef’s Boards — a recent addition to the menu that jumps on the cheese, charcuterie and small dish trend, served on wooden boards (the modern incarnation of our old friend grazing).
Though the menu isn’t massive, it’s big enough, and what there is is more than good enough — and even better than that. The braised Italian meatballs, served with a super creamy pile of polenta, in a bath of red tomato (none of which you want to leave on the plate), is a fine opener; heck, if it were served as an entrée, it would work well there, too.
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There’s crispy calamari that really is crispy, even after being dashed across the length of the restaurant, with a snappy Calabrian aioli on the side. There’s wonderful arancini, rice balls with crushed pepper and presto aioli. There’s yellowtail crudo, too — a touch of California, made Italian with Castelveltrano olives, Aleppo peppers and Sicilian pistachio. (And, yes, the menu writers are obsessed with giving us the roots of every dish. Which does read well. Even if it often is just a bit of fancy fun.)
Be sure to order the grilled bread with “good” olive oil. Yes, the menu really says “good” olive oil. I do hate when they serve “bad” olive oil.
There’s a Tuscan kale salad, tossed with crispy pancetta and charred grapes, apples and herbed breadcrumbs. I don’t love kale. But at least it ain’t the same old same old.
The pizzas are impressively crispy and light, and largely rational — though the Mission fig and goat cheese model, and the one called The Pig do push the edge.
I’m not sure entrées are really needed; as ever, the pasta will do. There are short ribs and pork Milanese. But I lean toward the grilled chicken strozzapretti, squid ink tonnarelli, ricotta cavatelli — pastas that aren’t the spaghetti and ravioli shapes we’ve come to embrace as American chow over the years.
But, let’s not give short shrift to old faves, including the chicken parmesan and roasted salmon with fregola (a Sardinian grain pasta). It reminds me of pastina, the tiny star-shaped pasta I grew up with. Served with melted butter. A blend of the cooking of the North and the South, adored by my Eastern European family.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email mreats@aol.com.
North Italia
Rating: 3 stars
Address: Los Cerritos Center, 310 Los Cerritos Center, Cerritos
Information: 562-402-4969; www.northitalia.com
Cuisine: The latest addition to a fast-growing chain of stylish Northern Italians, with a heavy focus on many pastas, along with trendy meat-and-cheese boards, and a well-stocked bar for whatever makes your heart happy.
When: Lunch and dinner, every day
Prices: About $75 per person; reservations important
On the menu: 14 Small Plates ($9.50-$20), 2 Chef’s Boards ($22-$24), 6 Salads ($12-$18.50), 7 Pizzas ($23-$24), 10 Pastas ($25-$28), 7 Entrées ($28-$36), 7 “For the Table” items ($10.50)
Credit cards: MC, V
What the stars mean: 4 (World class! Worth a trip from anywhere!), 3 (Most excellent, even exceptional. Worth a trip from anywhere in Southern California.), 2 (A good place to go for a meal. Worth a trip from anywhere in the neighborhood.) 1 (If you’re hungry, and it’s nearby, but don’t get stuck in traffic going.) 0 (Honestly, not worth writing about.)
Originally Published: August 20, 2025 at 4:23 PM PDT
Dining and Cooking