An Italian restaurant group founded 23 years ago in Arizona is finally making its way to the Bay Area after having opened dozens of eateries across the country.
For restaurant No. 49, North Italia will plant its flag in downtown Walnut Creek, with a March 25 opening scheduled. Next up this spring will be a Brea restaurant, the ninth for SoCal.
Here, on Locust Street at Plaza Escuela, the 8,500-square-foot dining room and alfresco bar will offer seating for 200.
What will stand out at North Italia?
For starters, brunch every weekend and lunch every weekday, with hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at which point the dinner menu kicks in.
Merrill Shindler, a longtime Los Angeles area dining critic, calls North Italia “a chain restaurant that doesn’t feel like a chain restaurant.” There’s an open-view scratch kitchen, with pasta made fresh daily in-house and a menu that changes seasonally.
Dishes with roots in northern Italy include the house specialty, Pasta Bolognese, along with Cacio e Pepe Arancini, White Truffle Garlic Bread and, for brunch, Breakfast Carbonara Pasta and Tuscan Hash. Tomato-based southern Italian dishes and regional specialties make up the bulk of the menu.
Lunch options include Garlic Knot Sliders with Sicilian meatballs or chicken pesto, a Spicy Italian Grinder, Giardino Stromboli, salads and more.
Although the Cheesecake Factory has owned this chain since 2019, there’s no cheesecake on the dessert menu. Instead, diners will find Hazelnut Torta, Tiramisu, a Seasonal Butter Cake and the Italian doughnuts, Bombolini, among other sweets.
Details: Hours from 11 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. daily at 1179 Locust St., Walnut Creek; northitalia.com
Dining and Cooking