North Italia is a few months old, situated behind its parent, The Cheesecake Factory, in Friendly Shopping Center. The interior looks urbane-upscale, open and airy, with a high energy level that usually manages not to be unnerving. A covered, heated patio provides outdoor seating.
The cocktail list and beer selections (mostly local) are impressive (although they were out of the ingredients for two cocktail orders on one visit). The wine list (mostly Italian) provides over two dozen pours by the glass, in 6 or 8 ounces, in addition to a killer bottles list.
Scampi
I enjoyed the food. Quite a lot, actually.
Servings from the Small Plates section of the menu are large enough to share.
Italian Meatballs exude solid beef flavor, enhanced with a rich marinara sauce, surrounded by creamy polenta and grated Grana Padano cheese — similar to Parmesano-Reggiano, but a little sweeter and less salty.
Three crisp fried risotto cakes make up a serving of Cacio e Pepe Arancini, dusted with finely grated Pecorino-Romano cheese and crushed pepper, flanked by pesto aioli. The red pepper blend generates a bit of heat, just enough to perk things up, while the aioli softens things. Scampi places four jumbo shrimp, deveined, tail on, in a lush bath of herb butter studded with garlic confit, decorated with grated grana Padano cheese. Bits of blistered tomato add a mild acidic edge. Slices of grilled bread allow you to soak up that sauce, a most enjoyable experience.
In Prosciutto Bruschetta, really good prosciutto is folded over focaccia, spread with stracciatella — a rich, soft cheese, sections of grilled asparagus in between, sprinkled with grana Padano cheese. Calamari is noteworthy for exceptionally crisp texture, a fairly light flavor, extended with crushed tomato marinara sauce.
Mushroom Pizza
Pizzas benefit from a tough, chewy, flavorful crust, baked to a dark brown. Margherita combines mozzarella cheese with fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil, bathed in a rich tomato sauce. Funghi luxuriates in the aroma and flavor of cooked fresh mushrooms and cippolini onions, resting in mozzarella cheese.
Salads are likewise large enough to share. Arugula and Avocado dress the named ingredients in a light lemon vinaigrette, decorated with shaved fennel. Seasonal Vegetable joins butternut squash, sliced Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and radicchio with Pecorino cheese, fregola (little pasta balls), pistachio nuts, and dates, with white balsamic dressing. This virtually explodes with flavor. Tuscan Kale is elaborate — to the greens, crisp pancetta, charred grapes, apple slices, pistachios, and herbed breadcrumbs are added, tossed in Parmesan vinaigrette.
Pastas, made in-house, are deeply flavorful. Bolognese is considered a house specialty, justifiably so. The meat sauce is classic, coating pappardelle pasta sprinkled with grated grana Padano cheese, all enhanced with oregano and extra virgin olive oil. Strozzapreti roughly translates to “priest strangler.” Popular legends hold that this tastes so good, otherwise ascetic priests would eat so much they stuffed themselves. Tender herb-roasted chicken is the primary ingredient here, joined by roasted mushroom, spinach, Parmesan cream sauce, and toasted pine nuts. Lasagne uses both braised short ribs and Italian sausage, each imparting its own distinctive flavor. “Rustic” marinara sauce — menu term, and it fits, plus ricotta and provolone cheeses, blend beautifully. Fresh basil leaves float on top.
Lasagne
We tried several seafoods from the entrée menu. Branzino is grilled, its tender, mild white flesh enhanced with abundant capers and lemon caper butter, flanked by roasted fennel, Brussels sprouts, broccolini, fingerling potatoes, and soft-cooked cipollini onions. This is exceptional, both for the flavor of the fish itself as well as the accompanying vegetables. Scallops are pan-seared to a light brown — pleasantly tender — joined on the plate by pieces of butternut squash. This struck me as a novel combination, which nevertheless married well. These ingredients are plated over risotto, plus a few Brussels sprout leaves, the overall flavor intensified with Calabrian agrodolce — a red wine vinegar and honey reduction with bits of red chili peppers. Crisp fried shallot strings complete the presentation. Salmon comes in a fairly simple preparation, elevated to a higher level of complexity through the presentation. It rests on caramelized Romanesco broccoli, plus broccolini, fregola, basil pesto, lemon gremolata, dashed with affinato — aged balsamic vinegar.
Meats proved highly satisfying as well. Braised Short Rib Marsala is tender enough to pull apart without a knife, the already deep beef flavor enriched with beech mushrooms and affinato, over black truffle risotto, surrounded by Brussels sprouts and heirloom carrots. A pasta variation, Braised Short Rib Lumache, places the meat in grana padano crema, intensified with horseradish gremolata, decorated with herb breadcrumbs and arugula.
Desserts here should be considered mandatory. The mellifluous custard in Tiramisu is capped with espresso-soaked ladyfingers, topped with a layer of mascarpone mousse, sprinkled with little chocolate balls. Gelato is made in-house. Get the Brookie Sundae to sample all the flavors in a single serving, then waddle out the door. Or remain somewhat restrained with Budino, a mellow blend of espresso fudge, banana slices, chantilly crème, and toasted pecan toffee.
Tiramisu
Servers are well informed, deliveries usually appropriately paced. We experienced one glitch — appetizer and salads arrived at the same time, but a polite complaint produced a prompt manager visit with a compensatory serving of toasted focaccia, which was delicious.
The website provides menus with prices, as well as information about Happy Hour specials. The “About Us” section is promotional copy. I was unable to acquire local information in spite of multiple efforts.
That quibble aside, I rate the food at North Italia in the top echelon in every category.
Leftovers:
Giovanni’s (giovannisnc.com) has been undergoing remodeling recently, with completion necessitating temporary closing part of this week. The grand reopening, with a new, more casual concept, is this Friday, March 6.
North Italia
610 Pembroke Road Greensboro 27408
336-791-8614, northitalia.com/locations/north-italia-greensboro-nc/
Hours: Lunch — 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday; Dinner — 4-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday & Saturday; Brunch — 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday & Sunday
Appetizers: $12-$18.50, Salads: $11.50-$17.50, Soups: $10, Entrees: $23-$44, Desserts: $7.50-$13
Most recent visit: Feb. 25
Dining and Cooking