North Italia is located right across the street from Garage 6 on Second Street in Santa Monica. In this part of town, directions are often given by where people can park. The authentic Italian restaurant is also just around the corner from the Promenade, which is nice, according to Regional Chef Sammy Sleman, “because we’re kind of tucked away, it makes us feel a little bit more neighborhood-y versus in a busy touristy spot.”
“The cool thing about Santa Monica is it’s a mix of everything,” he explained. “We have local residents who live close by, and we have a lot of tourists. They’re coming in from all over the world. We love that mix. It keeps us on our toes because we have new clientele that comes in often, a lot of first-time guests. We really like to wow them and make sure they have an awesome experience.”
Next year marks a decade that North Italia in Santa Monica has been open for business. Sleman joined the brand 13 years ago when it included just six restaurants. Today it consists of 50 nationwide.
Italian Short Rib Dip from North Italia in Santa Monica, CA.
(Chris Mortenson/Staff)
“I grew up in New Jersey, and my parents owned a restaurant,” Sleman shared. “Growing up, my twin brother and I were always cooking with my dad in his restaurant, helping him shop and prep. It was really fun.”
Both brothers attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, graduated together and moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, where they discovered the North Italia brand at a work event.
Chicken Parmigiana Verde from North Italia in Santa Monica, CA.
(Chris Mortenson/Staff)
“I kind of fell in love with the brand and the people,” Sleman said, “and that started my journey with North Italia.” The name of the restaurant brand does not so much refer to the type of food served, although it does offer Northern Italian cuisine, which is a little bit heavier, including polenta and meatballs. The name was picked by the original founder, Sam Fox, who lived in Tucson and opened the first restaurant just north of his house.
“We find inspiration throughout all of Italy,” Sleman confirmed. “The name is a little play on words. We also find inspiration from Southern Italy; the pasta is made from semolina flour and water, which is super typical in the south.”
North Italia’s menu is seasonally structured, changing twice a year around spring and summer and then fall and winter.
White truffle garlic bread from North Italia in Santa Monica, CA.
(Chris Mortenson/Staff)
One of Sleman’s favorite things about the Santa Monica location is its proximity to the farmers market.
“Wednesday mornings are like one of my favorite times to be in Santa Monica,” he said. “We’ll head over there and grab a couple things. We feature a daily pizza, so we derive some inspiration from the farmers market. We sometimes do menu testing in the Santa Monica location because we’re so close to Calabasas, where our headquarters is. We bring our regional chefs out and take a tour in the farmers market and grab some things and find some inspiration for dishes.”
Game day pizzas Loaded Baked Potato and Jalapeño Popper from North Italia in Santa Monica, CA.
(Chris Mortenson/Staff)
North Italia has survived last year’s fires, a pandemic and a myriad other industry obstacles. Sleman credits the brand’s leadership and staff for its staying power.
“For us, putting really great leaders in place to run our restaurants and inspire our people is crucial,” he said. “The fires last year, especially in Santa Monica, was such a hard time, but we’re super thankful for the leadership that made the staff feel safe and like we care about them. It’s really important to make sure they feel like this is a home away from home. Sometimes you’re in your restaurant and you see your teammates more than you do your family. We really want to create that great culture for them.”
Tiramisu from North Italia in Santa Monica, CA.
(Chris Mortenson/Staff)
He continued: “One of the main things that keeps me here is that because we’re such a growing brand, having great people in our restaurants is really important; having great staff and the ability for them to learn. For them to develop and grow their careers has been so rewarding for me in my position. It’s really inspiring to see prep cooks come up to line cooks and become sous chefs and executive chefs. I started as a prep cook at North Italia. I worked my way up, and now I’m a regional chef, so I oversee the restaurants in California, which was really fun for me because I get to touch a lot of people. I get to create a lot of great relationships.”
This Valentine’s Day, North Italia will serve up a specialty three-course menu including blue crab cacio e pepe risotto (starter), hand-cut double pork chop (main), pappardelle bolognese al tartufo (main), smoked prosciutto chicken parmesan (main) and aged bourbon & salted caramel affogato (dessert). Pricing starts at $75 per person, and reservations can be made via phone or directly on OpenTable.
Game Day Pizzas
For the Super Bowl, the team is offering two specialty pizzas running now through Feb. 9. Jalapeno Popper Pizza with bacon, jalapeno and garlic cream cheese, smoked mozzarella, herb breadcrumbs and agrodolce, and Loaded Potato Skin Pizza with fingerling potatoes, creamy mashed potato, crunchy bacon, chives, creme fraiche and grana padano. And for anyone who doesn’t want to leave their house on game day, North Italia is offering free delivery for anyone who orders through its website.
North Italia is located at 1442 2nd Street, Santa Monica, 310-382-2460; northitalia.com.
Dining and Cooking