North Italia

North Italia is tucked in the same galleria plaza as whole foods. Valet parking for 6 $ or garage parking available.
I went on over to North Italia for a business dinner at the request of my customer. There were 7 of us and thankfully they tucked us back in the corner but the restaurant was definitely LOUD LOUD LOUD so keep that in mind depending on what your purpose is.
The menu is nice and simple– which is usually a sign of a good meal to come. If a menu is too large then how does the restaurant perfect their craft?
We starred with the charcuterie tray which came with multiple cheeses, jams, fresh roasted nuts, finely sliced prosciutto and some roasted veggies. Good for sharing with a group.
I was feeling nostalgic so I went with the classic spaghetti and meatballs. Their marinara has a hint of sweetness and they make all of their pasta in house fresh. Came with four or five meatballs so you’ll have enough for leftovers.
The most important part of this who shabang was the ⁵⁄₅ sangria. I do not like sweet fake tasting cocktails. This sangria was the perfect combo of natural sweet, a little sour and a punch of alcohol. Adding it to my list of fav Houston cocktails

The happy hour here is one of the best offerings in the area. We love their $ 20 deal where you get a bottle of wine and either a charcuterie plate, bruschetta or a pizza. If the weather is nice, enjoy your food and wine out on the patio.
We were surprised to see North also puts their bottles on a half-​price special for brunch on Sunday. I had the Nonna Casserole with two perfectly cooked eggs on top. The red sauce was thick and there was plenty of italian sausage in the casserole to add a little spice.
I love watching everyone working in the glass-​enclosed kitchen. Just on a walk to the restrooms in the back I saw people cutting fresh fettuccini, slicing prosciutto, and brushing olive oil on fresh baked bread. I’ll ask to see if I can get a table with a better kitchen view next visit!

I came here for dinner with a group of 4. We had a reservation, but we still had to wait for about 10 minutes. Aside from this small wait, the service for the rest of the night was great, and I really enjoyed the food.
Truffle garlic bread (4.5÷5) — Rich and delicious. The bread was perfectly toasted and the cheese on top was great
Short Rib Radiatori (⁴⁄₅) — great hint of horseradish, which cut the richness of the cream. I enjoyed the taste, but it was still a bit too rich for me.

New to the area and exploring the food scene. This is hands down my favorite place to try yet! Was a bit disappointing to learn it was a chain but not a single part of our experience would have suggested that had I not looked on the site.
The roasted cauliflower was a delicious start to our meal. The Caesar salad was heavenly and the star of the show was the fresh made pasta. I had the bolognese, which was rich and delicious with tender pasta. The chicken pesto was equally divine, with fresh tasting pesto unlike any I’ve had before.
A must! Promise you’ll enjoy every bite.

I came here with my mom for a lunch date. She’s been here multiple times, but it was my first time and I loved the environment; it has a really clean and trendy type of interior design.
We just got back from vacation so jet lag has messed up our eating schedule and while we were hungry, we weren’t extremely hungry, so I’m a little sad I wasn’t physically able to try any small plates, haha.
We ordered drinks and my mom really liked her sangria. I ordered a Milano mule and it was good, but could be a bit stronger.
My mom ordered a salad and added grilled chicken. I ordered spaghetti and meatballs because I recently watched The Godfather and have been craving some good ‘olé spaghetti and meatballs!
The pasta and the sauce were really good, but the meatballs were dry. My mom enjoyed her salad, but with the addition of grilled chicken, her salad ended up costing more than my spaghetti and meatballs, at $ 18. I don’t know about most people, but I would never order an almost $ 20 salad lol.
Service is also good and attentive.
There are some things that could be easily fixed, and I would totally come back so I can try more items off the menu!

Talk about the most absolutely perfect place for a date, for large groups, or for anything in between. I am so impressed with the ambiance of this restaurant and the fact that it is so fun and energetic, yet it isn’t too loud.
I came with a group of ten women and I was impressed with the wide drink selection and attentive service. I’m not a mussel eater, but some of the girls swore by them. I was very satisfied with the wide assortment of items that came on the Chef’s Board. (Tip: we ordered more bread and didn’t get charged — so if it isn’t enough, ask for more!) The Chicken Pesto was absolutely fantastic. You can tell the noodles are made in house. They’re just awesome. There are definitely more items on the menu I want to try, but I didn’t hear any complaints coming from our table!
As with any fancy restaurant, my big qualm was the price you pay for the small portion size. If I’m going to spend $ 18 on a plate, I expect it to be able to be turned into two meals… that is just the bargain hunter side of me though, because these plates are worth EVERY penny!
Overall, dining here was a great experience and I am excited to go back!

First time here, and I love it! Brought my puppy with me and they’re super pet friendly! They brought out a big bowl of ice water just for him! Staff works really fast, and are extremely polite. Great atmosphere, lots of people wine and dine here! I recommend their Margherita pizza! It’s hella tasty! Definitely going to come here again!

I had been meaning to try North Italia out since the week or so that it first opened.
I finally tried it two days ago. My girlfriend and I decided to try out their pastas, as well as an order of the mussels to start off with.
In short, we were very pleased.
I am a mussel lover, and North Italia’s Black Mediterranean Mussels tasted very fresh, well cooked, extremely flavorful, and pleasing to the palate — accompanied with two very nicely grilled pieces of bread. Delicious.
Before I delve into my main course, let me say one thing. I should have ordered their famous house specialty pasta Bolognese. My girlfriend ordered it, I tried it, I loved it. Beautifully cooked tagliatelle noodles with a Bolognese sauce that according to our waiter, takes twelve hours to cook and prepare. I’m not surprised, the flavor was amazing.
Instead, I ordered the also recommended «Strozzapreti», a chicken based pasta, which tasted wonderful. With pine nuts, mushrooms, spinach and a parmesan cream to top it off, the flavors and pasta itself were delicious. A white and creamy sauce mixed in with all the ingredients above really made me enjoy my dish.
All in all, I loved my dish, but my girlfriends Bolognese surpassed it on every level.
I will definitely be returning to North Italia to order the delicious mussels, as well as that Bolognese. Great atmosphere, wonderful and friendly waiters, and beautiful outdoor seating.

Real big fan of this place!
The environment was so much fun! It’s real lively, crowded and loud. Not your typical Italian restaurant with the quiet atmosphere and soft music. The service was spot on and friendly. The managers would stop by our table to ask how we were doing every so often and that was a real nice touch to their service.
My gf and I made it to try out their HH menu and it was definitely a hit! [ Side note — HH is DAILY! Yes… I said DAILY]. We got the Chef’s Board and a bottle of red for $ 20! UHMmmm deal! Also tried their pizza of the day ($ 8) — red sauce, mushrooms & ricotta cheese — YUMMMMM! Do yourself a favor and end the meal with some dessert! Their dark chocolate tart is like crack! The nutella mouse really set off the richness of the dark chocolate.
It’s located on Post Oak behind the Whole Foods. There is a parking garage next to it where you can park for free or you can valet for $ 6.
I’ll definitely be back for more! If you’re trying to come for dinner I would suggest making reservations since the place got packed fast!

Good food which is the most important thing! I’ve been here at least twice and both times I’ve really enjoyed the food. We recently had my husband’s birthday dinner here. We reserved a table for 8 and were immediately seated upon arrival. Our waitstaff was attentive. The appetizer calamari was a hit, as was the truffle garlic bread. The diver scallops were very good and the modified the side item for me. Everyone enjoyed their pizzas, pasta, etc… We really didn’t have anything we didn’t like.
It’s definitely a loud, popular place which isn’t my typical preferred scene, but the food will keep me coming back.
Free parking in the garage.

Mother’s day menu was great. Full of options. We ordered the italian bowl, bolognese, and one of the pizzas. Everything was really well seasoned and cooked. Considering it’s mother’s day and it’s busy, a lot of attention was still placed on the food details.
I took down a star just because I believe they were understaffed. It really took a long time for someone to take our drink and appetizer orders. It wasn’t the easiest to track down our waitress, but we could tell she was trying. But all the waiting really added to the time we were at the restaurant. Service should be a priority, even on such a busy day.

I came with a group of six friends for dinner on Sunday night. We called thirty minutes ahead of time to check on availability and they informed us the high tops were available. When we arrived, we were promptly seated.
The décor and environment were nice and open. They had a bar indoors that opened up to the outside seating area.
We started off with ordering a pitcher of sangria. It was good but nothing to rave about. For appetizers we had an order of the garlic bread. The bread came warm, cheesy and buttery in a small cast iron skillet. I would definitely order this again!
For my entrée, I was between the strozzaoreti and ricotta gnocchi. Our waitress was really nice and helpful and said those were her top two choices. I decided on the ricotta gnocchi which was filled with flavor. My friend ended up ordering the strozzaoreti and that was good too. It really depends if you want beef or chicken, but both are worth trying.
Last but not least we had to try dessert here as well. We ordered the chocolate tart and gelato w/​expresso. The chocolate tart was rich and heavy, it is good to share but hard to eat on your own. The ice cream and expresso were good as well.
Overall, I would recommend this place for a nice lunch or dinner. It is a cute place in the galleria that has options for meat eaters and vegetarians.

Really cute space.
I would return for the ambiance more than the food.
Amazing cheese board (⁴⁄₅). Generous portions of the meat and cheese and tasty preserve.
Everything else was a-​okay (³⁄₅):
Truffle bread: I would recommend eating just the top pieces. I love butter and oil, but the bottom pieces were even too oily for me.
Cauliflower: nice combo of lemon and bread crumbs. Portion size for ants.
Mussels: we had to send them back because they were dried out with barely any broth at the bottom. S is usually pretty wary of new restaurants and mussels. Hopefully they’ll work it out.
Prosciutto pizza: loved and appreciated the figs! Pizza dough was a-​okay.
Bolognese: super salty, but liked the noodles.
Breakfast is a-​okay too. Our waiter was very accommodating with subbing sides. I liked that we dined during an off-​time because it wasn’t as loud.

Stopped by for a late afternoon dinner on one of the first warm evenings in Houston this year and had a reservation through Open Table. Inside of the restaurant was mostly empty but we were able to take one of the last patio tables. Started out our meal with the Bruschetta Trio ($ 20). Each kind comes with 4 slices so our foursome each had 3 pieces (Prosciutto was the best). We opted to pass on salads and 3 out of the 4 of us went with pizza (Margherita, The Pig, and Prosciutto). My favorite of the 3 was the Prosciutto. Pizzas come large and are perfect for sharing; my wife and I both ended up taking half of our pizzas home for lunch the next day. Pastas are nice too but a little on the expensive side. I’ve had the Bolognese before and it is really nice. However, for $ 18 and no leftovers, it was just not that great of a value for me.
Atmosphere here is really nice. For the most part, it feels upscale without being super expensive. I feel like most Italian places are either really cheap (Olive Garden) or way too expensive and romantic. North strikes a nice balance between the two and really classes it up while still being casual. Cocktails and wine looked nice but we weren’t in the mood. We had a young child with us and the restaurant had booster seats available so that can be done. Parking is free in the parking garage or $ 6 valet. Next time I come back will be for happy hour (3p-​6p, weekdays) as I’ve heard others rave about it.

I stopped here for dinner while in Houston for work. This area is full of restaurants ( Unilocal was a little overwhelming!), but I was very happy with my choice.
I ordered a cocktail and the ricotta gnocchi with short ribs. The flavors were delicious — the short ribs especially were fall apart tender. I wish I had ordered the short rib entrée with polenta, as the gnocchi were a bit mushier than I prefer. I think when they choose to use ricotta, they lose the pasta-​like texture you expect from gnocchi.
Service was excellent! My server was attentive and offered lots of good suggestions. Good experience overall.

Came here for the third time and I have yet to be disappointed by anything. I got the mimosa (of course) and the veggie scramble. My eggs were cooked perfectly and flavored with delicious zucchini and beans with a little bit of cheese. But the best part were the potato wedges, undoubtedly. They’re the perfect balance between crispy and soft and they’re broken into little pieces which is ideal for a small-​bites eater like me (or as my friend would say an «elegant eater» HA! At least that masks my general clumsiness). My friend got the Italian casserole with fried eggs, which also looked amazing and lemon donuts. I tried one of her lemon donuts and omg, it was life-​changing. I loved the lemon curd drizzled onto the plate. Tangy and sweet at the same time.
I will definitely be back. I think even the waiters have started recognizing me because I wasn’t IDed this time. At least that’s what I’d like to think. I can’t have suddenly looked like I’m 28 in three weeks right? Maybe adult life is having a physical impact on me.
Also we got outdoor seating, which made for perfect ambience.
Top tip: Saturday mornings this place is quite empty. If you’re not a reservations person (shoutout to my spontaneous buds), fear not, this place can meet your needs, dare I say immediately.

Happy hour is an excellent deal: $ 20 for a bottle of wine and a chef’s (charcuterie) board or a pizza.
I found the zucca chips more oily and less crispy than I was expecting. The chef’s board was a decent size with two types of meats and cheeses along with olives, nuts, jams, and a good amount of crusty bread. The daily pizza (eggplant and garlic) had good char and thoughtfully sparing toppings.
The restaurant itself is upscale-​casual with a big open kitchen.

You totally complete me in so many ways North!
I think I frequent here about 1 – 2 times a week.
Funny name but seriously the best pizza here: Funghi. I can’t even quit this pizza if I really tried. The handmade thin crust, the creamy smoked mozzarella, roasted mushrooms, and thinly sliced cipollini onion just make perfection! Pair it with a glass or bottle of wine = Heaven! Another top favorite the Chef Board. Lots of yummy goodness here! Olives, prosciutto, eggplant spread, artisan cheese, citrus marmalade, and grilled bread. I love munching on this treat as an app before the pizza sipping some fine wine! Other pizza favorites are the Pig for meat lovers with pepperoni, Italian sausage, and red sauce. Also, the Prosciutto sweet, savory, and fresh. There’s something about the flavor burst of fig, goat cheese and arugula… Fun for the pallet.
Happy Hour is daily 3 – 6 and ALL DAY SUNDAY! Sunday’s are fun and lively. Well all days are but I enjoy the Sunday Funday vibe and HH. North servers up a pretty impressive HH. Get a bottle of red or white wine w/​your choice of daily pizza or chefs board (my pick). There are other HH options to choose from. It’s all great! This is my go to pizza place. Can’t go wrong!

After reading all of these reviews, I’m not even sure if we’re even dining at the same place. Maybe I’m taking crazy pills or something. Regardless, this place is extremely, extremely overrated. I had high hopes for this restaurant and was completely let down by the food and the service here.
Service: Came earlier tonight with a group of 7. We had reservations at 5. the restaurant wasn’t packed by any means but the service was absolutely TERRIBLE. Not even sure who my waiter was so I could give him a shout out for the lack of service. He came by to refill our water maybe once, twice at most and dropped of a carafe, never to be seen from with water again. Close to the end of our meal we didn’t see him at all. Every single glass of water was empty. When eating some as decadent as pasta, I as well as my friends like a nice glass of water to wash it down. We had to flag him down to get any attention. He was seldom seen from except when the check came. Then he was REAL QUICK! We encountered a problem with one of my friend’s meals and even if we wanted to complain they made it incorrectly, we couldn’t since no one here seems to do much of anything but corral around the computers.
Food: Honestly, the best part of the meal were the appetizers. We had the calamari and the truffle garlic bread. The truffle garlic bread wasn’t bad but really a simple appetizer that even I can make at home. The calamari was really the only thing I tried that I actually liked. The calamari came on top of a warm arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette. The perfect accompaniment to the fried squid. I genuinely like the salad, and I HATE salads.
I ordered the cheese tortelloni with extra mushrooms for my entrée. The entrée already came with mushrooms but I figured, hell, no such thing as too much mushrooms. Well, I guess the people at North Italia didn’t agree with my sentiment as there were literally like 5 slivers of mushrooms. Nothing extra about it… Overall the pasta was salty and just too cheesy. They really could cut the saltiness with someone else to balance it out. Perhaps a nice grilled protein. On its own however, it was just bleh. It wasn’t an exceptionally large portion, but even I didn’t want to finish it because it wasn’t great. Tried the Bacon & Egg pizza. Tasted like breakfast pizza that you can get out of a frozen box. Red Baron, if you’re curious.
Didn’t try any of my friend’s pastas since I don’t like meat sauce, but from what I’ve been told, the Bolognese tasted like pizza rolls. I’ve been known to go to town on a box or two of pizza rolls, but I’m pretty sure this was not a compliment by any means.
Dessert: The group ordered a little bit of everything so we tried 3 of the desserts. The bombolini (little sugared donuts), the tiramisu and the olive oil cake. Of the 3, the tiramisu was the best. They top it with crispy little chocolate candies. The bomolini was decent, just didn’t know how much I liked it with the lemon curd. The donut itself was decent though. The Olive oil cake was a lighter option and it wasn’t bad. Had a spice cake flavoring to it.
Would I give this place another try? eh. maybe if it was because one of my friends REALLY wanted to go. I wouldn’t recommend this place though. Subpar service and over hyped food. Truthfully, this is like a higher quality maggianos as far as I’m concerned. I’m sure my opinion of this place is unpopular, but I think a good deal of my non-​yelping friends would highly agree with me.

Ive been here twice now, once for a week night dinner and once for sunday brunch. Both times were packed. Best to make a reservation a couple days in advance to guarantee your time slot availability.
For starters I’ve had the zucca chips, and the truffle garlic bread. Both are shareable. The zucca chips are so unique, VERYY thinly sliced zucchini, fried and topped with seasalt. The truffle bread was also delicious, generously covered with housemade ricotta and shaved cheese, and herbs.
In the brunch menu, the french toast was the best, I couldn’t figure out what type of bread was used, but it was very thinly sliced, and seemed like a sweet bread on its own. Its served with fresh berries, and a huge dollop of whip cream. This could definitely be served as a dessert.
The marghertia pizza is delicious mostly because of the dough. I could taste the freshness, soft, and chewy at the same time.
As far as the pastas, those are also made daily in house. The cheese tortellini with mushrooms has a great balance of flavor with the spinach pasta. The strazopretti was good the first time I had it, but the 2^nd time was a bit too salty.
For dessert, the salted caramel budino was great, not too salty.