Ever since I saw The Point being built El Segundo, California, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the opening of the eateries that would be housed there. Some of the most popular restaurants would now have a home in the South Bay! Finally the time has come for The Point to open up! This is The Point’s grand opening week and one by one the new restaurants are opening up. One of the first restaurant to open it’s doors this week is North Italia.

The very first North Italia opened up in 2002 and they specialize in handmade pizzas and pastas. The theme of the restaurants is “A love letter to Italy” where every thing is handmade with love.

Today I got to experience North Italia for a lunch out and try first hand their made from scratch lovely dishes.

Stepping in to this North Italia, one cannot help but feel an instant love for the restaurant. It is beautiful inside. There are huge hanging lights up above and a really nice open kitchen in the back. The dark wood interior gives a beautiful classy feel. Diners can also choose to dine outside, a choice that my friend and I made. Pretty flower vases adorn the wooden tables outside.

To match the lovely look of the restaurant is their lovely menu consisting of small plates, pizzas, sandwiches, salads and main entrees.

To start, I got to try the Grilled Cauliflower small plate. It’s a wonderfully plated dish with fried egg, baby asparagus, toasted bread crumbs, pancetta cream and lemon.

The taste of the lemon is instant at first bite of this dish. The runny egg offsets the lemon and gives a unique take on this dish. It’s one of the most interesting takes I’ve ever seen.

Another appetizer I got to try here is the Arancini.  It is crispy mushroom risotto stuffed with scamorza cheese and served with red sauce. This appetizer is heaven with every bite. The cheese and risotto oozes out of the crispy coated balls.

For our main lunch entrée, my friend and I tried their Margherita Pizza.

It’s a classic Margherita with mozzarella, fresh basil, olive oil and red sauce. With its hot baked dough, crispy edges and fresh mozzarella the pizza was one lovely pizza.

I love the concept of North Italia and their fresh take on Italian cuisine. Handmade with love, North Italia has found a happy place in Hello Kitty Foodie’s heart.

For more smiles, please see my Yelp review of North Italia.

P.S North Italia is the sister restaurant to another eatery at The Point, True Food Kitchen (blog post for True Food Kitchen coming soon ;).