Italian restaurant North Italia opening at The Summit
UPDATE: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that Carraba's had closed. The restaurant is still open. The Voice apologizes for the error.
The Summit is home to an Italian restaurant once again. After Romano’s Macaroni Grill closed months ago, North Italia was scheduled to open March 3.
The restaurant, which was founded in 2002, will serve brunch, lunch, happy hour and dinner and is the 24th location in the United States and the first in Alabama.
Jaie O’Banner, general manager at North Italia Birmingham, said the restaurant’s first priority is always to open up a great restaurant with and for great people and that is where the search for locations begin.
“Over the past two years, we’ve opened several locations in the South and have always had real love for the Birmingham community,” O’Banner said. “When this space became available, bringing North Italia to The Summit made perfect sense. It’s the destination not only for people in Birmingham, but in the surrounding areas as well due to the fact that it has an amazing array of shops and restaurants, putting us in a position to attract a lot of great guests and employees alike.”
O’Banner said from his experience, people come to North Italia for many reasons, including a quick lunch, an intimate dinner, a fun brunch with the family or a girls’ night out.
“People will find a variety of things that appeal to them, from uncompromised meal presentations and quality to unparalleled levels of service where people cater to your every need and consideration, which resonates across the brand in every market that I’ve been to,” he said.
They will adhere to state and local regulations to have a 50% capacity mandate for the time being inside the restaurant and will also have a patio with drop down shades.
Reservations and online ordering for carryout will be available. Delivery via DoorDash is also an option.
The restaurant only uses the freshest ingredients, and its chefs create a variety of modern Italian dishes with pasta that is made from scratch daily.
The menu features small plates, salads, pizza, sandwiches, fresh pasta and an extensive selection of beverages. O’Banner said some of the most popular dishes (and his favorites) include the White Truffle Garlic Bread, hand rolled tortellini stuffed with burrata, any of the pizzas, Squid Ink Mafaldine and the Italian Farm Salad.
“We have something for every taste and mood,” he said.
While there aren’t any immediate plans to open any other locations in the Birmingham area, O’Banner said the restaurant is excited to join the community and build a home in Birmingham.
North Italia will be located at 225 Summit Blvd., Suite 1100, next to Athleta near Gus Mayer. It will be open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
For more information, visit northitalia.com/locations/birmingham-al.