Who: North Italia
What: Modern Italian Restaurant with Great Indoor and Outdoor patio space
When: Sunday 11am – 9pm, Monday to Thursday 11am – 10pm, Friday to Saturday 11am – 11pm
Where: The Domain, 11506 Century Oaks Terrace #124, Austin, TX 78758
Why: If you are looking for an excellent Lunch spot in the Domain then look no further. North Italia is a staple in the Domain, having been one of the first restaurants to open up in the growing area. They are located centrally on Century Oaks Terrace near The Apple store and make the perfect stop if you happen to work nearby, or if you’re just looking for a great spot to grab a bite to eat in between shopping.
I was invited to go check out their menu, so I grabbed one of my favorite girlfriends and we set out to go explore. I had actually never been in before and was really eager to go try things since everything I had heard and seen made this place seem amazing.
Upon walking in you’re greeted with a nice and cozy interior space, or opt to sit outside on the covered and heated (in the winter) patio. We decided to sit on the patio so I could take advantage of the natural lighting.
It definitely lived up to expectations. We started by ordering some drinks off their cocktail menu, which features beautifully crafted beverages like the Rosemary & Lime made with ketel one vodka, amaro nonino, rosemary, angostura, and smashed lime. PS: Ask about their secret cocktail menu!
For appetizers, we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to try the mussels, chef’s board, and calamari. I’m such a sucker for all three of those things, so the fact that they were on the menu made me a very happy girl. Their mussels are excellent, and I would highly recommend them!
Next we ordered the squid ink pasta, chicken parmesan, prosciutto and fig pizza, and the meatball sandwich. Honestly, the squid ink pasta had me a little nervous, but my friend said that she wanted to try it and I’m glad we did. The squid ink made the pasta a dark black color but made with fresh seafood like calamari and white shrimp. I love that everything is made from scratch because you get real authentic dishes with no artificial flavors, and homemade pasta really is everything. You can taste the difference!
No meal could be complete without some dessert, and yall know how much I like a good dessert. We ended up ordering two, the olive oil cake made with a moist yellow cake, surrounded by fresh strawberries and oranges topped with a mascarpone cream. And the dark chocolate tart, which was made with a nutella mousse, and pecan toffee crumble. It was hard deciding which one I liked more, so I practically licked the plates clean on both of them.
This was one of my favorite lunches, I loved the ambiance almost as much as I loved the food and that added to the experience. The customer service was also outstanding, from the moment we walked in we were greeted with smiles. And I would say you need to come check them out at least once if you’ve never been before. Be sure to not pass up their happy hour either, featuring a bottle of wine and pizza for just $20 Monday to Thursday 3pm-6pm (among a few other great deals!)
When you go, please tell them Dine With Shayda sent you. And be sure to follow along with my daily adventures on Instagram @DineWithShayda.
