When I first got my driver’s license, I would hop in my car and go anywhere for any reason. I would drive to work, school, the mailbox, hell I’d drive to the backyard if my car could fit through the fence. It didn’t take long before sitting in traffic, a few accidents, and the financial drain of a car made the excitement of driving whither away. Years after getting my license the only reason I drive now is to get around. Sound like you too? I wouldn’t be surprised. The only time I’m happy to put my foot to the gas is if the destination is a restaurant. With a drive from Pasadena to Long Beach on my calendar, the only reason I willingly hit the road was because it would lead to North Italia in El Segundo.

Although the ride had more share of miles than I would normally do, it wasn’t so bad as my friend Gian came along with me. Cracking jokes and talking about our goals made the drive seem a lot faster as we were walking into the restaurant faster than I realized.

North Italia is a pretty restaurant. With so much space, they’ve managed to make the restaurant feel comfortable and warm. Tables make up the majority of the space and face the kitchen. Seeing the chef cook your food and then waiters bring it out has always been a simple act that I enjoy. As lovely as the restaurant is, the table settings are just the same. Wine glasses sit alongside plates, a rolling pin notifies guests of reserved tables, and the lighting is dim to create an ambiance. It was a great way to set a relaxing mood after the long drive.

Chatting with our waitress, Stephanie, Gian and I looked over the menu. With so many options at our disposal, Stephanie suggested that the chef could pick our dishes. She made a difficult decision easy and in a matter of moments plates began to arrive.

The first item to the table was Gian’s drink. The Apple Bourbon Punch ($13) was made with apple and vanilla infused Buffalo Trace, lemon, clover honey, and chai tea. The name alone came off as a strong cocktail that I might have dismissed, but the description read so nicely that it made me want to try his drink. A few sips of it and it turns out I would have regretted not getting it if I were drinking that night. The cold drink still had a bit of stiffness to it thanks to the bourbon, but that was eased by the honey and chai tea. I liked that it incorporated smooth accents because it made it much lighter to taste.

After I stopped hogging his drink, the plates made their way to the table. The first was the White Truffle Garlic Bread ($11). It was a little pricey for the size, but the taste of it made up for what would be paid. Thick slices of toast were topped with mozzarella, house made ricotta, grana padano, and herbs. It had such a pleasant amount of a garlic taste making it perfect to eat, yet there wasn’t too much which would make it difficult to have a conversation. I loved the unbelievably soft mozzarella that topped the toast. It was the first thing I saw and it was the last thing I could ever forget!

The next plate was definitely a surprise. The Heirloom Beet Salad ($12) would not have been a dish I would have willingly ordered, because I don’t care for beets. However, since I’ve been giving them more of a chance recently, I gave it an honest shot. Bright pink beets were served on top of arugula with smoked bacon, roasted mushrooms, goat cheese, hazelnuts, and drizzled with a horseradish vinaigrette. As reluctant as I was to try it, it was actually pretty good. I won’t say that I finished it, because I didn’t. But I did eat more of it than I thought I would and didn’t complain at any point along the way. It cold have been the crispy bacon, the smooth cheese, or the sweet nuts that made the beets come off as delicious, but whatever it was it worked.

Beets aside, the next plate was a healthy one. The Grilled Cauliflower ($12) came with a fried egg, baby asparagus, toasted breadcrumbs, a pancetta cream, and lemon. As we ate the contents of the plate, it felt like such a healthy dish! Something I could probably get more of in my life. By this time, we had many dishes prior so it wasn’t easy to tell how filling this one made us, but it did have good components. I loved that the cauliflower was grilled because it locked in a level of ideal saltiness that you can often times miss. Topping it with a sunny egg added a pleasant liquid texture that acted as a welcome coating. It didn’t take long for us to attempt to finish this plate until the next one was placed in front of us.

The final dish of the night was my favorite. A plate of Burrata Tortelloni ($17) was beautifully presented and it was only a matter of seconds before my fork pierced the pasta. The shells were filled with a roasted butternut squash and aligned with mushrooms, Brussels leaves, hazelnut, and a sage brown butter. I drooled at the description just as much as I drooled over the pasta itself. As I bit into the pasta, the soft shells opened up to introduce a delicately textured butternut squash that had a subtle sweet taste. The addition of the sage butter accented the taste to a greater degree that made the pasta easy to inhale. It was so delicious!

As the dinner came to an end, I was happy we made our way out to El Segundo. I may not be as eager to drive as I was when I first got my license, but if I keep delicious food like this in mind it won’t be so bad. Having food as pleasing as what I had at North Italia makes a long drive seem worth it. Now if I could have teleported myself home after being so full that night, I think everything in my life would be closer to perfect.

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Address: 840 S Sepulveda Blvd #110, El Segundo, CA 90245
Phone: (310) 469-7695
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