North Italia, the modern Italian concept beloved for its scratch-made cuisine and stunning craft cocktails, celebrates the opening of its newest location in Birkdale Village today. Situated in the flourishing Huntersville shopping center, North Italia Birkdale follows the May 2024 opening of its outpost in Ballantyne at The Bowl.
Located at 8711 Lindholm Drive, North Italia is conveniently at the center of the lifestyle district, among top retailers like Anthropologie, Barnes & Noble, Drybar, Kendra Scott, Sephora and Williams Sonoma. The restaurant sits beneath the luxury Haven at Birkdale Village apartments, where residents and their guests can enjoy North Italia’s warm hospitality. Nearby dog parks and Lake Norman walking trails, along with the lush Grove greenspace prime North Italia to serve as a post-workout refresher and al fresco lunch delight.
The 9,914-square-foot dining space comfortably seats 152 guests inside the dining room and an additional 125 guests on its fully covered patio and indoor/outdoor bar. Walls are donned with artwork that celebrates both the local Lake Norman community and Italian heritage, including a multi-dimensional mural showcasing two clocks set to local time and Italy’s time and art incorporating North Carolina’s state flower, the dogwood.
At the helm of North Italia Birkdale’s team are Regional Manager JD Russell, Regional Chef Ryan Smith, Executive Chef Lupita Dorado, and General Manager Sheri Marcelli. Guests of the newest location can enjoy their favorite North Italia dishes including the shareable Chef’s Board as well as creative pastas like the Trottole Chicken Pesto and pizza like the Spicy Meatball. Guests can also indulge in standouts from the latest seasonal menu like the lunch-exclusive Hot Italian Stromboli with calabrese salami, Italian sausage, grilled piquillo pepper, red onion, ricotta, provolone, smoked mozzarella, basil and pesto, as well as the Lasagna Bianca al Forno with braised short rib, grana padano, provolone, mozzarella, and herb breadcrumbs. Not to be missed are North Italia’s craft cocktails and zero-proof options, with inventive offerings like the Marco Polo featuring Iwai Japanese whisky, Montenegro, honey, ginger and fresh lemon and the Limonata Rossa, a mocktail made with black cherry, fresh lemon and soda.
