Walnut Creek Opens Arms To Italian Restaurant No. 15

WALNUT CREEK, CA — Walnut Creek is home to about 14 Italian-inspired restaurants, from pizza to date-night and big-family-celebration types of places. If that count is correct, Walnut Creek will soon have 15.

North Italia, opening in March, will raise the number. The Italian chain is entering the Bay Area market with a 200-seat location at Plaza Escuela. North Italia is scheduled to open on March 25, marking the company’s first location in the Bay Area and its seventh in California.

The restaurant will be at 1179 Locust St., where the company has built an 8,500-square-foot dining space with seating for more than 200 guests, including an outdoor bar and patio.The pasta and pizza menu includes lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, all made in an open kitchen.

Dishes include pappardelle bolognese, spicy rigatoni vodka, stromboli, garlic bread, and brunch dishes such as steak and eggs and French toast.

Company founder Sam Fox launched the concept in 2002 through Fox Restaurant Concepts. The company now operates nearly 50 locations nationwide and plans to open an additional Southern California restaurant later this year in Brea. For the Walnut Creek location, North Italia commissioned Local Edition Creative to design an interior mural inspired by Northern California landscapes, including imagery referencing the Golden Gate Bridge.

Walnut Creek's count of Italian-based eateries stood at 15 until Genova Deli closed its last Bay Area site.

North Italia said it is hiring staff for the Walnut Creek location at an on-site job fair until March 8: weekdays 10a.m– 6 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m.– 4pm.