welcome to the north

Drake-approved pizza and pasta spot bakes up 3rd Houston locale in CityCentre

North is bringing pizza and pasta to CityCentre.

Courtesy of North Italia

Cacio e pepe arancini and white truffle garlic bread are coming to CityCentre. North Italia will open its third Houston-area location in the bustling mixed-use development on Wednesday, February 7.

Part of the nationwide Cheesecake Factory restaurant group, North claimed the former Tasting Room location at 818 Town & Country Blvd. The almost 12,000-square-foot restaurant offers seating for 138 in its dining room and 50 in the bar. Two patios, one on the building’s north side and another on the west, add an additional 142 seats. North opened its first Houston-area location near the Galleria in 2015. An outpost at The Woodlands Mall followed in 2022.

Chef Jairo Gonzalez will be tasked with executing the restaurant’s familiar menu of pizzas, pastas, shareable items, salads, entrees, and more. Highlights include tagliatelle bolognese; The Pig, a pizza topped with salumi, pepperoni, spicy soppressata, and Italian sausage; and a braised short rib served with mascarpone polenta. Pasta and pizza dough are made from scratch daily.

North’s beverage offerings include Italian twists on classic cocktails and a lengthy list of wines by-the-glass. During happy hour, most bottles of wine half-off and craft beers are $5.

Part of the restaurant’s popularity stems from its availability. The restaurant is open daily for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. It offers dine-in, takeout, and delivery via third party apps.

Count Drake as one of North Italia’s fans. The hip-hop superstar caused a minor sensation when he dined at the restaurant’s Galleria-area location in 2016.

North joins a lengthy roster of both locally owned and corporate-owned restaurants in CityCentre. The 47-acre mixed-use development’s restaurant roster includes upscale neighborhood restaurant Daily Gather, South American steakhouse Sal y Pimienta, luxury steakhouse Capital Grille, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, and more.

Those interested in working at the restaurant may attend jobs fairs now through Sunday, January 21. Hours are 10 am to 6 pm Monday – Saturday and 11 am – 4 pm on Sunday (840 W Sam Houston Pkwy, Suite 101).

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NYT best dishes

Houston Mediterranean restaurant makes NY Times' best desserts list

Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen/Facebook

Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen is the only Houston restaurant on either list.

The New York Times included four Texas restaurants among its favorite dishes of 2025. Divided into two lists — The 23 Best Restaurant Dishes We Ate Across the U.S. in 2025 and The 14 Best Restaurant Desserts We Ate Across the U.S. in 2025 — the dishes are:

Bad Honey Bunny at Mercado Sin Nombre (Austin)
Ketan Hitam at Yeni’s Fusion (Austin)
Konafa Naama at Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen (Houston)
Picadillo Macaroni and Cheese at 2M Smokehouse (San Antonio)

Times food writer Priya Krishna, who authors the entries for all four Texas dishes, traveled to far west Houston to visit Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen. “The konafa, a signature here, arrives with a molten layer of cheese under a sticky-sweet layer of golden, nutty semolina. The craft is evident, the konafa gone in a few bites,” she writes.

Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen Konafa Naama Don't skip dessert at Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen.KSayad Mediterranean Kitchen/Facebook

In Austin, Krishna praises the rice pudding at Yeni’s Fusion. “This barely sweet version, lush with coconut milk, aromatic with pandan and as soothing as warm porridge, is the gentlest way to end a meal,” she states.

Already hailed as one of America’s best breakfast spots by Bon Appetit, Krishna singles out a honeybun at Mercado Sin Nombre. “The coiled honey bun at this semi-clandestine cafe looks almost cartoonishly perfect, and the heady scent of cardamom and honey hits you before you even take a bite. Somehow, it tastes every bit as plush and elegant as it appears,” she writes.

The picadillo mac and cheese at 2M Smokehouse showcases how the San Antonio restaurant incorporates Mexican flavors into traditional Texas barbecue. “Imagine Hamburger Helper, but spicier, punchier and even more luxuriously creamy. It’s not easy to one-up the singular, thickly spiced brisket here, but the picadillo mac and cheese — which runs as an occasional special — holds its own and then some,” Krishna writes.

The New York Times regularly shines its spotlight on Texas restaurants, In September, it named four establishments — ChòpnBlọk (Houston), Isidore (San Antonio), Lao’d Bar (Austin), and P Thai’s Khao Man Gai & Noodles (Austin) — to its list of America’s 50 Best Restaurants.

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