The laidback but cool environs — think artful graffiti, and bold red accents throughout — are home to North Italia’s modern twists on Italian staples. The chef’s board offers three types of cheese, house pickled veggies, olives, a fig spread and grilled bread. (The grilled bread makes another appearance, alongside garlic-and-truffle-infused ricotta… Yes, please.) It all pairs perfectly with one of the fun Italian-inspired cocktails, like the Julietta with ginger and vanilla vodka, elderflower and prosecco.
For the mains, there’s a handful of pizzas like the wildcard Chef’s Daily Choice, The Pig (with every type of pepperoni, sausage and salami imaginable), or the veggie-friendly Funghi pizza with mushrooms and onions. The pasta is made in house — it’s delicious, but substitute for vegetable noodles and save around 400 calories — and paired with traditional toppings like meatballs or the more adventurous jumbo lump crab, tiger shrimp and pepperoncino.
It's bound to be a new Sunday Funday destination for westsiders, with decadent menu items Banana Coffee Cake with dark-rum butterscotch and caramelized banana, or the Breakfast Carbonara Pasta with poached egg and crispy pancetta.
The patio at North Italia
Breakfast Carbonara
Brunch Cocktails
Inside North Italia
Pollo Frito
A mural on the patio at North Italis
Camille Connelly, Audrey White, Julie Chen, Amanda Boffone, Daniella Hernandez, Melissa Moncrief
This year's honorees, recognized for all the time, talent and generosity they've lent to the Rodeo over the years, included Isela Garcia, Michelle Iversen Jeffrey, Kristie Manning, Nancy Motley, Taryn Sims and Jennifer Currey Van Matre. Recipients from previous years were also in attendance, cheering each other on during the fashion show, produced by Lenny Matuszewski and Tamara Klosz Bonar.
The main event featured spring fashions from Saks Fifth Avenue (and cowboy dancers, naturally). Inspired by the production, many attendees sipped and shopped around a colorful marketplace erected in the hotel, and others stayed in the ballroom for an afterparty with tunes courtesy of DJ Johnny Bravo. Yee-haw!
Katy Tomasini, Jennifer Arnold, Heather Loesberg
Victoria Nelson, Debbie Young
Amanda Alvarez, Laura Salinas-Pruneda, Susie Molina, Leticia Rios
Vanessa Kriegel, Roxy Sanford, Sylvia Ready
Tiffany Halik, Tricia Verbois, Lesley Noto, Krista Shamaly
Cassie Sinor, Christina Wilson , Dana Barton
Carol Sawyer
Susannah Causey, Johnny Causey
Fashion models
Chris and Kendall Hanno
Steve Newmyer, Andrew Clendennen, John Grimes
Erin and Preston Hall
Kelly Larkin, Anita Sehga
Julie and Alan Kent
Daniella Hernandez, Cinthya Reade ,Felicia Stone
Heidi Turney, Liz Weisberg, Hasina Starks
Jarrett Adame, Tyson Dunn, Joe Van Matre, JW Daubert