If you haven’t been over to Rampart Commons lately, you’re missing out. Located right across the street from Boca Park, Rampart Commons is home to a few well known Summerlin names; Honey Salt, P.F. Changs, Pottery Barn, etc. Having gone through a massive remodeling on all the exteriors of the stores and restaurants, Rampart Commons has a very nice upscale feeling to it, serving the Summerlin and Southwest Las Vegas areas well. Part of the overhaul and the reasoning behind it was the introduction of a couple new restaurants, Flower Child, and the star of this blog, North Italia.

North Italia is a small chain of Italian Restaurants that is new(ish) to Las Vegas. With 21 locations (and two more this year) across the country, North Italia has a small but amazing presence across the country. Sydney and I have been here a few times, and it never disappoints. The food is great, the service is wonderful, and it’s very close to the house. All this with a great Bar setup and patio, which is our preferred way to dine, especially in the Summer.

The menu is, as you would expect, Italian food based from the Northern part of the country, which is different from Southern Italy. But, they had me at Italian. There pastas are always fresh, salads and appetizers strong, and a great signature cocktail menu. The star for us last week, was the Happy Hour menu, where we got one of their Pizzas. The pizza, wood fired and cooked perfectly, is $10 during Happy Hour for either their Margherita or the “Daily Special”. When we were there, the special was a Zuchini and Corn pizza with Pepperoni and Arugula on top. Sydney ordered it while I was snapping the above picture, and when she told me what it was, I wasn’t expecting much. However, when it arrived, it was perfectly cooked, and tasty, without being overly ‘heavy.’ After all, it was 105 degrees, and were were sitting in the shaded patio, but still outside.

We also ordered the Zucc chips, which are very thinly sliced Zucchini chips that are flash fried to give them a little more taste and some crunch. While technically a vegetable, I wouldn’t call anything fried necessarily good for me… but they were tasty. These are also on the Happy Hour Menu, and only $3! We split a Tuscan Kale Salad as well, and had a few drinks. Out the door, we were done for under $55, which for us, and for dining in Summerlin, we felt that was a really good price.

Maybe the best bargain on their Happy Hour Menu is the “Bottle and a Board” or “Bottle and a Pizza” for $20. You get a pizza (The Margherita or Daily Special), or an antipasto board of treats, along with a bottle of the Daily Red or Daily White wine, all for $20. I’m not much of a wine drinker, so we opted just to do the Pizza, and a glass of wine for Sydney and a bar (or two) for me, and it wasn’t much more expensive. But for two people that aren’t overly hungry and like wine, you can easily get in and out of here for a nice night for $30!

There are a ton of amazing Italian options to eat on this side of town, and if you’re willing drive even 10-15 minutes outside of the Summerlin area, there are incredible options. But for quality food, a great atmosphere, and reasonable pricing, especially with the Happy Hour options, North Italia is always in our rotation for amazing Date nights in Summerlin.

What’s your favorite item on North Italia’s menu?