Z Italiano

I crave their house salad. I’ve never craved salad before! The owner Zach came and chatted with us. Our daughters have similar names. (Which is unique.) Very nice and casual place to hang out and people watch. Can’t wait to go back.

Located where the California Pizza Kitchen (CPL) used to be. I never went there when it was the CPK, so I cannot attest to what was new /​different interior-​wise — but someone we were with who HAD been to it when it was a CPK said not much changes on the inside.
Groupon said it was the only «Non-​Chain» store in the Southdale Center, cool little known fact I would suppose. It seemed DEAD when we got there tonight (Tues. Evening). No greeter /​host on duty, we did get greeted & seated immediately upon being noticed in the entry way. Menu’s were these chintzy, thin-​paper things with no real lamination on them — kind of felt like paper throw-​away menus. Atmosphere was darker, which was nice. Real candles on table which was nice. Music in the background was like 90’s hits,. .. kind of odd for a «casual Italian» place. I didn’t use the rest room so I cannot attest to their cleanliness. Food was good. Service was alright, could have been better — more interaction would be nice. «Bottomless Coffee» didn’t keep getting refilled, only had 1.25 cups. . -.-
I would like to see a wider array of coffee items «you think Italian, you think good coffee» and maybe more authentic music + more active interaction with guests. Get some people in there too! No one wants to take a date to a place where they are the only 2 people in the restaurant irregardless of the day /​time. I hope you improve a little and succeed as a company in this mall that is trying to make a comeback!

Back in December between showings of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I walked past Z Italiano on my way to the food court at Southdale. A nice gentleman standing outside of Z Italiano asked if I like the movie and I told I did and was going back to see it a second time. I should have stopped an eaten there.
Flash forward eight long weeks, and I finally had time to go back and try Z Italiano yesterday. That nice gentleman turned out to be Owner/​Manager Zach, and more about him later.
Don’t let it’s location or minimalist decorations deter you from dining here. The food is delicious, with portions sized the way they should be. Not too much or too little. And you won’t find fries here. Your sides are fresh fruit, salad or soup. For the same amount of what you’re paying for standard mall food, Z Italiano is a fresh alternative. I really liked the Submariner with a side of soup. The fruit looked very fresh as well.
Our server was Myron, and he was very friendly, affirming choices and giving recommendations. I also splurged and tried the poached pears with Mascarpone. Let me tell you, the pears were so delectable, I easily could have ordered a second serving. The dessert pizza took a while to make, but it, too, was worth the wait.
For those of you who consistently read my reviews, you know that customer service is as, if not more important, than the food. At Z Italiano, you don’t have to make a choice. You get both. So back to Zach. I’ve walked by the restaurant a few times, and it seems like I see Zach every time I passed by. The man is a bundle of energy, working the front of the restaurant as well as in the restaurant.
During my meal, I was able to observe him as he served other tables. Zach consistently provided the same high-​level and tailored service to each person. He joked around with one family and made their little daughter feel so special. Even though Myron was our server, Zach stopped by several times to check in and carried on polite conversations with us. He really takes pride in his restaurant.
Spread the word, Unilocalers (and those of you who just use Unilocal to read reviews). Z Italiano is one unique place that although it’s only 8 weeks old, it really is one of the best food options we have at Southdale. Park near the theatre/​Ruby Tuesday side for easy access to the restaurant. You can park over by the other restaurants on the southeast side of the mall, but everyone knows how busy that parking lot gets.
I’ll be back to try the pizza. And they serve beer and wine for those of you who like to indulge. This is a perfect spot for a date night or to grab a bite before or after a movie. I don’t need to see Star Wars again to have an excuse to stop by Z Italiano, but it doesn’t hurt.

Fun new restaurant at Southdale, near the theater. I love that it is a family owned place, not a chain. Casual Italian dining. The food was fabulous. We liked the roasted brussel sprouts appetizer, BLT pizza, Apple cranberry salad, and gnocchi. The service was fantastic. The owner came over and chatted with us. What a super nice guy!

Casual ambience, friendly staff, nice choices AND prices on the menu. Pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and salads. They care about the guests, you can tell they are local and tuned in to the people. I had a fantastic apple and cranberry salad, tomato basil soup and oh my gosh the roasted Brussels sprouts! I’m coming back again!

This is a new restaurant at the Southdale Mall that you might not know about… located in the old California Pizza Kitchen location.
The food was fantastic, the service was great, and the owner and server were very friendly and helpful.
The pizzas are thin crust. Delicious crust. I would recommend the BLT pizza which my wife got and was awesome, although my 2-​year-​old had a plain cheese and that was good too.
I personally ordered the sausage bucatini, which was right up my alley. The waiter recommended it and I wasn’t disappointed.
It’s a tough call whether to go with pizza or pasta.
As for dessert, the ice cream was fantastic.
The owner told us they plan on adjusting the menu over the next couple months, so we can’t wait to go back.
No reason to eat at the food court with an affordable Italian option like this. Also we felt very comfortable taking our toddler, which we cannot say for most Italian restaurants!

Our first time here! Loved the owner, server and the food!!! Hope this place stays here for a long time!!!

The food was good, and it’s obvious that staff care deeply about customer satisfaction.

Gluten free pasta and pizza availible! Friendly staff, good manager and the food was good.

Fine, but not great.
They haven’t been open long, so hopefully it’s just a learning curve and with time they’ll get better.
Atmosphere
It’s the old California Pizza Kitchen location. It looks close to the same, sans artwork and track lighting. It’s fine, but boring. It’s a little dark. There wasn’t any music playing. There isn’t any décor. It looked like they had been busy – lots of un-​bussed tables and dirty floors.
Service
It’s fine. The staff weren’t especially warm, welcoming, or knowledgeable, but they did an ok job. Our glasses weren’t refilled and sat empty half of the meal. Our waitress didn’t check back until she brought the dessert menu.
Food
The Bruschetta was simple and tasty. The presentation is lacking, but we would order it again.
The Cesar Salad was good, but nothing special.
The Italian Sausage Bucatini was ok. It was a little bland, with a weird after taste. The pasta was a little over-​cooked and under seasoned. The sauce was one note and needed more flavor.
The Veggie Alfredo with Chicken wasn’t great. The veggies and pasta were cooked well, but it lacked flavor. The chicken was little bits and not worth the up-​charge.
Overall
We spent $ 60 (including tip). We felt this was a little high for the quality and portions.
From plating to dining room to waitstaff appearance, presentation is lacking across the board.
We might go back in a pinch. Next time we’d try the pizza and stay away from the pasta.
We’re writing this in hopes they can take it as constructive criticism and become a place we’ll love. (We’ll certainly re-​review if we go back.) It’s a good concept and great location.

We had dinner at Z Italiano tonight after a movie. They were able to accommodate us, which was great since there were 14 of us. The service was great and the food was outstanding! It came out very quickly for a party our size and was a great team effort. Will definitely be back!

The zItaliano is a month old restaurant. The staff are very friendly and the service was good. I think food wise I would give it a 3 star. The Alfredo was tasty with fresh vegetables but maybe would have liked a larger portion. The steak salad was with perfectly cooked steak but maybe a little better seasoning. There were garlic croûton breadsticks with the meals but having fresh bread may have been nicer as complimentary.

I have dined at Z Italiano twice now, the food is excellent. My advise is to go with a few people so you can share multiple things on the menu. Some seriously great Italian food!