Amazing New Restaurant Reveals Opening Date for First Idaho Location

Have you ever found yourself in a position where you were trying to “woo” someone into moving to the Boise area? 

You may be a hiring manager trying to convince someone who’s never been to Idaho that yes…there’s really more to us than blue turf and potatoes. Maybe your college roommate is quickly approaching burnout at their big city job and you think Boise would be a great place to rediscover themselves. Or maybe you’ve been in a long distance relationship and you’re trying to convince them that sunsets, scenic hikes and date nights are just better in the Treasure Valley. 

READ MORE: Burnin' Mouth, Devil & Angel Desserts for Sale at the Village at Meridian

What are some of the places you include on the list of places to show off? When I visited Boise for my job interview 15 years ago, they made sure to let me walk on “the Blue,” took me to experience the nightlife in Downtown Boise, drove me up to Lucky Peak and walked me through Freak Alley. 

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These might still be on the “loop” that you show others, but in 2025? You’ve got an option that my would-be coworkers didn’t have in 2010 - The Village at Meridian. Today, it’s the ideal gathering place for anyone who wants to shop, eat, play, see a movie or enjoy the Bellagio-inspired fountain show in Fountain Square.

If The Village at Meridian is on the list of places you take visitors, you’re about to have one more dining option by the end of May. 

North Italia Replaces Twigs Bistro at The Village at Meridian

Fans of Twigs Bistro were pretty stunned when the restaurant announced that CenterCal, the company that runs The Village, opted to NOT review their lease. Within a matter of days, BoisDev revealed that management had already forged an agreement with a new tenant but was not yet ready to confirm what it was. 

Eventually it was revealed that the new restaurant would be North Italia, an Italian concept from the creators of the Cheesecake Factory. They already have locations in 15 states and we remember walking past one in Downtown Denver while we were there for a convention last summer. 

According to their website, they’re proud of making your favorite meal from scratch whether that’s Chef made fresh pasta, pizza, sandwiches or one of their specialty entrees. 

Renovations on the old Twigs space have been underway for months. Crews have been working on splitting the suite into a restaurant that was smaller than Twigs and a suite that Astro Gallery of Gems will move to soon. 

One of the biggest questions we received from our listeners when sharing the goings-on at The Village at Meridian was “when is North Italia opening?” It looks like we FINALLY have a date. The locations tab on North Italia’s website now lists the “Boise” location as opening on May 28. 

Don’t let the fact that it's listed as Boise confuse you. When you click the location, the address is, indeed, the address on E Monarch Sky Ln inside the Village at Meridian. 

Reviews of that Denver location we walked past last summer include words like "amazing experience," "top notch" and "genuinely some of the best food I've had in my entire life." If those diners are correct, we wouldn't be surprised if North Italia is quick to win over the crowd at Village.