Best Italian restaurant? Vote in Charlotte-area contest

Vote for your favorite place to eat Italian food near Charlotte, North Carolina.

jjohnston@thetribunenews.com

We asked for the best Italian restaurants in Charlotte, and we’re one step closer to crowning a winner.

First, CharlotteFive invited readers to share the top local places to eat Italian food. We reviewed your nominations and invited our staff’s foodies to add to the list of essential spots for gnocchi, cannoli and more.

We started with 42 nominees, and now the Top 21 are still in the running. Below, you can vote for your favorite Italian restaurant in the Charlotte area.

If you really want to show your love for a restaurant, feel free to refresh this webpage and cast more votes. Here’s the schedule for the next rounds of this contest:

The third round will determine the Top 10. It is currently live and will be live until noon Wednesday, April 22.The fourth round will determine the Top 5. It will be live from about 1 p.m. April 22 until noon Friday, April 24.The fifth round will determine the Top 2. It will be live from about 1 p.m. April 24 until noon Tuesday, April 28.The sixth round will determine the winner. It will be live from about 1 p.m. April 28 until noon Thursday, April 30.

We originally planned to include the Top 20, but we expanded the field to the Top 21 due to ties. Here were the restaurants that received the most votes in Round 2:

Antico Italian RestaurantOpen KitchenOsteria LuCaBasilico ItalianoGiacomo’s Pizzeria & Italian RestaurantPortofino’sLittle Mama’sMama Ricotta’sAqua e VinoMano BellaEver Andalo and Stagioni – tieDolce OsteriaFiamma RistoranteLuceEnrico’s Italian Restaurant and Toscana – tieAngeline’s, Capishe: Real Italian Kitchen, Caruso’s and ESO Artisanal Pasta – tie

This contest is meant to be fun rather than a scientific poll. To be in the running, nominees had to have a presence in the Charlotte area and have fewer than 20 locations nationwide.

In Round 1, there were several ties. Here were the top restaurants, in order of how many times they were picked:

Antico Italian RestaurantBasilico ItalianoOsteria LuCaGiacomo’s Pizzeria & Italian RestaurantOpen KitchenLittle Mama’sMama Ricotta’sPortofino’sAqua e VinoEver AndaloToscanaDolce OsteriaFiamma Ristorante and Stagioni – tieZio Casual ItalianAngeline’sMano BellaIl Bosco and Via Roma – tieAria Tuscan Grill, Caruso’s and ESO Artisanal Pasta – tieBistro D’Antonio, Flour Shop, Pizzeria Omaggio and Spaghett – tieCapishe: Real Italian Kitchen, Enrico’s Italian Restaurant, Luce and Oggi Ristorante Italiano – tie

Here are the original 42 nominees, in alphabetical order:

Angeline’sAntico Italian RestaurantAqua e VinoAria Tuscan GrillBasilico ItalianoBistro D’AntonioBuona Vita Restaurant and BarCapishe: Real Italian KitchenCaruso’sCicchettiDolce OsteriaEnrico’s Italian RestaurantESO Artisanal PastaEver AndaloFiamma RistoranteFlour ShopForchettaGiacomo’s Pizzeria & Italian RestaurantIl BoscoIndaco CharlotteLeo’s Italian SocialLittle Mama’sLuceMama Mia TooMama Ricotta’sMano BellaMovida Pizza PubOggi Ristorante ItalianoOpen KitchenOsteria LuCaPizzeria OmaggioPortofino’sPrimo PrimeSalmeri’s Italian KitchenSpaghettStagioniStella Nova Restaurant & BarThat’s AmoreToscanaVia RomaZinicolaZio Casual Italian

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