Best Italian restaurant? Vote in Charlotte NC-area contest

Vote for your favorite place to get Italian food in the Charlotte area.

Joyce Marshall

jlmarshall@star-telegram.com

There are plenty of craveable Italian restaurants in Charlotte, but we’ve set out to find the best one.

First, CharlotteFive invited readers to share their go-to local places to eat Italian food. We reviewed the nominations and asked our staff’s food experts to recommend classic spots to round out the list.

We started with 42 nominees, and now we’re down to the Top 10. Below, you can vote for the Charlotte-area Italian restaurant you love the most.

If you really want your favorite restaurant to win, feel free to refresh this webpage and vote more than once. Here’s what to expect in the upcoming rounds of this contest:

The fourth round will determine the Top 5. It is currently live and will be 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.

Here are the Top 10 restaurants, in order of how many times they were picked in Round 3:

Antico Italian RestaurantOsteria LuCaOpen KitchenGiacomo’s Pizzeria & Italian RestaurantBasilico ItalianoPortofino’sESO Artisanal PastaMano BellaMama Ricotta’sCapishe: Real Italian Kitchen

This contest is meant to be fun and not a scientific poll. To participate, nominees had to have a presence in the Charlotte area and have fewer than 20 locations across the United States.

There were several ties in previous rounds of voting. Here were the top restaurants from Round 2, in order of how many votes they recieved.

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

Here are the results from Round 1, again in order of how many votes each restaurant received:

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’s the full list of all 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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