Failed Expectations: A Brunch That Looked Better Than It Tasted…read more We were genuinely so excited for this brunch! It had been sitting on my Charlotte bucket list for ages, and we finally locked in reservations during my visit. First things first -- the space itself is adorable. Every detail feels intentional, from the spotless dining room to the perfectly set tables to the lighting that ties it all together. You could tell immediately that this place takes real pride in its presentation. It was warm and inviting from the second we walked through the door. The drinks were excellent, too. I especially loved the garnish spread for the water -- citrus of every variety, mint, cucumber -- such a small, thoughtful touch that instantly elevated the experience. Unfortunately, the food just didn't live up to the rest of the experience. We started with the roasted oysters, which came so heavily breaded that the actual oyster flavor got completely lost underneath. In hindsight, I should've just ordered them raw. The Eggs Inferno was next, and it fell flat across the board -- it needed salt, it needed acid, it needed some kind of richness to bring it to life. I wouldn't order it again. My friend's seasonal focaccia toast was equally underwhelming and forgettable. But then -- the fingerling potatoes. Honestly, I wish we'd just ordered three plates of those and called it a meal. Fluffy on the inside, perfectly crispy on the outside, and packed with flavor in every single bite. Hands down the highlight of brunch, and genuinely one of the best sides I've had in a while. Maybe dinner would tell a different story, but for brunch, I walked in expecting so much more than what we got.

A delicious addition to the italian restaurant scene in Charlotte…read more The Calabrian chili pappardelle is perfectly al dente with a building heat from the chilis that complements the rich beef. While only the ricotta zeppoles are pictured, high praise is due to their brunch menu from what I've tried. Particularly, the ricotta pancakes (lemony and fluffy with delicious fruit compote) and the breakfast potato's. Would not recommend the kale salad (in dire need of the kale being massaged before serving), and the tuna crudo was lacking texture and acid.

We came on a fairly busy night, which led to us waiting about an hour to get our entrees after…read moreordering. We were met with a server who was extremely rude and not warm whatsoever. Luckily half way through the meal we got a much more friendly server, thank goodness. Food was just okay, many of us thought it was too salty. Unfortunately, did not see what all the hype was about.

This was an absolutely fantastic place to have a celebratory supper. All the food is fresh (though…read moreit may take a bit since there's only the one chef) and they try to focus on authenticity. Everyone in our party enjoyed what they got. The shrimp pasta was a clever way to elevate shrimp alfredo into something fancy. The sauce didn't overwhelm any part of the dish, and there were enough shrimp to round out the dish without making it just shrimp with some pasta as an afterthought. The focaccia before the meal was also the best I've had in a long time: springy, salty, and buttery. The service was knowledgeable about the menu and the history of the restaurant, and they did a great job of accommodating us with some issues that came up on our end.

Our second time at North Italia was also spectacular! We had a group of 8 in town and made a…read morereservation for 7pm on a Saturday evening. It was super busy, so I believe that a reservation is needed for the weekend, especially for larger groups. The vibe is a bit darker and moodier but with natural lighting- perfect for a date night but not limited to that. The espresso martinis, cocktails, beer, and mocktails were all delicious. They have amazing espresso martinis and aperol spritzes. The only dishes that I tried included the white truffle garlic bread, Sunday night lasagna, and the hot honey prosciutto pizza. Everything was delicious. A special shoutout to the Sunday night lasagna - WOW it was perfect. I'm usually not a huge lasagna person, but this changed that. I would 100% recommend this. Since we were celebrating my birthday with our parents, they were kind enough to give me a free dessert. I chose the salted caramel budino, and it was amazing. I would definitely recommend this as a dessert. Overall, we had a great experience! I would definitely come back.

Went to North Italia for a girls' dinner and overall, it was just okay…read more I ordered the branzino, only to be told they don't make it, despite it being listed on the menu. I was told they had snapper with the same fixings, so I went with that, but then was told they didn't have the snapper either. I asked if they could do salmon with the same preparation and, if not, I'd just order salmon on one of their salads. The server didn't mention that they couldn't do the salmon dish and came back with the salmon salad. It was fine, but I would have appreciated a heads-up that the original request wasn't possible. The salad itself had way too much dressing, which made it difficult to eat. A couple of my friends ordered a pasta dish that had so much horseradish that they couldn't really eat it. Overall, the food was fine and the service was fine, but there were enough misses that I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend North Italia. The vibe was nice, so there's that.

This is a contemporary Italian restaurant with an open kitchen and spacious dining room. Service…read morewas courteous and professional. At the suggestion of our server we ordered an artichoke starter for the table. We received two well pared and quartered artichokes, lemon and soft cheese. It was delicious. My entree was maalfanga pasta Bolognese. The meat, stated to be a mixture of beef, veal and pork, was tender and not at all oily. The sauce needed 'something'; a touch of nutmeg, or perhaps some marjoram? The maalfanga was cooked past al dente...ouch. The Penne Ala Vodka was well prepared and disappeared instantly without comment from my companion (a good sign). Overall, a good spot with an airy, modern vibe.

This place is kinda tucked away. There is a parking garage across the street which is very…read moreconvenient. The atmosphere is nice and not too loud. A great place for a nice dinner without being too upscale. The food was good, didn't blow me away which is why I gave it 4 stars. We started with the whipped ricotta and it did not disappoint. For the main course my sister and I shared the ribeye steak and honestly it could feed three people. We always order ours medium-rare. It came out medium-well the first time. But the staff was absolutely accommodating and immediately took it back and rectified the situation without question. My mother got the bolognese pasta which was quite nice and flavorful. Overall a place I would go back to.

We savored a scrumptious rainbow trout nestled in a bright lemon-caper sauce that was simply…read moredivine. Alongside it came a creamy, indulgent risotto and a colorful assortment of perfectly sautéed vegetables. The entire plate was a feast of delightful flavors and irresistible textures. The trout was perfectly cooked, just really perfect. The plate was also very beautiful and an appealing ray of colors.

I love going here. The food is excellent, the service is always friendly and professional. This…read moreweek was Charlotte restaurant week and their menu was fantastic, plus the portions did not shrink .

We had a nice dinner at Coquette and tried a little bit of everything, oysters, branzino, lamb, egg…read moreplant fries, mashed potatoes, and the Potato Croquettes. All solid, but the Brussels sprout salad was easily the star of the night. It was flavorful, and perfectly balanced, it was the one dish that really stood out and the reason I'd come back. If you go, make sure that salad is on your table.

I really wanted to like Coquette, but this experience completely changed my opinion of the…read morerestaurant. After dining here, I discovered that the amount ultimately charged to my credit card was higher than the total I authorized on my signed receipt. Thankfully, I kept the receipt and have documentation showing exactly what I approved. For a restaurant this expensive, this is absolutely unacceptable. You're already paying premium prices, and the last thing a customer should have to worry about is going home, checking their credit card statement, and discovering that their charge doesn't match what they signed for. Regardless of what anyone thinks a customer should or shouldn't leave as a tip, the amount written and authorized by the customer is the amount that should be charged. Period. A restaurant does not get to decide afterward that it should be something different. What makes this even worse is the sheer inconvenience. Now I have to keep documentation, contact my credit card company, explain the discrepancy, and deal with getting an overcharge corrected. Going out for dinner shouldn't create homework afterward. I don't know whether this happened because of an employee error, a mistake entering the receipt, or something else, so I'm not going to speculate. But I do know that I was charged more than I authorized, and I have the receipt to prove it. If you decide to eat here, keep your receipt, take a picture of it, and check your credit card statement afterward. Personally, having to worry about that completely defeats the purpose of going to an upscale restaurant, and I wouldn't return after this experience.

Food is great, per usual! I love the Penne Alla Vodka & their bread (omg!!). Service is good and…read moregreat for lunch. I went with coworkers visiting from out of town and they loved it. Beautiful ambiance for a nice dinner date/outing! Surely I'll be back soon.

I just had lunch at Little Mamas with 3 friends and the food was delicious, as it always is!…read more The best part of lunch tho was Cody our server. He was professional, friendly, patient and very accommodating to our table of Seniors. I am delighted to give a shout out to Cody for taking such good care of us.(and he looked like Timothy Chalamet which was an added bonus!)

10/10 -- highly recommend this place!…read more From the moment we walked in, we loved the atmosphere. The vibe was fun and welcoming, the food was outstanding, and our server went above and beyond to answer all of our questions and make recommendations. Our group tried the duck, steak, lengua, and carne asada tacos, and every single one was delicious. The duck taco was the standout for me--the crispy fried duck skin added the perfect texture and flavor. We also shared the Para la Mesa with sweet corn on the side, empanadas, and churros for dessert. The empanadas were incredible, especially with that amazing sauce that had just the right kick of spice. The wagyu steak from the Para la Mesa was another favorite, cooked perfectly and packed with flavor. And I can't forget to mention the warm, fresh tortillas--they were absolutely delicious and elevated every bite. Sometimes it's the little details that make a meal memorable, and these tortillas definitely did. If I had to pick my top three items, they would be the duck taco, the wagyu steak, and the empanadas. A special shoutout to our server (I wish I remembered his name!). He introduced us to mezcal tequila, which none of us had tried before, and it ended up being such a fun experience that made our evening even more memorable. Great food, great service, amazing drinks, and a fantastic atmosphere--we'll definitely be back!

That little sibling your mom made you bring along when you went out with your friends... and…read moresomehow they ended up ruining the whole night. Unfortunately, that's exactly how this meal felt. I ordered the street tacos with the papas bravas, while my boyfriend got the carne asada. The papas bravas were the coldest, most under-seasoned potatoes I've ever been served. For the tacos, I tried the duck and the carne asada. The duck was dry but edible. The carne asada taco, however, was practically a weapon against mankind--the most charred, burnt, and flavorless taco I've ever had. I could only finish it after adding some of the sauce from my boyfriend's steak. As for the carne asada entrée, it looked like two separate steaks had been pieced together into one. The center pieces were noticeably undercooked and inedible. The only standout on the plate was the reduction sauce. The potato pavé was simply... potato, relying heavily on that same sauce to carry the dish. It was a highly disappointing experience, especially since we were excited to finally try the "sibling" restaurant to Crunkleton and Rosemont. We genuinely enjoy both of those restaurants and have brought family there several times, but never had the chance to visit Puerta until now. Sadly, it felt like a waste of money. The aesthetic was beautiful, but that's about where the positives ended. One additional concern was food handling. Our bartender repeatedly touched her hair and face while wearing the same gloves she used to handle drink garnishes, which was disappointing to see. I truly hope they regroup, tighten up the execution, and improve the overall experience because there's a lot of potential here.