Whenever I've eaten at Forchetta or Luca A's previous restaurant Passion8 Bistro, the food has been excellent and our latest visit was no exception. We had a table for 6 before going to a show at the Blumenthal. Everyone absolutely loved their food. Two of us got the short ribs, one got the mushroom pesto ravioli. Another ordered the beet salad with salmon. One ordered the roasted salmon and I had the smoked turkey club sandwich and French onion soup. It is rare to have six people thoroughly enjoy their meals, but we all did. The service was prompt and the only issue we had they took care of proactively. My French onion soup did not come out first and the waiter said it was their mistake and they took it off the bill. We all shared some desserts. The chocolate dome cake, filled with creamy mousse, the cheesecake and the flourless chocolate cake. A very satisfying end to the meal. While I opted for a soup and sandwich, I really could have ordered anything on the menu and am confident I would have loved it too. An excellent evening all around. read more

Service is excellent. Drinks are excellent and my Barada with grilled chicken salad was delicious. Nice cute restaurant in the Doubletree hotel read more

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I expected a little more. I was struggling between 3 and 4 stars. But it feels more 6/10 than 7 or 8. The place is pretty. Elegant. The staff is very attentive and courteous. But that's it. Drinks and appetizer took 25 minutes to get to the table. And the food was good. But not GOOD. You know? Like I have no complaints. It didn't disappoint or anything.. but it wasn't mind blowing. Cocktails were meh. Overall, wasn't BAD, but no need to go back versus trying somewhere new. read more

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Great hotel food! No complaints. Reasonable prices, quick service, and you can even order room service. read more

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We decided to check out Forchetta during restaurant week, and it was fine but nothing special. We ordered cocktails that took the better part of 25 min to get to us, and the drinks were probably one of the weakest points of the night. The octopus and scallop dish, and lobster bisque appetizers were decent, and my main course salmon was good, but the quality/taste didn't match the expectations and prices of the place (even for restaurant week). read more

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I reserved a table through open table which really helped the wait time. I only waited about 15 minutes , they were pretty busy around the time I went. Just from looking around the restaurant is not that big. I wouldn't suggest large parties but that just my opinion. My server Ava was super friendly and check on me often but was did not bother too much which I like when dining out when alone. The food came out fairly fast and hot even though they did seem pretty busy. I had the lobster rolls which were really good. They cheese was a nice touch to them. I do which there was a different sauce paired with it. I was not a fan of the red sauce. The filet was really tender, butter knife smooth cut and the dessert was also good. I'm not much of a crust fan so I just ate the top and inside but overall everything was good. They do also valid parking if you park in the Wake Forest parking deck which is good to know! read more

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I came here with a group of friends for Queens Feast so we did the prix fixe menu. Ultimately I was not impressed by the experience. First of all, my friend called to confirm that they would validate parking and which garage we should park in, and was told to "park in the garage across the street." So we did parked in the garage across the street from the entrance, then come to find out it was a different garage we needed to park in that was around the other side of the hotel that the restaurant is located in. I also was not impressed by the food - I had the scallops for my appetizer and they were overdone. The shining light throughout our experience was the service - our server Miranda was an absolute gem! She gave us all a coupon for a free appetizer on a return visit. so she would be the only reason I would return. read more

So, I have been here several times over the years for buffet lunch, as it is right near work. When they hired Chef Luca, I would go for special occasion dinners. I heard that Luca had left to pursue an exciting opportunity. I was disappointed and afraid to go back, but my friends wanted to go before we headed to JazzArts for a show. I ordered the papperdelle pasta with shrimp and lobster. The flavor levels were amazing! I tried the polenta that came with my guy's ribeye. It was so creamy and flavorful. My couple friends finished their dishes. Everyone was completely satisfied. I am happy we decided to go here tonight read more

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After dinner, my bf and I decided to go back to the hotel to have a drink. I love that this restaurant is opened until 2 am. Although everything was expensive, it was worth it because we had a great time. The restaurant itself has a cute layout and I love the bar is right there when you walk in. Our bartender Caroline was amazing. She was quick, attentive, and helpful when we made small talk and started talking about recommendations for places to go nearby. I had a couple lemon drops and an amaretto sour (which is my go to) and she made them so good every time. They definitely were strong but not overpowering where I couldn't enjoy my drink. They had a black cherry old fashioned that my bf got and the first one was too sweet because of the syrup but when he asked for another shot, it was perfect. Then when Caroline got an idea of his flavor profile, she made the next two drinks perfectly to his liking. We ordered the crab cakes because who passes up crab cakes ?! The portion was pretty decent. I didn't like the mango and pepper topping so i pushed that to the side. The crab cake itself was pretty good, I feel like it could have been a little more crispy on the outside, the inside could have been cooked a little more but overall it had great flavor. My bf didn't like something in it. Not sure if it had dill or some other strong flavor but it didn't sit well with him, but it was great to me lol. I also ordered the banana foster cheesecake because it kept calling me, but tbh I could have done without. First, it didn't have crust so I knew something was throwing me off. Then the actual cheesecake was extremely tart and had a lemon/lime type flavor. Honestly I don't think I've ever tasted anything banana foster so idk what type of flavor I was looking for but that wasn't it lol. The whip cream and fruit were good lol so I ate the cheesecake with that to make it more tolerable. But that wasn't it. Overall from the service and the drinks, I'd give this a 8/10 experience. I'll say I had a really great time. read more

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The food at this restaurant was amazing! Bobby waited on us and was very attentive. The atmosphere was soothing with low lights and nice music. We both had Chicken pasta dishes, an Old Fashioned to start and a glass of Montepulciano. We will definitely be back! read more

We tried Forchetta during Restaurant Week and enjoyed it but also wasn't super blown away. I ordered the Lobster Roll, Green Tea Salmon, & Flourless Chocolate Cake. The lobster roll was pretty tasty and came out piping hot but I didn't taste any lobster in it at all, just mainly noodles. The salmon came perfectly cooked but a little bland. The sweet potatoes provided a little sweetness. The best item I tried was the cake- it was dense, fudgy & rich. I almost ordered another to-go! Another plus was our waitress was lovely and kept our drinks full. Overall this place was not bad and I would consider coming back to try more items or maybe even brunch. read more

The food is so amazingly good. My friend and I are here for a little girls weekend. We are staying at the hotel above and we walk in a see this beautiful restaurant. We had the calamari, crab cake, and lasagna. Let me tell you. All of it was delicious, full of flavor read more

forchetta - Calamari and crab cake - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Needed something to eat at about 10 pm and this came across my yelp search! There was one server and he asked us to sit at the bar because it was just him. He also had a boot on i felt bad for him he was working so hard for everyone. I got the lasagna and my date got the chicken sandwich. Both pretty decent for a late night spot. Now the dessert was not good to me. It definitely was not made in house and tasted like so. It was a pretty decent meal but I'd like to try it again a bit earlier in the night. read more

forchetta - Lasagna alla Amatriciana - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I made a reservation to enjoy Italian food before an event. It was Restaurant week. What I didn't know is that during Restaurant Week, the restaurant only offered the specials for the week. Their typical menu was not available. In any case, I ordered the Pan-fried Trout. It was tasty and well-prepared. With it, I opted for the wine pairing. I had to remind our waitress to bring the wine for a couple of the courses. She was not very attentive and less friendly. For dessert, I ordered the Blueberry Bread Pudding. It was divine! I will have to check the regular menu before deciding whether or not I will return to Forchetta. read more

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We stayed at the Holiday Inn because we were in town for Wicked (the Broadway play). We paid the extra money to cover our breakfast. What an amazing deal that was! Breakfast was super duper amazing! We ordered off a menu so it was not a buffet with little muffins and green bananas! The menu was a single sheet of paper with several mouthwatering options. The food was hot and very tasty! Hats off to the chef!!!! I ordered the breakfast burrito and my daughter ordered the fresh wrap. Side note- the chef is a master at wrapping! My burrito was wrapped so tight a wagon ride across Colorado would not have shaken it loose! Note: the night before we did takeout from here. I had a burger and my daughter had the chicken sandwich. I was surprised at how hearty and flavorful the burger was! All the same attention to details was made to the meals even though it was takeout! Well done Chef Carlos!!!! read more

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This was a celebration of my daughter's 38th birthday. The salmon was delicious and the wait staff were very nice. I'll be back

Absolutely amazing! Chef Luca made a custom sampler to try a little of all this fan favorites. Not my first visit and definitely will not be my last. I enjoy dining at the bar. Service is aways great. They validate parking at adjacent parking deck (Wakeforest). read more

forchetta - Custom plate by Chef Luca - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Scheduled meal during Queen's Feast and restaurant was 80% of capacity. Waitress provided good service and recommendations. Beet salad was flavorful and plentiful. Filet was very tender [med rare] and cooked correctly. I had the olive oil cake which was really a lemon pound cake which was delicious. My taste-buds exploded. The one hiccup was my drink had not come by the time my meal arrived, so I cancelled it. The other parties received theirs. The Manager came by and offed a complimentary drink so I opted for coffee with desert. I will return. read more

This restaurant surprised me. It's in the Double Tree hotel and I think generally speaking hotel restaurants are usually just average. We had a show at the Belk and it's a block away from the Blumenthal theater. I got the filet and shrimp dish with lobster macaroni and cheese. It was very good but I am a shrimp snob and the shrimp were tiny and not as good as I had hoped. My husband had the sea bass. Our waitress was very good and we got our meals quickly. The peach cobbler desert with pistachio gelato was just ok. Would probably skip that in the future. They validate parking so it's a great place to eat before a show. read more

I stopped here as it was located within my hotel. The Moscow Mules were on point and it was a worthwhile pit stop before calling it a night. read more

forchetta - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Staff was very pleasant, but the service was spotty. Drinks were slow, and nothing special. The food was average.

The ambiance was dark, yet beautiful for an intimate atmosphere. The service was very attentive. The menu is limited, but phenomenal. The appetizer was delicious. Slightly toasted saucy and cheesy bread with a balsamic oil to dip. Very different and appetizing. I ordered the Rigatoni. It was to die for. The combination of the creamy pesto with the pine nuts were top tier. The sauce was made in house and f r e s h. My boyfriend ordered the lasagna and was very pleased. I left feeling full, but not heavy. Highly recommended. read more

forchetta - Lasagna alla Amatriciana - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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The breakfast buffet wasn't bad. It had a variety of breakfast items. The service wasn't bad. We found out the orange juice was part of the buffet and it was also self service. For a hotel restaurant the decor was nice. read more

Easy five stars. We dropped by, because we were excited about their restaurant week menu, which offered more variety than a lot of other places around town. They're located on the first floor of the Holiday Inn, and free validated parking is available at the Wake Forest Garage. It's a classy new restaurant that opened last month with attentive service. We ordered the elk meatballs, grilled octopus, lobster squid ink pasta, lamb t-bones, coconut Panna Cotta, and tiramisu. Let me say... You won't leave hungry. The servings were massive. My meatballs were moist, and the octopus had a nice grilled smokiness. My entree came with three (!) lamb t-bones cooked medium and sides of broccoli rabe and onion. I don't know what was in the sauce, but it was my favorite. The lobster squid ink fettuccine had lobster in every bite, and the pasta had that "bite" I love. My tiramisu had strong coffee and cocoa flavor, and I usually don't like coconut, but the Panna Cotta had the smoothest, creamy texture, I had more than one spoonful. Lovely experience, and I hope they stick around, so we can try their other menu items! read more

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A peaceful, quaint Italian restaurant in the heart of uptown that is perfect for date night. The food and drinks were impeccable along with the service. Definitely more of a fine dining experience which makes it easy to have a conversation and the perfect romantic atmosphere! read more

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Nice hotel restaurant/bar with pleasant, attentive staff. Service was very good. And, while I enjoyed my dinner, and the food very good, it was not prepared/served as described in the menu. I ordered wedge salad which arrived without bacon - the first ingredient in the menu description, and pistachio crusted chicken tenders - I couldn't see or taste pistachio in the crust and it arrived with a mound of French fries and ketchup, no honey mustard or red chili sauce which I was very much looking forward to. I'd try this restaurant again. read more

The ONLY disappointing thing about Forchetta was having to leave! From making reservations to being seated to ordering cocktails and our meals, we were extremely impressed and very happy to be there. We started our evening with Martinis (Dry Gin and also Negronis) that were very well done - so much so that we order another round! For starters, we enjoyed Arancini which was easily shared, flavorful and moist and paired nicely with the Super Tuscan we had moved on to. We then ordered and shared the Caesar salad and a special house beet/blue cheese salad. Both were very fresh with tasty dressings which could easily have been meals in themselves. We then shared the Maiale pork which may have been a special of the night, though I hope it's a permanent offering. This is a triple cut pork chop that is crispy perfection covering a tender, juicy and flavorful (read satisfying) pork interior. for pasta, we loved the lasagna in meat sauce. The flavors of the sauce worked together with fresh pasta for delicious bites of food. I wanted to lick the plate! Again, this went very well with the Italian wine our server Angelo picked out for us; superb! Lastly, we enjoyed a round of Limoncello along with the chocolate chip Cannoli. These were a nice size, but not over-filling at all; very light and scrumptious. Treat yourself to a wonderful meal the next time you're in Charlotte. We are looking forward to our return and seeing Angelo, Chef Luca and the entire Forchetta team soon! read more

The octopus appetizer was delicious and there was sparking wine but that was the end of the positive. I was so optimistic with Chef Luca being a Chopped champ. Anyone that knows me knows that I am obsessed with the Food Network. I could not eat my squid ink noodles since they had no flavor. My husband's banzino was super salty but he ate it since the portion was so small. My olive oil cake was so dry. My husband said his chocolate cake was good. We will need never eat here ag read more

forchetta - Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This was Restaurant Week. I was not impressed. The pasta was excellent, but the portion sizes were small. The rabbit sugo was fantastic... IMO they should make it a larger portion and put as an entree. I had the branzino and it was flat, thin, and tiny (fyi... for good branzino go to Estia's Kouzina in Belmont. It's Greek, not Italian but excellent.) It came with 3 clams and one friend's clam didn't even open so, you're not supposed to eat that. It would have been better if it were served over risotto or rice. It was over asparagus which was nice and tender. Risotto would be more filling to your tummy, at least. We did ask if they had complimentary bread before the meal, and the waitress said no but they could make some toast. She forgot until later in the meal. No biggie. The squid ink pasta was very good, but the shrimp were overcooked. That was my first time trying squid ink pasta and I really enjoyed it, so my friend let me take hers home to have for lunch today. Honestly, the pasta in all dishes were excellent. My friends got the chocolate cake with ice cream and cinnamon pop corn and it was just weird. None of us liked that dessert. I got the olive oil cake with peach marmalade and ricotta. It was my first time having olive oil cake. I imagined it being more moist, but the toppings were very good. The worst part of our experience was the drinks. My friend and I ordered mocktails. My friend is a recovering alcoholic. They brought out our drinks and mine had alcohol. The person bringing the drink did tell me as he handed it to me that it had alcohol in it. I went ahead and accepted it, but what if that had been her ? Tempting someone with something they can't have ? There was fear in her eyes and she was afraid to sip her own drink. She had me try it and then flagged down the waitress to be absolutely sure it didn't have alcohol. She said it didn't. Then as she drank it during dinner she just kept saying it didn't seem like it had any alcohol and she never relaxed about it. They only charged me for the juice, and not the alcohol, so that was nice of them. However, my friend was visibly upset the entire evening and couldn't relax because some alcohol you cannot taste when it's in the drink. Our waitress was nice, just kinda clueless. She would just hang around the table as if she wasn't sure what should come next. The last time she did this we chuckled and said dessert is next. I know there's staffing and training issues so this was just amusing, not really a bad thing. She also made a funny comment about not knowing what a dish tasted like because she couldn't get past thinking of the fluffy bunnies for the rabbit sugo. Again, just amusing not an issue. The employees all had Holiday Inn uniforms on, which I was not expecting. If a manager would have come around to ask how things were we would have mentioned the drink issue. My friend is a very outspoken advocate for having fun sober, so this definately happened ironically to the wrong person. Our parking was validated and everyone was pleasant. Parking is available in the Wake Foest University parking garage for free when dining here. It just wasn't the experience we expected. read more

I RECOMMEND ‼ I went back today, after Chef Luca reached out to me, to offer a chance for us to return, on him. It was AMAZING! My prior review of a 3 is now a 5. I previously dined during Charlotte Restaurant Week and wasn't impressed. Today, I was very impressed. They had a 3 course meal special. The Pork Belly and Sweet Potato Purée were to die for. I had the clams and pasta and demolished it. I was so full by the time my Branzino came, that I boxed it. I tasted it first, and again amazing. Pics below are from my prior review, during Charlotte Restaurant Week. Today, I ate my food so quickly, there wasn't time for a picture. read more

forchetta - Grilled Pork Chop - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Forchetta is a classy Italian spot at the bottom of a hotel that opened 3-4 months ago. Service was quick and accommodating to our vegetarian needs. My friend and I started with the Gnocchi Siciliana. Excellent tomato sauce, crunchy bits of eggplant, and fluffy gnocchi. Then we split the Carbonero subbing out the bacon for broccolini. They were kind enough to plate it separately for us. Service was excellent. The restaurant is spacious and has excellent, classy decor. Highly recommend for a classy but affordable dinner in Charlotte! read more

forchetta - Gnocchi Siciliana (V) - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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In any other city, this restaurant would probably get 3 stars. But surrounded by such amazing food, this meal was a let down.

Came here as an option during Restaurant week. I specifically chose this location because they offered an intriguing vegetarian option, the Baked Cauliflower Steak! I had seen this dish prepared in videos and on social media, but never actually tried it myself. The entrée offered at this location did not disappoint! The whipped ricotta and crème fraiche offered a nice coolness to the dish and the currants gave a pop of sweetness! I am not crazy about lentils. But the coconut lentil soup was phenomenal! And my friend and I both enjoyed the Fagottini. The bread pudding was to die for!?! And best of all, customer service here was top notch. The weight staff was kind, patient, and did not rush us from our table at all. I will definitely be back read more

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Wow, food was amazing. Staff are nice and pleasant. The chef happens to be well know and was on some show, I forgot which one, staff can confirm. But the food, amazing. The place is clean, not to cold or warm, just right. Will be back. read more

forchetta - Branzino - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Did you know it's a horrible feeling being told that your reservation for 12 is completely null void the day of!!! I made reservations for my party of 12 a week ago for Restaurant Week. I used the Open Table website to make the reservation. I choose Forchetta because of a past experience, their amazing menu (the Restaurant Week menu looked amazing and I had already picked out what I was going to order) and the location. I highly recommended the restaurant to my group and everyone agreed on the reservation. Today at 11:05am I received a call from Joe at Forchetta. He simply stated to give him a call back about my reservation. When I called back I was told that there was some kind of issue with the reservation. That the restaurant would be converting over to dinner at 4pm and not be able to accommodate my party. I tried to understand what he was saying cause I knew I made sure the restaurant would be open and that we wouldn't incur any problems. What I gathered was that they would stop serving at 4pm and then open back up at 5. I also was told they didn't have any reservations available at 5pm. I chose Forchetta because my party will be attending an event downtown at 7pm and needed to be in the area. Joe tried to offer other recommendations for other restaurants in the area but truthfully I had tuned out at that point. How did he expect me to find a reservation for 12 the day of during Restaurant Week? My anxiety level was at 100. I went into crisis mode because now I had failed my group by recommending Forchetta and them canceling on us. I was never able to find another reservation for my group. Forchetta 230 N College St Charlotte, NC 28202 Saturday January 18, 2020 read more

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Nice restaurant. It's attached to the holiday inn. There is parking on The street in the parking garage or you can do valet at the front of the hotel you can enter the restaurant from the hotel or from the street entrance. It's in a key location which is why we chose to dine here before the game. Upon entering I was immediately greeted and seated. The server seemed slightly irritated and busy, despite not many customers being present when we dinned. For a Friday night the place wasn't too crowded. I had the islandtini which was cool and refreshing. The food was very good and well prepared. The messy burger was a hit and you have to try if you come here. It was made perfectly and is very filling. Lasagna was scrumptious. I hope to come back on a different day and time to try the brunch. Hope you enjoy! read more

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The food was so good! Definitely recommend this restaurant, especially if you are already staying in the hotel. I had the lasagna and it was very good. I also got to speak with the chef and he was very kind. The servers were also great. read more

This is our third time here and we have to give our props to Chef Luca for delivering authentic Italian culinary flare to Charlotte. Location: Nestled inside the Holiday Inn you get your parking ticket validated at the restaurant! Good to know as the first time we went we scrambled for some street parking for our motorcycles...and of course it down-poured torrentially without warning. Atmosphere: Medium-size restaurant with bar and lounge area. They serve Dr. Pepper Food: So far we tried - Vongole: Clams, Sweet Italian Sausage in a white wine / olive oil sauce. It's the surf-n-turf of appetizers. The Italian sausage has a good balance of meat and seasoning. - Calamari : This is hubs favorite! Fried Calamari in a Jalapeño Honey citrus Butter...yes, it's lightly battered sweet and tangy with a little kick! MUST TRY!!!! - Squid Ink Fettucini: This one is my fave pasta dish here. Fresh lobster, in a cream sauce, with chopped asparagus to give it a veggie crunch and those toasted bread crumbs gave it a crisp. I love love love this dish. - Carbonara: hand rolled noodles! yes!!!! delicious pancetta in an egg and parmesan cream sauce is the hubs favorite dish here. He says MUST TRY!!!! - Veal Osso Buco with carrots, polenta fries, in it's broth sauce. WOW the polenta fries were amazing, can I just get those as a side? This dish is huge and would be good to share...so fair warning! - Coconut Pineapple Panna Cotta and lime tea cookie. both were not too sweet and great with an after dinner coffee (with a shot!) Overall: The staff is friendly and attentive, the place is clean and perfect for a dinner date! Note that the bathrooms are in the hotel lobby, so you have to go out of the restaurant....and not into the kitchen as we observed other patrons go in search for the restroom. read more

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Although it is a little bit hidden in the heart of downtown Charlotte, this a an outstanding Italian restaurant for a nice dinner out! Great service and many options for everyone on the menu. I would personally recommend the Fagottini antipasti, the Romana salad, and the lasagna main course. The lasagna was a little too cheesy but still a great meal. I would recommend this place as one of my top 5 Italian restaurants in Charlotte! read more

forchetta - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Came here for the first Monday of restaurant week after we saw a stellar review from another Yelper earlier in the weekend. However, our experience was overall mediocre. We had reservations and were sat relatively quickly, but towards the back of the restaurant in a hall-like area. That would've been fine, but our service was slow despite the restaurant not being full, which might have something to do with us being tucked out of the way. I also was not impressed with the alcoholic beverage options. Being an Italian place, I was thinking to maybe order a glass of wine, but when I saw that Apothic Red blend was $10 a glass, I couldn't bring myself to spend that much on cheap wine. They also offered a restaurant week wine pairing of Canyon Road, which was also not impressive. Call me a wine snob, but I don't go out to eat hoping to order a glass of wine that costs more than the bottle at Harris Teeter. Cocktail options were nice, but nothing terribly unique. As for the food, the hubby and I shared almost everything. We started with the octopus and the elk meatballs. Both were overcooked. The octopus was chewy and the meatballs were dry (the sauce was good though!). For the main course, I ordered the squid ink pasta with lobster, which was very well done and what pasta should be. However, the hubs got the duck and there were portions of it that weren't even cooked. Very rare meat... yuck. For dessert, we got the tiramisu, which was very good (as it should be) and the chocolate risotto, which was fine, but lacking a bit of flavor in comparison. I know they are a relatively new restaurant and restaurant week can put a lot of stress on places, but overall, even menu wise, I was underwhelmed, so I'm not sure I would return when there are so many other good places around to visit. read more

forchetta - Elk meatballs - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina