My favorite Italian place in Charlotte is Portofino. They have several locations including in east Charlotte and in south Charlotte on Park Road. The Eastway location is nostalgic for me as I went there on occasion as a youngster. The bread is fabulous - served warm with real butter. I also really like the orange colored dressing that they serve with their salads and all of the pasta dishes are great, especially the seafood selections. If you're ever in the mood for Italian in Charlotte, you should definitely give this a try.