Greeted by the comforting smells of a classic pizza parlor was exciting for our first trip to Hawthorne's. The NYC decor was a nice touch, and not over the top for a casual restaurant in Huntersville. All staff was friendly and eagerly shared smiles. The nameplate Hawthorne's salad was delicious and filling, if maybe a little heavy handed on the red onions. The basil and mozzarella pizza did not disappoint; although the crust was different than what we are used to getting at Brixx. The cannoli were petite, but I appreciated the fact that I didn't feel guilty about eating that serving size!