I love what the people behind Tavolo have done to a popular spot in downtown Charlotte. Tavolo is now a chic, modern Italian restaurant in what use to be Cosmos. The space is large, the food I was able to sample was good , and it seems like it would be a great place to start the night out. It's not too loud, so you can still have a conversation if you visit with others. If visiting alone, they also have an awesome looking bar if you're interested. My favorite food item sampled was what I believe was a fried risotto. Coupled with a cold glass of white wine, this tasty appetizer was exactly what I needed after work that day. Seriously...I could have eaten about a dozen of them. Also note that they have weekly specials and parking nearby (hence a great place to start your night).