Giovanna — Restaurant in Charlotte

Giovanna, a fresh addition to the Lower South End neighborhood, brings cherished recipes passed down from Chef Richard’s grandmother. If you're familiar with Zinicola in Ballantyne—where the menu draws from his mother's recipes—you'll notice a familial culinary link. Giovanna brands itself as a "relaxed Italian fine dining" spot while Zinicola defines itself as a more family-friendly Italian restaurant.

Parking can be a challenge, but thankfully, complimentary valet service is available right at the entrance. Inside, the decor strikes a pleasing note, with both high and low top tables neatly arranged and a full bar that accommodates around 20 people. The highlight is undoubtedly the open kitchen, where you can watch chefs artfully prepare your meal, although the choice of today's top hits for background music and the less-than-ideal acoustics might detract from the otherwise relaxed fine dining ambiance.

The menu is concise, focusing on unique daily specials rather than typical Italian-American staples like chicken parmigiana or baked ziti. I kicked off my meal with the Stuffed Baby Portabella mushrooms, generously filled with Italian sausage and resting on a scrumptious housemade vodka sauce—a delightful start and great for sharing. The Meatball antipasto followed, featuring three well-seasoned, albeit slightly dense, meatballs atop a robust housemade red sauce.

The star of the evening was the lasagna bolognese. Layered with housemade pasta sheets, a rich blend of vodka meat and béchamel sauce, and perfectly melted cheese, it was nothing short of spectacular, securing its place as my top lasagna choice in Charlotte.

Service was somewhat slow, which I’ll attribute to the restaurant's opening week adjustments. Despite this, the attention to detail in every dish served was evident.

I'm already looking forward to my next visit to Giovanna, eager to try their pizzas and calzones, anticipating another...

Had a great experience at Giovanna Charlotte, North Carolina. I rarely go out to Italian in Charlotte because my family is off the boat, but wanted to try it. Also, my grandmother’s name was Giovanna. They have an absolutely beautiful space. Very modern and sleek. I loved they had an open industrial kitchen. The service was absolutely fabulous. Our water glasses were always full and our server Alayna was a superstar! Most of the food we ordered was really great. We had a bruschetta trio that was a sampler. Tomato with Herbed Cheese Spread / White Bean, Heirloom Tomato, Ricotta & Mortadella with Pistachio. The bread was super crispy and the toppings were outrageous, different and flavorful. We also had the arancini which was some of the best I’ve ever had. Very crispy on the outside, fluffy and full of cheesy goodness on the inside. The red sauce that it came with was also superb. The main courses were OK. We were bummed because one of the specials was a short rib ragu and they ran out of it so we went with the other special - the Wagyu Beef Agnolotti with Celery Root Puree, Sage Brown Butter. The taste and sauce was really good, but the pasta was way undercooked. We also had the chicken Parmesan. It came with the same red sauce. It was cooked really well. The cheese could’ve been a little more well done but it was good- crispy and saucy. The tiramisu was delicious. Had great texture and flavor. They also made a mean dirty martini and they had blue cheese olives, which is a plus. I would definitely go back and try other things. They also have free valet parking as well, but make sure to...

The service and atmosphere were top notch. We were well attended and the restaurant is beautiful. Our server was quick and attentive.

My wife and I ordered the tomato bruschetta for a starter. One of the best bruschetta's I've every enjoyed. The plate is served with four large pieces and given the size I think it may be a bit much for two as a starter but that didn't stop us. For entrees I enjoyed the gnocchi and my wife ordered pappardelle with mushrooms and cream sauce. My gnocchi was good but my wife's pappardelle was excellent. The meatiness of the mushrooms and the pappardelle noodles were filling and the cream cause was very flavorful. My gnocchi was equally as flavorful with a pesto sauce but I enjoyed the meatiness of the mushrooms in my wife's dish much more.

The two disappointments were the tiramisu we ordered for desert and the price. My wife read where someone quoted that the restaurant claims this to be authentic and a recipe straight out of Italy. What we ordered was not (and I've been to Italy and eaten my fair share of tiramisu). Ours came out with a less than desirable presentation. The bottom have was a soggy mess. I feel like this was the last piece in a mass produced tray that was about to be thrown out. Given the price of the dish, and the rest of the food, this dish was unacceptable.

Lastly, the prices overall were a tad bit high. Given the area the restaurant is located, I get it. We ordered an app, two wines each, two entrees (both vegetarian) and the tiramisu and we were in for $180, a bit steep...