Restaurants feature a taste of Carolina and back home

Coq Au Vin at Ratcliffe on the Green.

Whether you want to immerse yourself in local flavor or seek a taste of home, Charlotte restaurants can fill the bill. To get you started, here are 10 suggestions for getting to know the Carolinas' food, five ideas for newcomers longing for some comfort food the way they used to have it and a short primer on multiple-restaurant operations in the area.

1. Price's Chicken Coop: Fried chicken the way you've always heard about it, served takeout-only near uptown since ... forever. If you're a chicken-liver-lover, you're covered here, too. 1614 Camden Road. 704-333-9866. www.priceschickencoop.com.

2. Barrington's: Clean, sophisticated flavors are chef-owner Bruce Moffett's trademark, and this small south Charlotte eatery has topped the city's Zagat voting for years. 7822 Fairview Road. 704-364-5755. www.barringtonsrestaurant.com.

3. Mert's Heart and Soul: Down-home cooking in a snazzy uptown setting; don't miss the fabulous little loaves of cornbread with honey butter and chef-owner James Bazzelle makes some mean salmon cakes, as well. 214 N. College St., International Trade Center. 704-342-4222. www.mertsuptown.com.

4. Ratcliffe on the Green: This uptown historic spot's menu goes two ways: One side is a brasserie lineup, offering French-inspired homey dishes, while the other is a multiple-course tasting menu that shows off the flashier side of chef Mark Hibbs' skills. Both use plenty of local ingredients. 435 S. Tryon St. 704-358-9898. www.ratcliffeonthegreen.com.

5. The Penguin: For decades and in several incarnations, this little spot in Plaza Midwood has ruled the roost among diners-drive-ins-and-dives aficionados. Now it's renowned for fried pickles, burgers and a killer jukebox. 1921 Commonwealth Ave. 704-375-6959.

6. Carpe Diem: An elegant yet comfortable Elizabeth stalwart, this offers creative dishes, and more than the usual for vegetarians. 1535 Elizabeth Ave. 704-377-7976. www.carpediemrestaurant.com.

7. Bill Spoon's: You want barbecue? Check out the old-school version at this daytime-only, spare spot out South Boulevard with amazing banana pudding. And remember: Here, barbecue means pork! 5524 South Blvd. 704-525-8865.

8. Rooster's: Take the small-plates craze and give it Southern roots and you've got Rooster's near SouthPark, where you can watch the cooking while you graze. Don't miss that pan-fried corn. 6601 Morrison Blvd. 704-366-8688. www.roosterskitchen.com.

9. Twin Tops: Gastonia, about a half-hour out of Charlotte, is known for something called fish camps, and this is a gem. The genre sells fried fish and little cornmeal nuggets called hush puppies. Here, order pups and salt-and-pepper cats – which means highly seasoned, battered, deep-fried catfish. Stop at the candy aisle on your way out. 4574 S. New Hope Road, Gastonia. 704-825-2490.

10. Lulu: A hip bistro in a hip neighborhood, this blends flavor, humor and warmth. Great mussels, too. 1911 Central Ave. 704-376-2242. www.luludinewine.com.

1. New York-style pizza: Luigi's in south Charlotte won The Observer's Tournament of Pizza in 2009 with its enormous, thin-crusted pies that evoke Brooklyn pizzerias. 8170 S. Tryon St. 704-504-2015. A second location just opened at 13551 Steelecroft Parkway. 704-587-6010. (Want to see the rest of the contestants? Log onto http://events.charlotteobserver.com/restaurants and click on the pizza link.

2 Dim sum: Dragon Court in north Charlotte serves Chinese treats known as dim sum all the time, and in the traditional carts on weekends. 4520 N. Tryon St. 704-596-0228.

3.Tacos: The real kind in several incarnations is what you'll find at Taqueria Mexico on South Boulevard. 7001 South Blvd. 704-552-2461.

4. Potato gnocchi like mama made: They're only served on Tuesdays at Dolce in Dilworth, but it's worth the wait. 1710 Kenilworth Ave., 704-332-7525. www.dolceristorante.net.

5. Sushi: Musashi near Pineville offers a gorgeous lineup of nigiri, maki and sashimi, along with other Japanese dishes. 10110 Johnston Road. 704-543-4378.

1. Augusto Conte hasn't cornered the Italian market, but he's got a good grip on it, from his upscale and lovely Luce in uptown's Hearst Plaza, to the more casual Positano in Huntersville, with Toscana, Coco Osteria and MezzaNotte (specializing in pizza) to boot.

2. Frank Scibelli has a more varied palate: Big Daddy's Burger Bar in Dilworth does rocking business with its diner style and array of burgers, while Cantina 1511 does Mexican in both Dilworth and south Charlotte, and Mama Ricotta's serves Italian in midtown.

3. The Stratos Restaurant Group most recently opened the oh-so-retro Big View Diner, but fans abound for its stylish Nolen Kitchen and Mediterranean ilios noche, also.

4. Pierre Bader works the uptown region with sophisticated Sonoma Modern American, the quicker-eats Press and pizza-centric Pie Town.

5. The Harper's group, led by Tom Sasser, spans genres and locales (there are Harper's in other towns, too): Harper's, Harper's Grill, Harper's ToGoGo, Mimosa Grill, Zink American Kitchen, M5 and Upstream.

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