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New Pizza Restaurant Brings A Slice Of New York To South Carolina

Author Debbie Nance
The 18 inch meatball, pepperoni and black olive pizza at Emilio's Pizza Kitchen, a new pizza restaurant in Fort Mill South Carolina

Everyone argues about their preference for pizza, ‘New York Style,’ ‘Chicago Deep Dish,’ ‘Detroit.’ And, now this new pizza restaurant brings a slice of New York to South Carolina.

Husband and wife Ray and Meg Cariseo met around 20-plus years ago in a California pizza restaurant. But, the two have roots in New York that pulled them back there, according to The Charlotte Observer.

More About This New Pizza Restaurant In Fort Mill

After starting a family and putting the restaurant business on hold for a bit, the couple moved to Fort Mill, South Carolina, and opened their new pizza restaurant, Emilio’s Pizza Kitchen. And, they have the background to make it work.

Ray started his pizza-making journey as a teenager in Morris County, New Jersey. And, Meg’s family owned and operated restaurants in Buffalo most of her life. But, in 2021 the couple relocated to Fort Mill, which still affords them easy access to catch flights back home when they wish.

Once they realized there was a hole in the Fort Mill market for pizza, they pursued their plans. And, Emilio’s Pizza Kitchen was born. And, even though some may want to call it ‘New York Style,’ the couple says they “hate the ‘New York style pizza’ term because it’s pizza.”

Also, the couple says they aren’t opposed to branching out into other styles like Detroit or Sicilian. But, for now, during the early phase of the new pizza restaurant, they’ll focus on something that is going to remind you of closer to the way it’s made in New York.

Our Visit To This New Pizza Restaurant

We decided to visit last week. And, with it being a Friday night, the place was jumping! It was nice to see how full it was with families enjoying dinner together. Folks were coming in to grab their take-out orders, too.

But, we chose to dine in. The smell was intoxicating when we opened the door. I was starving and that made my mouth water! We stepped up to the counter and ordered an 18-inch pie with meatballs, pepperoni, and black olives.

new pizza restaurant in fort mill
Debbie Nance
The 18-inch meatball, pepperoni, and black olive pizza at Emilio’s Pizza Kitchen, a new pizza restaurant in Fort Mill South Carolina

We took a number and grabbed a table. It was a little bit of a wait. But, they are still in a soft opening phase. And, since Emilio’s has a full bar, I don’t think anyone minded enjoying a drink and chatting while awaiting their order.

It was a solid pizza, and we really enjoyed it. Plus, they currently offer salads, wings, cheese sticks and meatballs. And, there’s even a ‘date night’ special with a large cheese pizza and a bottle of Dom Perignon for $399. That’s interesting! And, the menu promises pasta is coming soon.

an example of the soft opening menu at a new pizza restaurant in Fort Mill
Debbie Nance
An example of the menu at Emilio’s Pizza Kitchen, a new pizza restaurant in Fort Mill. It promises more to come!

So, thumbs up to Emilio’s Pizza Kitchen, our new pizza restaurant in Fort Mill. Browse their website for more info. And, find them at 5527 Arden Mill Dr. Emilio’s doesn’t offer delivery because they feel it’s best enjoyed fresh from the oven. Agreed!

Debbie Nance is the afternoon co-host along with her husband on "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has been with the station for 18 years. Debbie is a CMA Award winner for Radio Personality of the Year. And, she has worked in radio for 40 years. Before her current afternoon position, Debbie spent more than a decade as co-host on morning shows in several markets across the Southeast. As a content creator for Country 1037, Debbie writes articles about food, new restaurants in the Carolinas and travel experiences.

Locals Say This Is The Best Pizza In Charlotte North Carolina

There is NEVER a bad time for pizza. At least if we are talking great pizza. And that we are. But with tomorrow February 9th being National Pizza Day, and that huge football game coming up this weekend it is the perfect time to talk pizza. That “big game” is responsible for the largest volume of pizza delivery in a year. So you may want to see if you can preorder if that’s your plan! You probably have a favorite pizza spot. But what do the true locals say is the best pizza in Charlotte? Glad you asked.

This is so subjective because there are so many different styles of pizza from NY to thin crust, Neopolitan, deep dish, the list goes on and one. And everyone has their favorite. I have my favorite pizza in each category. And the type of pizza I’m craving can vary often. (After writing this I just want any pizza). Our friends at Nextdoor shared some research with us though on what locals say is the best pizza in Charlotte.

This list of eight different restaurants across the area is made up of local pizza places that have earned the Nextdoor Neighborhood Fave badge for seven consecutive years. So it wasn’t a fluke, these places are consistently excellent. This award is for local businesses that are voted on by neighbors who actually live in the communities.

I will say the list is heavy on New York Pizza- not a bad thing at all. In fact, I needed some new recommendations. It also includes a couple of places I love but tend to visit for dishes other than pizza! So if you’re looking for some delicious pizza (or other Italian specialties) try one of these spots. Thanks to our friends at Nextdoor for sharing this with us.

  • Mama Ricotta’s

    Location: 601 S Kings Dr AA Charlotte, NC 28204

    Mama Ricotta’s is well known in Charlotte though dare I say I thought more for their pasta than the pizza? I visit their sister restaurant Little Mama’s more often as it’s closer to me but I can say everything I have had at both spots was incredible. Perhaps I need to try the pizza which includes Build Your Own, Vegetariana, Chicken Oreganta, and more. See the full menu here.

  • Due Amici Pizza

    Location: 5346 Prosperity Church Rd Ste A, Charlotte

    I am unfamiliar with Due Amici but they claim to have the best New York Pizza in Charlotte. This is a bold claim but it seems to be backed up. I love a large slice of NY Pizza, so the next time I’m in the area, I’ll have to try this! Especailly since they sell pizza by the slice- a market that is underserved in Charlotte for sure! Full menu and info here.

  • Portofino’s Italian Restaurant

    Location: Portofino’s Park Road (5126 Park Road Charlotte); Portofino’s at the Arboretum (8128 Providence Road #100 Charlotte); Portofino’s Eastway (3124 Eastway Drive #500 Charlotte); Portofino’s Indian Land 9716 Red Stone Drive #400 Indian Land, SC)

    I’ll agree to this one. Portofino’s is one of my favorite Italian spots in Charlotte. And with four locations and it’s inclusion on this list other people feel the same. Is the pizza delicious? Yes. And if you spend any time waiting you’ll see a multitude of people getting take out pizza from here. Would I tell you to order it over some of the other dishes? Probably not unless you specifically want pizza. But you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu (which you can see here!)

  • Luigi’s Pizza

    Location: Steele Creek (13551 Steelecroft Pkwy Charlotte); Whitehall Commons (8170 S. Tryon St. Charlotte)

    Also offering NY Pizza at two locations – Steele Creek and Whitehall Commons- is Luigi’s Pizza. They don’t have much of an online presence but reviewers on sites like Yelp rave about the large slices. Another one I’ll have to add to the list to try!

  • Tony’s Pizza

    Locations: Harris (1530 Overland Park Ln, Charlotte); Galleria (1605 Galleria Blvd, Charlotte); Ballantyne (14027 Conlan Circle, Charlotte); Additional locations in Huntersville, Hickory, and Moorseville

    While I’ve never had Tony’s Pizza I ate quite a few slices of their sister restaurant Mario’s Pizza back in my YMCA pool days. Tony’s is another great option for that NY Style Pizza. You can order by the pie or by the slice. They even offer gluten-free and cauliflower crust options. See the menu here.

  • Inizio Pizza Napoletana

    Locations: Ballantyne (10620 Providence Rd. Charlotte); Dilworth (2230 Park Rd. Charlotte); Fort Mill (816 Brayden Parkway, Fort Mill); Huntersville (16627 Birkdale Commons Parkway, Huntersville)

    Inizio offers a different style of pizza than other spots on this list, but they do it exceptionally well. You’ll find thin-crust, wood-fired pizzas. This is true true Neapolitan-style pizza. That These pizzas are cooked with a “slight char and leoparding”. There are tons of options for both red sauce and alternative sauce pies including unique offerings like Vodka Pesto, Capricciosa, and Cavoletti. See the full menu here.

  • Hawthorne’s New York Pizza and Bar

    Locations: 10 area locations view them all here

    I’ve had  Hawthornes once or twice but I tend to overlook them as the location closest to me is a little off the path. But with 10 locations and inclusion on this list, they must be doing something right! They offer a variety of create-your-own pies, specialty pizzas, and other Italian classics. See the menu here.

  • Riccio’s Italian Restaurant

    Location: 9213 Baybrook Lane, Charlotte

    Riccios is a little off the beaten path, but once you’ve found it you’ll certainly be back. It’s one of my favorite spots though I order pasta more than pizza. I have good friends who ordered pizza from there so much they knew them by the phone number. So it’s fantastic as well! My recommendation though is any of the stuffed pastas like ravioli or tortilini. See the menu here.

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