The team behind TRUE Crafted Pizza has added another name to Charlotte’s growing roster of Italian eateries. Osteria LuCa opened in January in the space previously occupied by Charlotte Café, and there’s still a wait for a table after 6 p.m. most nights, which proves we’re a city willing to stand in line for really good wood-fired pizza.

Co-owners and spouses Tricia and Ken Martino transformed the spot, once marked by black-and-white checkerboard flooring and tattered leather booths, into a modern osteria, the Italian word for a local, family-run restaurant. “LuCa” is a nod to their children, Lucas and Caroline.