We had a great experience here. The food was good and very fairly priced for Italian cuisine. It's not a huge restaurant, but it has a cozy atmosphere with a nice ambiance. Our waitress was friendly, attentive, and gave us great recommendations that didn't disappoint. It's also BYOB, which we absolutely love - it makes for an even better dining experience. Plus, there's a private lot, easy to park and will be back. read more

Girasole - Italian Near Me - Bound Brook, New Jersey

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The Russo family did a phenomenal job hosting my Mom's 70th birthday party. They were so courteous and friendly on the phone with planning and answering any questions my family or me had. The food (drinks, appetizers, salad, main courses and desserts) were all so delicious! The staff was super friendly and efficient in delivering food and clearing out finished dishes. My mom and all her friends and family had a spectacular time. Highly recommend this place for a family dinner or your next event! read more

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NOTE: this is a BYO establishment. I came here last night (Saturday) for my best friend's father's 70th birthday party - and it was just a really lovely occasion. We had a nice, relatively secluded area in the restaurant for our party of around 25-30 people. We were started off with hot & cold antipasto served family style: Tomato & onion bruschetta - a simple dish, but still super yummy! fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers & olives - again, standard, but well executed fried calamari - crispy and delish! served with some scrumptious marinara sauce! Portobella mushrooms sauteed with white wine, garlic & seasoned bread crumbs - this one was the surprise of the appetizer round, great stuff! We then got a round of mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette - simple, but refreshing after the app round of cheeses and breaded things. For my mean, I opted for the filet mignon, served with a delightful balsamic glaze, a vegetable medley, and whipped potatoes - peeeerfectly cooked to order (medium rare), a really nicely sized portion, a real winner! Aside from a birthday cake that was brought from an outside vendor, we were treated to an assortment of in-house desserts, like cannoli, cheesecake, and tiramisu, all served with tea, coffee, cappuccino or espresso. I can definitely understand why my parents have been raving about this place (and that a mutual friend of my parents and the birthday boy/man recently had their own 70th birthday party there). A bit of a schlep from the city, but it really was a lovely night with great food, plentiful drinks, and a bounty of good times, laughs, and cheers. read more

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Excellent food, with excellent service in a smaller cozy environment, who could want anything more? This place is romantic, elegant, and delicious all wrapped up in one . Specials change frequently and all are worth trying . We love all the soups as they are rich and layered with flavor. The onion soup is warm and flavorful. Salad accompanies your meal with fresh greens. The veal is pounded thin and tender. Save room for dessert, the chocolate mousse cake is light and rich. You will definitely be back read more

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Visited Girasole for dinner on a Sunday. We had reservations, so we were seated immediately. It's a nice Italian restaurant, and it's pretty dimly lit. The service was excellent. We had our plates and utensils changed with every course of the meal. The food came quickly, though we did not feel rushed. The meal started with some bruschetta, Italian sausage, calamari, and salad. All were good. For my entree, I got the mushroom ravioli. It had a rich creamy sauce. The food was all good, but the service is what set it apart. read more

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this was my second time here and we had another really great experience. the service here is exceptional and i don't say that about most places. as soon as you arrive, you are greeted very warmly and throughout your entire stay, you are treated like family, as corny as that sounds. all of the wait staff are very friendly and accommodating and constantly checking up on each table to see if you need anything. another huge plus is that the wait staff are VERY good at making sure your water cups are always filled, which is something i find that 99% of other restaurants do not do. the food is also really delicious! there are always lots of specials which is awesome. the portion sizes are generous and the food is really tasty. their garlic infused olive oil is seriously delectable, i couldn't stop eating the bread dipped in it before my actual meal came, which almost became a problem haha. my capellini pescatore was really delicious, and the salsiccia e fagioli was also really good, something i've never had before. my mother ordered the sole fish, and i tried some, and it was super tender and lemony and flavorful, i really really enjoyed that dish and would recommend it. overall, i was really happy with my dining experience here and obviously have lots of great things to say about it. once you come here, you can understand why this place seems to be a place families frequent time and time again and become very acquainted with. they set the bar extremely high when it comes to delivering top tier service, delicious and varied food options, and a lovely atmosphere. read more

Girasole - Salsiccia E Fagioli Alla Toscana - Italian Near Me - Bound Brook, New Jersey

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Food is excellent and the service was fast the area is open and nice but the noise level is a little loud. The special area very good to choose from . The only item that I had a problem with was the house salad it was wilted, and I had a lot of the centerpieces, the lettuce which you're an edible other than that everything was excellent push and size very good read more

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Been here many times and food has always been great. Went a few days ago and was extremely disappointed. I ordered a shrimp with broccoli and garlic and oil over penne pasta. Where to start...I only had 4 small shrimp, 90 % was broccoli and the pasta was so over cooked that I could not stab it with my fork. The broth, yes broth was not garlic and oil but water and had No flavor. Not sure what is going on there. Others said meal was ok not as good as usual. read more

The waiter that attended to us was named Pio he was awesome very good at suggestion on what to have and he was right. The food was absolutely delicious and the dessert was awesome,will definitely be going back. read more

We had such a lovely date night experience at Girasole. The place is small but VERY popular so I recommend making a reservation to come here, especially on the weekends. There is a private lot so we had no issues with parking. It is BYOB and we brought our own wine. Service was amazing. Our server was friendly and gave great recommendations. We ordered the Calamari Fritti as our appetizer. I always appreciate when calamari dishes don't include tentacles. The calamari was perfectly seasoned, cooked, and paired with the marinara sauce. I ordered the Fettuccine Al Bosco. As you can see in the picture, they did not go light on the mushrooms an prosciutto. I loved this dish and the roasted garlic sauce. We will be back and definitely recommend Girasole for date nights or small gatherings. read more

Girasole - Calamari Fritti - Italian Near Me - Bound Brook, New Jersey

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I had grilled chicken with vegetables It was really tasty, the food had lots of flavor.... o was surprised. O was trying to eat light and healthy so i ordered this not expecting to be wowed. But it was excellent taste amd the lemo really brought out the flavor! You can tell the chef knows how to put flavor combinations together! O also had a butternut squash soup it also was surprisingly delicolious! It was thick... almost the consistency of applesauce but it was soooo good. It was prepared differently and again had excellent flavor. The place is quaint, small but upscale, slightly homey / upscale. It looks to be a local favorite we now see why. Its byob. We'll definitely be back. The only comment is thay it started to get loud... but other tha that it was petfect! Nice spot. read more

Girasole - Inside photo from our table - Italian Near Me - Bound Brook, New Jersey

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Delicious Italian food in a cosy space with excellent service! I've been on the hunt for good quality Italian food at a reasonable price. I've found a few contenders (Espo's for heavy comfort food, Il Forno a Legna for great pizza) but nothing quite fit what I was hoping for. Girasole fit everything I wanted with super reasonable prices and BYOB too! We came on a Wednesday for dinner and the parking lot was packed full with no spots. Luckily we decided to be brave and go inside and ask if they could squeeze us in without a reservation and they did! My husband parked in the empty lot next door and we settled in to a dimly lit, warm atmosphere. We were given complimentary and delicious bruschetta to start following by warm bread with the best garlic olive oil. We ordered the mussels special to start with a great spicy marinara. For our mains, I had the delicious and recommended Fettucine Portofino - packed with seafood, super rich and delicious. The scallops and shrimp were perfectly cooked and so tasty. My husband got the veal Girasole which was excellent. Our meals came with a green salad to start which was a nice surprise. All in all, I'm in love with the value, amazing service (thank you to our excellent waiter, Brian!), and great food. Can't wait to come back and try more pasta dishes soon! Pro tip: Make a reservation if you're going for dinner and it's BYOB. The parking lot does fill up but we parked next door in the empty lot where an AT&T used to be. read more

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A traditional Italian heaven in Bound Brook that we picked to celebrate our nieces Sweet 16 with family . Beautiful decor outside and inside . Talk well groomed plants maintained by the owner . Cozy dim lit warm setup with elegant interiors . Easy private parking with outdoor seating Appetizers Calamari - a bit chewy but marinara was spot on Arugulas shrimp salad - excellent must try Burrata in crostini - meh Complimentary bruschetta - Cold fresh blew my mind Bread with garlic olive oil - true to Italian standards Entrees Capellini Pescatore - angel hair paste with seafood - my favorite pick of the day - seafood seafood and more seat Shrimp ravioli - one of the specials - creamy soft pillowy Chicken Marsala - tad bit sweet with the balsamic Seafood Fettuccine -very good but a bit heavy Dessert Tiramisu - owners moms recipe that made us what more Warm brownie with Vanilla ice cream - classic in a good way Their service was as quick as it can get . Large portions, priced right , well balanced fresh flavors . As good as traditional Italian food can get . A local find that we would frequent . read more

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The service at Girasole is fantastic however, the food misses the mark. My friend & I wanted to go to a BYOB restaurant so we decided to go with Girasole. We made a reservation with Willy (highly recommend) and we were seated right away. We started off with clams in a white wine sauce & prosciutto with mozzarella. I thoroughly enjoyed both appetizers. For our entrees we ordered rigatoni bolognese & the cod special. The pasta sauce was way too cheesy & the cod special wasn't my favorite either. For dessert we had the bread pudding & lava cake, both were tasty! Overall, I would be willing to try it again but I would stick with safer entrees with little sauce & no breading. read more

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An amazing stop on our Jersey weekend! We happened upon this BYOB and are sad we don't live in the area to enjoy more frequently. The service and food were amazing!! We were greeted with smiles in this warm atmosphere- though we did not have reservations - clearly this is a popular spot for celebration! Beyond highly recommend from one Italian to another!! read more

First time we were there. The food and service was fantastic. Loved the atmosphere. We will definitely come back

Food is amazing especially the chicken rollatini. The ambience is relaxing & special & the service is wonderful. We moved north to Clark so haven't returned but Girasole beats anything in our area hands down. read more

Good but not great. I had high expectations for Girasole, as I've heard many people say nothing but wonderful things about it, so I finally made it in for a dinner with a friend. The ambiance and service was outstanding. Our sever, Willy, was amazing and went above and beyond to make our experience memorable. He even offered a complimentary addition desert. We also love a good byob joint! For starters we order the clams in white wine sauce and the fresh mozzarella with prosciutto, both were good. For entrees we ordered the cod special and the rigatoni bolognese. This is where things got iffy.. the bolognese was cheesy which made the pasta feel very heavy. It didn't taste bad but it wasn't expected and I think we would've preferred a bolognese sauce with much less cheese. The cod special was okay, it was recommended to us so we ordered it, however I think I would've went in a different direction if I could do it again. Unfortunately, the next morning both my friend and I were sick, from what we didn't know. If I had to guess, I feel like it was that bolognese, but who knows. With that being said I wouldn't return but I'm happy to have had the experience regardless. read more

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BYOB was a big plus. Food, service, and atmosphere were excellent. Been there several time and never disappointed.

I came here with my family for my birthday on a recommendation from a dear friend. I made a reservation which I highly recommend, this place gets very busy , especially on weekends. Girasole is a BYOB! Glasses and an ice bucket are supplied. My waiter Pino kept pouring our wine. This Is not a big place, but every table has white linen tablecloths on them which adds to its charm and ambience. I had a fabulous waiter named Pino. My runner was Freddy. I never had to ask for my water to be refilled, or a pour of my wine. The service was spot on. Pino is a very good waiter. He let us know all about the specials, and made recommendations. Whenever we needed something Pino or Freddy was very attentive. On our table we had fresh HOT BREAD( I mean hot which was nice for a change) with OLIVE OIL DIP. Then we were given BRUSCHETTA. Next came a HOUSE SALAD which was simply dressed but good. For appetizer I chose their FRIED CALAMARI. It was cooked perfectly and very tasty. Next came a HOUSE SALAD- it was simply dressed and fresh. I chose FRUTTI DI MARE-linguine with shrimp, scallops, clams, & mussels, in a tomato basil brodetto for my entree. Every bite was wonderful. I took home my leftovers and had it for lunch the next day. My daughter chose RAVIOLI RIPIENI CON FUNGHI-handmade porcini mushroom-filled ravioli with leeks & pancetta in a roasted garlic & rosemary sauce, finished with a touch of cream. My daughter ate every bite, which is so unusual, but she really enjoyed her meal. My boyfriend decided on their VITELLO ISABELLA-pistachio nut crusted scaloppine of veal served with a shiitake mushroom, brandy, & herb sauce. He also cleaned his plate. Girasole's portions are decent. For dessert my boyfriend and I both chose Crème Brûlée. Mine was served with a candle and everyone sang Happy Birthday to me which was so nice. My daughter had Tiramisu and it too was delicious. To go along with my dessert I also ordered Cappuccino which hit the spot. I really enjoyed my birthday dinner here, and I will definitely be returning. read more

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We just held my wife's 70th birthday party with a group of 38 friends and relatives this past Sunday. I went with Event Option#1 which offered the higher end entrees. Everyone was raving about how delicious and plentiful the food was. We were allowed in an hour ahead to set up some decorations and bring in the wine and beer to be set up and chilled. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Rob the owner was great to work with; had the room all setup as we discussed ready to go when everyone arrived. They helped make the day very special for my wife and guests. read more

Everything was amazing; the food and the wait staff were impeccable. I totally enjoyed my dining experience and can't wait to return for my niece's bridal shower... read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner last night at Girasole. The food was delicious but our server, Gina, made the experience a pleasure. When you find someone who has complete knowledge of the menu combined with such a welcoming, warm personality, you are in for a treat. We want to make this a regular destination for dinner. Thank you Gina! read more

They have a great selection of entree options and are very accommodating if you want to change up some things. Chicken Francese was incredibly good. Apps were delicious especially the burrata app special. The atmosphere was welcoming and friendly. The cost per person was incredibly reasonable for the number of people we had that included apps, entrees and desserts! read more

Girasole - Forever friends - Italian Near Me - Bound Brook, New Jersey

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Great place!!! Held a retirement party for 13 people & this place was off the charts! We were put in a quiet place on the side with privacy and with a pre-set menu that I picked out. $37.95 a person included hot/cold apps - calamari with plenty of sauce to dip it into (love that!), marinated mushrooms, fresh mozz w/roasted peppers, bruschetta, and delish bread. Salad was next & then a choice of chicken, veal, or tilapia with a family serving of pasta. Italian pastries were included. Everything was delish & the waiters were excellent always making sure our wine/water was filled & utensils changed out. Definitely will go back again & recommend it for parties! read more

Girasole - Party menu - Italian Near Me - Bound Brook, New Jersey

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Service was prompt & friendly, and my dinner was outstanding. Both my friends & I thoroughly enjoyed our dinners. Definitely stop by for an authentic Italian dinner. read more

My wife and I hosted clients and Girasole delivered. Four great meals and appetizers. You need to make reservations because it is no secret that this a great restaurant. They have a private parking lot and outdoor dining when the weather allows. No liquor license so bring your own. We had previously enjoyed a romantic dinner for two here and enjoyed their food by takeout during the Covid situation. Girasole has been consistently wonderful and I give them my highest recommendation. read more

Wow! It has been quite a while since we have been here partly due to covid and partly due to never being able to get a reservation! This had been on our monthly rotation for years. Truly one of the best meals we have had in some time. From starter to dessert - absolutely 10 out of 10. Started with a special starter sauteed escarole and shrimp which was perfection. Slight heat finished each bit which was addictive. I had veal Roberto, so tender in a cognac sauce with porcini mushrooms and shrimp. Melt in your mouth - did not need the shrimp - perfection as it was. Hubs had a stuffed pork chop special with risotto - generous portion and not a thing left on his plate. My son had the rigatoni Bolognese which is a heavy dish and enough for him to bring home for a second mail. The sauteed escarole starter was so good that I ordered a side of it (sauteed escarole) with dinner! We ended our meal with (3) affogatos. (opting for decaf espresso). Perfect ending to a truly divine meal. They have kept their prices so moderate, and I have no idea how they do it. There is so much competition in the beautiful world of bring your own Italian in our area. I don't doubt for one minute that this gem rates at the top of many (considering we couldn't get reservations easily) and if you have the pleasure of dining here, you will understand why the dance card for dinner here is always full. read more

My dad and I have been coming to Girasole for years, and it's always a highlight for us. The food is consistently amazing, with specials that never disappoint. The staff are warm, attentive, and make us feel like family every time. Girasole is truly the best, and we recommend it to all our friends and family. read more

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Just attended a wedding shower and have to report that this is a gem of a restaurant. Food was excellent and the service impeccable. Our server not only had perfect timing, but was also very gracious in accommodating two vegans at my table. The ambiance was lovely and the staff seamlessly implemented what was a very creative --and thorough-- theme. Perfect event! I'm a Philly gal and have dined at restaurants called "Girasole" in both Philly and Atlantic City. This GIrasole is now my favorite. Bravo! read more

Girasole (Sunflower) We pull in and the parking lot is peppered with Caddy's and Italian flag decals. I felt at home immediately. (*swoon*) The place is inviting. It's not huge but not small. A separated room for (I assume) parties. The restaurant area had around a dozen and a half to two dozen tables. Decór was gorgeous; simple and perfectionist. Even down to the lighting. Wait staff was on-point. We liked it right away. We started off by hitting the complimentary bread... But! That bread didn't come with the generic 'butter'. It came with olive oil with some caramelized minced garlic at the bottom. ... (*Swoon*) Bruschetta with Prosciutto, Mozzarella and Roasted Red Peppers were amazing. I picked Vitello Girasole (tah-DIE-for). The man had Agnello. His eyes rolled in the back of his head. Dessert: I went with Tartufo (I'll never say No to Ice Cream). He had Tiramisu. We coupled those with some espresso. Our only gripe: the espresso was weak, but we're coffee snobs. Meh... This place is delish. A sure-bet on our list. read more

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I was excited to go as were my guests who had gone there years ago. Service was very good, I wanted to love it there but food was subpar. Started with a complimentary bruschetta which had been premade and sat in the fridge. The moisture soaked through into the bread making it soggy. Complimentary house salad was premade and wilted. The calamari not crisp with thick large rings. I ordered a veal dish and nothing special. Very bland. Again I would like to love it there but no dish was even above average. read more

Had another amazing dinner at Girasole! For appetizers my husband and I ordered off the specials menu, grilled shrimp with ricotta gnocchi and burrata with tomato and balsamic. The gnocchi was delicious so nice and light and the burrata was simple but great too. For our entrees my husband had shrimp with corn risotto, it was out of this world, so flavorful. My entree was the chicken rollantini stuffed with sausage and served with sliced potatoes. Sooo good, a piece of the chicken with the potato dipped in the mushroom sauce, loved it. The service was wonderful and the ambiance is so relaxing and feels like you are truly out for a nice meal. Prices are reasonable and what I love is that the specials are priced similar to the menu, they aren't marked way up like other restaurants. Only thing is getting a table, you have to make a reservation in advance. read more

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An a-okay restaurant to enjoy a typical Italian-American meal. The menu is fairly simple but the specials menu (at least when I visited) was pretty extensive. I opted for the chicken rollatini special and my friend got the shrimp ravioli. Both were very good. We ordered a crepe with Nutella and banana for dessert which was terrible (skip that). Service was very good and attentive. There is a nice sized parking lot attached. read more

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This is a true, authentic, classy, family-owned, clean, fresh, delicious, 5-star quality, and a unique/innovative take on a local Italian restaurant, with amazing dinner specials, reasonable & competitive prices, and outstanding & very attentive/accommodating customer service! It has become our #1 favorite, not to mention, it happens to be a BYOB, which is a lovely little perk (coming from a wine enthusiast)! Not the least bit snobby or pretentious whatsoever, and very down to earth people... But since it is so darn good, reservations are recommended. Enthusiastically recommended to those who know the difference between good and out of this world (this, clearly, being the latter of the two). A+++++ read more

Food was fabulous!! The owner is all in helping where ever he is needed. Very gregarious but not arrogant or obnoxious. Will definitely go back. read more

My husband and I love this place ! Food is always so good and the service is awesome !

The restaurant was nice, but the prices were not in line with the portion size. I ordered a Veal Girasole and the one piece of veal and the few vegetables were good, but no where near worth the price of like about $26. The rest of the group had other dishes and usually some have extra food for the next day, but we all ate what we got as the portions again were not in line with the price. Plain and simple. The service was good and plenty of parking, but when you compare their prices and portion sizes to other local Italian restaurants, there is a huge gap. I would easily say there are plenty more fish in the sea to try for me to want to go back here again. read more

Wow!! WOW! - can that be my entire review? No, you want details? Well ok. But I'm still full from last night and really not up to this right now! lol My husband and I were given a gift certificate for Girasole. We had it for a number of months and have not had a chance to go. We tried last week, but they were booked up. That was a good sign. We made reservations for Friday night - the only time slots available for 5:30 and 8pm. We chose the 8pm slot so we would have an easy evening and not rush after work. We arrived and the parking lot is spacious enough to handle all diner's cars. We were about 20 minutes early but the young lady at the door seated us right away. We were at a table for two in a corner by the front windows. Perfect. First impression - very nicely decorated, warm and welcoming, inviting. Our waiter, Aldo, introduced himself to us, got us water and opened our wine (BYOB). He then listed off the specials. Oh my!! Warm bread and oil with garlic and cheese were brought to the table with a small amuse-bouche of crostini with bruschetta. I went with the Butternut Squash soup to start while my husband got the Stuffed Calamari (stuffed with shrimp, lobster and spices over a bed of arugula) Wonderful!!! My husband's eyes rolled back on the first bite and I didn't even offer a taste of my soup to him as I was so enamored of it! He did, being nicer than I, offer me a taste and it was simply wonderful! When we completed our apps, the table was cleared and new silverware was arranged. Our water glasses were filled continuously. My husband, for his entree, order the Pollo Rollatini, and I ordered the Lamp Chops. My chops were perfectly cooked and crusted with parmesan cheese. They were served over ricotta gnocchi in a wonderful pesto sauce. That gnocchi melted in my mouth, so good!!! My husband said the chicken rollatini was the best Italian meal he has ever had (he was wise to add "best restaurant.." lol ) I was stuffed but wanted to try dessert so I left the last chop (did I mention they were doubles?) and a few large gnocchi on my plate. Aldo asked if I wanted to take them home but agreed with me when I said lamb does not reheat well! We told Aldo that we wanted dessert and I asked him if the Riccota Cheesecake is house made. He said it is, and then......"but it's just ok". He said he wanted to be honest with us because he wanted us to leave on an upnote! So we said how about the tiramisu? He said it is the best he has ever had! We each got one - wow! He was right. We rounded out with 2 double espressos. The meal was fantastic, the service was impeccable. If I had any complaints - maybe that it was very loud. And, it seemed to me the building could not decide between AC and heat. One moment I was quite comfortable, then next chilled. Our gift certificate was for $100. Our entire bill was only $130! With tip the night cost us $60. But more importantly, we would have expected to pay much for the quality of both the food and the service. We will absolutely be going back to this gem of a restaurant! read more

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Girasolle has been a favorite of ours for years ! The food, service, ambiance and consistency are outstanding ! Last night we hosted a special birthday dinner for our son , 17 guests . It was as wonderful as we knew it would be . Everything was PRIMO ! The food could not have been more delicious and more beautifully presented ! Thank you Robert, Jessica and staff for making our very important evening as special as we knew you would ! 5 + Stars Mary and Greg Natic read more