Girasole Restaurant

How do you describe the feeling of knowing you're home when you've just walked into a place you've never stepped foot in?But that's how i felt.i was greeted by a distinguished older gentleman sitting in a chair.He was as Italian as they come."How many?", he asked politely."You're looking at it", i responded.He would jokingly look behind me, as if to make sure i was in fact alone.i would assure him, jokingly, that it really was just me.He would get up and walk me to my table.And in that briefest of moments, i knew i had come to the right place.i was home.i would sit down and he would walk over and introduce himself.This man was none other than Mr. Gerasole, and this was his restaurant.He would tell me he's had the restaurant for 24 years.i stood there, speechless, thinking what an honor it was just to meet the man who owned this restaurant.He asked my name.And i responded with: "shoaib" but it's pronounced "show-abe".He would repeat it back as if he'd known me for years.Remembering - and pronouncing - someone's name is a lost art.i try and remember everyone's name, in hopes they will remember mine.But Mr. Gerasole got it right, and got it right the first time.He would proceed to ask me if i was of Mediterranean descent. Syrian? Turkish? Spanish?i answered "Yes" to all of those.Having a tannish complexion, and two white grandmothers raises a lot of interesting questions about your true origin.A topic i enjoy when introducing myself.After hearing this, he would say:"You're like the League of Nations".My experience at this quaint, family-run, italian restaurant would only get better.i ordered a Salad and my main course.i was served the most delicious bread, one best enjoyed with olive oil and pepper (and a dash of salt).There was a tiny "old style" bottle of olive oil on every table, one with two spouts.i don't recall ever seeing that but it made the most sense.Why have one spout on the top, and another on the side?Well... why not? it was functional and for the first time i felt like i had a choice as to which spout i'd use when pouring out the olive oil in a small round plate.My recommendation - on this most insignificant of details - is to use the side spout.The caesar salad was delicious, a word i never thought i'd use to describe salad.The caesar dressing was rich, creamy, and each helping left you wanting more.Out of fear that i'd run out of room soon if i didn't stop, i set the caesar goodness aside.i wasn't done. i didn't want to be done.i was just "pausing".The main course was served with lobster sauce, cheese, and a pasta i don't recall ever having before.it was The Best.here i was, having met the man who started it all, almost a quarter century ago...enjoying The Best italian meal i have ever had.it was my good fortune to have stepped into this fine establishment.My server, Anthony, was so courteous and explained all the available options and never once did i feel rushed.As luck would have it, i failed to save room for Dessert.But that's what "to go" boxes are for.i had the pasta packed up and requested the only logical choice when it comes to an Italian dessert...Tiramisu.Later that evening, i would heat up the pasta and enjoy the Tiramisu.Truth be told, i would probably go back for the Tiramisu alone.i hope this review finds its way to people that enjoy great food, a great story, and great individuals like Mr. Gerasole.Thank You Mr. Gerasole, and Thank You Anthony, for making my visit an unforgettable one.

Girasole is a really fun experience -- if you can get a table. I've gone 3 times (only 2 successfully).The first was in the summer and we sat outside on their patio area. We waited about 20 minutes before getting seated. It was lovely and service was really great. I enjoyed the squid ink pasta (4/5)!The second time I went on a Thursday and sat inside. My friends and I got lucky - we were able to walk right in, no wait!! I didn't know they had live music but it was amazing and I really enjoyed it! People were singing and dancing, the vibes were incredible. I had the ravioli (3.5/5). I will say, I found the tables to be a bit cramped inside so I would have preferred to sit outside like I did the first time. The third time I went, I brought my family for my mom's birthday. After my last visit there, I really wanted her to experience the awesome ambiance to celebrate her birthday. It was a Wednesday night and they don't take reservations. I wasn't overly worried given it was a weekday and assumed maybe there would be a short wait. We were told 20 mins however over an hour later it didn't seem like there would be a table coming up anytime soon. Another group of 4 was waiting for over an hour like us, and they were told a 15 min wait. The restaurant didn't have much of a system for how they took names. It was very haphazard. There was a group that came 30 mins after we did, seemed to know the owner and got seated before the long line of people waiting outside. With a line as long as there was, I understand using connections to get in but it felt pretty unfair to the crowd of us who had been waiting.I noticed that multiple tables would pay their bill and then just sit around at their table for a long time afterwards. I can see how this can be tricky for the restaurant to anticipate how long it would take for a table to get free. After about 80 mins of waiting we decided to go and drive to a different restaurant so that at least we could get my mom's birthday dinner somewhere by the end of the night (it was nearing 8:30pm and Girasole closes at 9pm - it was a long shot to get seated and actually have enough time to eat at that point).

Still love this place but please please tell the kitchen staff to turn their music down. I love a good rap or hip hop song but doesn't go with the Italian music they are playing in the restaurant. We were hearing two vibes at once. Especially when you're seated close to the kitchen. The waitress asked them to turn it down and they did, but then they turned it right back up.

I went to Girasole on a Wednesday night and they were very busy! The do not take reservations, but luckily they had a table for us in the very back right by the kitchen. We were greeted by the famous Jimmy Pi who had his iconic glass of wine in his hand. IYKYK.We ordered the burrata, potato gnocchi, and penne marinara. The burrata was extremely delicious. Some of the best burrata I have ever had! The charred corn & heirloom tomato salad that accompanied it was amazing; I couldn't get enough. My gnocchi was pretty good. My boyfriend got the penne and there was not a bite left. The vibe is definitely old school, casual Italian restaurant, which was cool to see because we really don't go to places like this that often. There was live music, people were dancing, it was just a fun vibe.

Girasole takes Italian hospitality to the nth degree. The staff, the ambiance, the food just feels and tastes like home. We started with the Brachetto wine and it was sooo delish. Sweet, bubbly, fun. Next up was the wedding soup. Oooof I slurped up that soup so fast. It was so yummy. Great for dipping their yummy bread into too. My main was the tortelloni. The cream sauce was soo good. Really creamy and sweet. The prosciutto added the perfect savory touch to the buttery soft noodles. While peas aren't my favorite, I'd eat just about anything in that sauce. Everything was lovely and #GOUDapproved TORTELLONI Light cream, peas. prosciutto$25 (comes with soup or salad) Brachetto Glass$15

Met some friends at Girasole on a Saturday evening. You cannot make reservations, so we just had to chance it. We had to wait about 45 minutes (we got there around 6), so the wait wasn't terrible. The place itself is very small and very warm inside (in the summer). We were able to sit right outside the restaurant under a covered porch. We started with the greens and beans, which were delicious. I ordered the spinach spaghetti (which is served at room temp), and my friends each ordered the penne marinara with meatballs and the linguine rustic. All of our food was delicious and you can tell it's made from the heart. I'm glad I had to chance to try this out place!

This was such a lovely experience, I try to be a bit discerning with what I give a 5 star rating and Girasole absolutely earned it. This is a cute restaurant in a walkable, fun neighborhood. It's tucked in a lower level and I almost missed it from the street, and parking can be challenging. When we arrived we were warmly greeted and ushered into our seats. This is a small space, it does add to the cozy vibe but the only downside to my dining experience was it was bit overwhelming being seated at a table that was pulled out partially into the walk way to make a 4 top into 2 2 tops. But literally everything else was perfect. The menu is short and sweet, nothing over the top with a long list of ingredients. Basic dishes with simple, high-quality ingredients. You wouldn't expect spinach and ricotta ravioli in a simple cream red sauce to be earth-shattering but it really was. Every flavor was so well-balanced, the texture was perfect. I generally don't care for red sauce but this sauce was so good I ate the leftovers with bread. The bread? Also delicious. They even gave us extra when my kid asked (more like demanded, we're working on it) for more. The soup was delicious, I made sure to finish every drop. My kid got penne marinara, I did note that there wasn't a kids menu listed and just figured I'd eat his leftovers for lunch but I was asked if I wanted a kids portion. So that's good to know for any parents who might be looking to come here with the whole family. The staff was very nice. They were very busy but my iced tea stayed full and service was prompt. I'm not local to Pittsburgh but I will most definitely be back and will recommend Girasole to anyone I know who will be in the area.

Love this place. Feels like a place where "everybody knows your name". Found it by mistake because place we originally went to stopped serving at 7 pm. Very homey feel. Super sweet staff. Loved the house salad dressing. Big portions. They had live music. This old guy sang 70's songs and he was so good!! Great guitarist too.

Service was very friendly, our waitress recommended the burrata appetizer to start which was very light and tasty. I also had the potato gnocchi which was extremely salty. The restaurant is in the basement of a building so it is very dark and has limited seating indoors. The outdoors seating is nice if the weather is good. The live music is interesting and quite loud,

Great service! Food was spectacular!It's a small quaint restaurant reminiscent of our time in Italy. It was packed and rightfully so as it really was a special experience. You feel like you're tucked away in a corner of Italy enjoying delicious food that really will blow your mind. I can't say enough about the experience but don't leave without the escarole and beans with sausage. Just perfect! Don't skip this gem or you'll really be sorry.