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Girasole Italian Cuisine - The Plains, VA

Girasole

Authentic Regional Italian Cusine

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New Year’s Eve Dinner

Tuesday, December 31st, Reservations available from 4:30pm – 9:00pm.
4 course menu with options in each course, $150 per person, excluding tax, gratuity, and beverages.

We invite you to ring in the New Year and join Chef Lou and Lydia as they close out their 20 year anniversary of being at Girasole! Please call to join in the celebration and to reserve your table, 540-253-5501. Optional wine pairings will be available. A credit card is required with your reservation.


MENU

Antipasti
– Buffalo mozzarella with roasted red pepper, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt
– Roasted carrots in agrodolce, marinated in a sweet and sour sauce
– Romanesco cauliflower sformato, a cross between a flan and a soufflé, with a fontina fonduta and crispy prosciutto
– Arancini: Chestnut risotto with Taleggio, lightly fried
– Venison Cannelloni: House made tubular pasta filled with seasoned venison

Insalate
– Local arugula with sliced pear, gorgonzola, and walnuts, house dressing
– Shaved Brussel sprouts with roasted almonds and Pecorino Sardo, tossed with mint, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon
– Baby Romaine tossed with a zesty house vinaigrette, black pepper, and shaved pecorino Toscano

Entrée
– Lorighittas, a braided pasta traditional to Sardinia and made by hand, with octopus simmered with tomatoes and red wine, bone marrow
– Braised beef short rib ravioli, served in its braising reduction
– Squash gnocchi served in a sage butter with roasted hazelnuts, shaved 24-month aged parmigiano-Reggiano
– Local veal tenderloin pan sautéed with shallots, capers, and white wine
– Cotechino, a pork sausage typical to Modena and eaten on New Year’s Eve for good fortune and wealth, over lentils
– Flounder breaded and pan sautéed, served with soffritto

Dolce
– Selection of house made desserts

*Menu subject to change based on availability

View of main dining room decorated for the holidays

girasoleva

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Apr 22

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Basking in the warm rays of today's sun, two dishes currently on our featured specials!

📸 Halibut Ligurian style, Halibut poached with white wine and an almost unreasonable amount of golden Ligurian extra virgin olive oil with herbs, olives, and pine nuts

📸 Stinging nettle risotto with Chesapeake Bay jumbo lump crab, a dish we look forward to featuring each Spring as nettles come into season
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Apr 1

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A taste of what’s to come this Easter Sunday! Roasted heritage breed rabbit loin stuffed with a mushroom duxel served with rabbit ravioli, and braised lamb shank over spaetzle. Just two of many seasonal dishes offered on this Sunday's featured specials. Have you made your Easter reservation yet?! As always, call to reserve, 540-253-5501. 

Sunday, April 5 with reservations available from 12:00-4:30, with our regular dinner menu and seasonal chef's specials available.
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Mar 26

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Soft shells and Shad roe🥰 Spring has officially sprung at Girasole! Available tonight💫
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Mar 18

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Pizza rustica season is upon us! A rustic, savory torte made with egg, fresh and cured cheeses, and mixed cured meats including spicy salami and prosciutto, all wrapped in a flaky, buttery pastry crust and baked. It’s a Girasole tradition that stems from Chef Lou’s own family and is meant to celebrate the end of Lent. Find pizza rustica on our specials, or order your own pie to enjoy over the Easter holiday with friends and family.

Discover more about the origins of pizza rustica, and Chef Lou's slightly modified family recipe at the link in our story.
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Mar 4

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Rich and creamy butterscotch, topped with salted caramel and freshly whipped cream. Our butterscotch budino is officially back on our dessert tray, but may not be around much longer if temperatures heat up!
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Feb 19

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POSTPONED! To next Sunday, March 1. If you had a reservation, we have already contacted you. If you were unable to make it for its original date of tomorrow, we would love to see you next Sunday, March 1! Just give us a call to reserve, 540-253-5501.
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This Sunday's cooking class is a family affair! Hosted by Chef Lou AND Lydia and featuring dishes from their childhoods, and their travels in Italy over the years.

Discover more at the link in our bio, and as always, call to reserve 540-253-5501. Can the kitchen contain them both?! We will find out Sunday😂
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Jan 28

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Soup for you, and you, and you, AND YOU! Soup with lentils, soup with Tuscan beans and pasta, soup with little tiny tortellini, and soup with whisked egg and parmigiano! These are the soups of Girasole, welcoming you back from a frigid and snow-filled week.

We are open for our regular dinner service tonight and throughout the rest of the week. We hope to see you!
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Jan 14

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Our persimmon tiramisu is really something to talk about. 

At first bite a bit odd, like you're not really understanding what your tasting. The texture is smooth with complex flavors of honey and spice, rich but at the same time delicate. By the end of the first bite, you are in love. 

Available on our dessert tray for only a little while longer as the season for persimmons is finally coming to an end.
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Jan 7

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Rolling into 2026 like...

From cooking classes to our monthly wine tastings to weekly featured cocktail and mocktail specials, 2026 has just arrived and we are not slowing down! Find all the details in our monthly newsletter linked in our story.

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#girasoleva #theplainsva #smallbusiness #familyownedandoperated #22yearsandcounting
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Dec 27

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A taste of what's to come this New Year's Eve on our fixed-price, four course menu! Find the full menu at the link in our bio. Call to reserve your table with us to ring in the New Year, 540-253-5501!
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📸: Swordfish with a puttanesca sauce

📸: Local veal tenderloin pan sautéed with shallots, capers, and white wine

📸: Celery root ravioli served in a sage butter drizzled with aged balsamic from Modena, roasted walnuts
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Dec 18

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From the hills of western Pennsylvania to our village of The Plains, VA! Lydia has outdone herself with this year's 18 ft tree glowing bright on our patio. 

Just one of many trees decorated throughout the restaurant, spreading joy and cheer and that warm holiday feeling to accompany Chef Lou's inspired, seasonal dishes!
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Dec 2

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IT'S ALL HAPPENING THIS SUNDAY! 

A Holiday Wine Tasting featuring champagnes & rare & exceptional bottles from France, our Annual Holiday Art, Wine, & Gift Sale featuring works by internationally renowned printmaker, draftsman and painter (and Chef Lou’s brother) @robert_patierno, and the restaurant will be decorated from head to toe with great big bows, twinkling lights, gorgeous garlands, singing cherubs, and a towering tree on our patio!

Discover more at the links in our bio.
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Girasole Italian Cuisine - The Plains, VA

(540) 253-5501
4244 Loudoun Avenue
The Plains, VA 20198
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Hours

Monday & Tuesday: Closed

Wednesday – Sunday: 4:30pm with the last seating at 8:30pm

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