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Girasole Italian Cuisine - The Plains, VA

Girasole

Authentic Regional Italian Cusine

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Shake up your dinner routine with a (short) road trip

The original article can be read here»

Alfresco dining on the patio at Girasole

Tired of looking at the same four walls of your kitchen or dining room in what’s become a great age of takeout and delivery? You have plenty of company. Which is why, now and then, you owe it to yourself to plot a getaway for dinner.

A lot of us didn’t go on vacation this year, not in the usual sense. Driving an hour or so for a meal by a good chef in an attractive setting is one way to feel normal again. Trust these two dining destinations to make that happen.

I rediscovered a chill pill this summer that doesn’t involve a prescription. It’s dinner alfresco at Girasole in The Plains. The first few moments alone compensate you for having made the trek to Virginia hunt country and the patio of the family-run restaurant, where the background music is spun by a fountain, a handsome stone chimney rises nearby, and the surrounding trees and bushes hint at the possibility of lemon, figs, kumquats and more on the Italian menu.

Let’s meet the couple responsible for the fun. Lydia Patierno is the welcoming mistress of ceremonies outside and in. Her husband and co-owner, Louis, is responsible for the brio on the plate. Scarlet folds of house-cured bresaola ring a fluff of ricotta striped with local honey, and agnolotti stuffed with spinach and ricotta are positioned just so on their pool of cream sauce. Calamari fritti capture the ideal: greaseless, crisp, garnished with fried parsley and sunny with lemon.

One reason to order chicken here is to taste how good the products are from nearby Upperville and Warrenton. Another is their preparation. Generous grinds of cracked pepper and a brick to press the chicken super-close to the heat reward the recipient with a blast of spice and an entree that crackles when you bite down.

Given the pandemic, Girasole’s long list of specials is a curiosity. “If I were to open another restaurant,” says the chef, “this would be my menu.” While Patierno feels obliged to retain crowd-pleasers, specials are a way to keep his cooks interested. Their engagement is likely to grab your attention, too. Consider veal Milanese, which the chef cuts thicker than usual so customers can taste the meat. And so we do, along with the sharp arugula and bright lemon that dress the entree. Risotto, another special, benefits from nearly 30 minutes of stirring, aged Parmesan and a flourish of sweet-smoky balsamic vinegar from Modena, which requires that the grapes be from Trebbiano and the vinegar be aged in wooden casks for no fewer than a dozen years.

The big dessert tray that used to force tough decisions when it was presented tableside is, like three-deep crowds at a bar, a thing of the past. For now, diners will have to settle for verbal descriptions. I miss the display, but the quality lives on. Olive oil cake with basil gelato is among the kitchen’s sweet send-offs. Anything with fruit — peach Melba, cherry cobbler, passion fruit anything — should be your focus.

Now and then, the outdoor fountain gets some competition. Meals are inevitably punctuated by a whistle from the trains that run less than a block from where you’re seated.

In Italian, Girasole translates to both “sunflower” and “surrounded by the sun.” Anyone who has been to the Patiernos’ restaurant might also know it as tranquil and tempting.

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Sep 23

Open
Rain or shine, we are open! And our generator is ready to go if needed, but so far it has only been a steady rainfall here in The Plains. Drive safe out there! Give us a call if you would like to reserve for this evening, 540-253-5501.
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Sep 14

Open
House made fettuccine with Chesapeake bay jumbo lump crab, Virginia sweet corn, and tomatoes from our garden
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#chiaroscuro #crab #pasta #summer #sweetcorn #virginia #tomato
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Sep 6

Open
Join us for a spectacular evening with @flavalentina! Celebrating the traditional varietals and rustic dishes of the region of Abruzzo! Happening this Sunday. Have you made your reservation yet?!

Sunday, September 10 at 6:30pm
4 courses of rustic Abruzzese dishes to accompany the wines of the revolutionary La Valentina winery, hosted by Andrea di Properzio, owner of La Valentina
Call to reserve, 540.253.5501

See our story for more, or click the link in our bio
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#abruzzo #fattorialavalentina #montepulcianodabruzzo #abruzzese #italianfood #rustic #regionsunknown #fromthemountianstothesea #pecorino #cerasuolodabruzzo #riserva #loveloudoun #visitfauquier #fauquierevents #theplainsva #timballoteramano #scapeceallavastese #authentic #organic #native #awardwinning #wine
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Sep 3

Open
Customers have said our tomatoes are the best they have ever tasted. Maybe it's the heirloom varietals we use, maybe it's nearly 20 years of tilling and composting the soil with all the food scraps from our kitchen, or maybe it's the lifetime of knowledge Chef Lou carries since gardening with his father from when he was a boy........whatever it is, we can't get enough and the tomatoes just keep coming and coming!

Find our garden tomatoes in many forms on our specials this week, and until the end of the summer when Chef Lou’s garden is ready for fall crops!
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📸 Tomato sformato with 24 month aged parmigiano reggiano

- Sushi grade tuna crudo tossed with confit tomatoes

- Heirloom tomatoes topped with an olive caponata
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Aug 24

Open
Not just wine! We have a beautiful selection of Italian and Belgian craft beers right now. They’re delicate and complex, and wonderfully food friendly. But most importantly, they’re cool and refreshing as summer fades into fall.
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📸 @birraalmond22 ‘Awà’ Pale Ale
Awà was inspired by the hearty peasant cuisine of the Abruzzo mountain region. It is brewed with indigenous heirloom grains and orange peel from neighboring Calabria. Awà is an elegant ale that perfectly reflects the beauty of the Abruzzo region!

📸 @dedollebrouwers ‘Arabier’ Pale Ale
Bitter, aromatic beer with a balanced and smooth overall taste. Aromas and flavors of candied citrus peel, apricot, and banana. The taste is strongly dominated by the hops. 

📸 @dedollebrouwers ‘Boskeun’ Belgian Strong Ale 
Brewed with pale malt, Golding hops, cane sugar, and refermented with native honey. Aromas of yeast, grass, and honey. Spice and tart fruits herald the flavor, which features fruit and malt with a balancing tartness and the grassy, herbal notes of hops. Smooth, rich ,and powerful beer that packs a punch.
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Aug 19

Open
Life changing mussels steamed with shallots and white wine 💫 On our featured specials tonight, we’ll see you soon!
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Aug 13

Open
Roasted local beets with wild purslane, orange zest, and hazelnuts, tossed with quince vinegar and extra virgin olive oil

We open at 4:30. Enjoy this and everything else our garden and local farmers are providing us with today on our patio oasis.
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#beets #citrus #quince #vinegar #purslane #forage #summer #patio #theplainsva #sunday #food #yum #parkinglotgarden #0km
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Aug 10

Open
Calamari ripieni, a dish that can be found along much of Italy’s coast and island regions, with slight variations on the filling and sauces. 

The tentacles are sautéed and mixed with capers, herbs, and breadcrumbs, then stuffed into the body of the calamari and cooked until beautifully tender. The savory filling is lightened with plenty of lemon zest and young pecorino. You can find this delightful appetizer on our featured specials tonight!
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#amodomio #cheflou #girasoleva #calamariripieni #familybusiness #capers #tentacles #breadcrumbs #pecorino #theplainsva #finedining #napoli #baiadinapoli #calamari #huntcountry #loveloudoun #visitfauquier summer #yum #italianfood #eaterdc #foodblog
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Jul 20

Open
Zucchini alla scapece comes from the Spanish escabeche, referring to fish, meat, or vegetables marinated in vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and herbs. Associated with southern Italy, Chef Lou’s recipe comes from Lydia’s relatives in Le Marche. There are some minor differences between the scapece of Campania and the one prepared by Lydia’s family, the biggest being the zucchini are grilled and not fried. Nonetheless, when the garden has an abundance of zucchini this is one of our favorite dishes, served with a piece of our house made bread to soak up all the juices from the spicy, garlicky marinade. 

📸 Bruschetta with zucchini alla scapece, zucchini from our garden sliced thinly, grilled, and marinated with herbs and vinegar, drizzled with Saba 

📸 Pink Gulf shrimp crudo with burrata and wild fennel pollen, pea and mint purée
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#foodhistory #allascapece #escabeche #zucchini #crudo #gulfshrimp #burrata #fennelpollen #saba #summer #garden #parkinglotgarden #theplainsva #loveloudoun #visitfauquier #vafoodie #eater #marinate #vafoodie #foodgram #italianfood #comfortfood #lovelemarche #italiansinamerica
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Jul 6

Open
Squash blossoms tempura, stuffed with ricotta and sun dried tomato. From our garden and in very limited quantities.

We are back from our brief Independence Day break and look forward to seeing you this evening.
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Jun 28

Open
Cool, bitter, and the perfect summer aperitif! But be careful, one too many and you’ll be experiencing a whole different kind of haze. 

📸 Negroni bianco, made with @beefeatergin, @cocchi1891 americano, & @macchiaspiritomediterraneo
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Jun 22

Open
Chef Lou’s penne all’amatriciana is a 10! He was more than enthusiastic to deliver his penne all’amatriciana, desserts, and a loaf of bread to a customer who is hosting the one and only @reallyboderek today. 
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#almostfamous #boderek #amatriciana #cheflou #stillswooning #theplainsva #girasoleva #tommyboy
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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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