Girasole
1410 Pine St.
(in Symphony House)
Philadelphia , PA 19102
215-732-2728
Neighborhood: Center City
Parking: On street and Garage parking
Handicap access: Wheelchair accessible.
Handicap access: Wheelchair accessible.
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Cuisine type: Italian
Meals Served:
Dinner - Mon. thru Sun.
Style:
This onetime orchestra-crowd Italian favorite has resurfaced after a five-year hiatus in a glitzy boutique of a space in the Symphony House – and it's worth a new look. The decor may be overdone in a showy prerecession gold shimmer, but there's still a genuine down-to-earth warmth to the kitchen, where generations of Iovino women turn out authentic carpaccios, fresh pastas, homemade sausage, and sweets with a Neapolitan touch.
Specialties:
Carpaccio (Girasole warm filet; cold filet with Parmesan; octopus); il crudo; soup of the day (pea; celery); burrata; melanzane e zucchini; pappardelle with speck and artichokes; passatelli with sausage and porcini; gnocchi; bucatini Girasole; seafood risotto; braciola with meatballs and polenta (special); cervellata with broccoli rabe and white beans; langostini; branzino in salt crust; semifreddo croccante; panna cotta; biscotti jar.
Alcohol:
A medium-size cellar focused on Italian bottles. Much of the list is weighted toward high-end Italian stars (Gaja, Giacosa, Tignanello, Jermann), but there are still a few good choices around $50 or less, including a rustic, food-friendly cannonau from Sardegna ($45), a satisfying Antinori Pèppoli chianti ($48), and a fruit-forward syrah from La Braccesca ($52). A rich and raisiny valpolicella ripasso from Ca de Rocchi ($62) was worth the upgrade.
Weekend noise:
The hard surfaces can stoke a boisterous 88-decibel din, but the room is rarely full. (Ideal is 75 decibels or less.)
Hours: Lunch noon-2 p.m. Monday-Friday; Dinner 5-11 p.m. Monday-Friday; until midnight Saturday; 4:30-10 p.m. Sunday.
Prices:
$$$
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