John L.
Yelp
We were looking for a good Italian meal on very short notice on a Friday night. Found their last seating I think at 9:30p and booked.
Online they indicate a parking lot across the street. It's actually diagonally across the intersection of Montpelier and Pacific. The waitress said to park closest to the restaurant, as the lot is pretty large and is otherwise a public parking lot for $10. Not knowing any of this, I was lucky to find street parking near the boardwalk and paid the meter 2 bucks.
We were seated in the front patio section, which looks like a covid addition into the sidewalk. It was a bit warm.
Free bread and olive oil was delicious. I even got a refill on bread as I ate it with each dish.
Appetizer - Gamberi e Fagioli -- this dish was very flavorful, with noticeable garlic and lemon flavors throughout. Very happy with this light dish to start
Carpacccio Classico -- they have a carpaccio section on their menu, with raw Tuna, salmon, and sea bass being options. They had a cooked octopus option as well. I haven't had carpaccio in a long time, and maybe once or twice. I figure this is the type of place you get authentic and good carpaccio -- from a place you trust. The thin slices of beef was fresh, with a bright beefy taste. The peppery arugula, salty Parmigiano and the slight acid from the lemon all complimented each other in one of our favorite dishes od the night.
We opted to split the trio of pasta. We like variety, and were happy to see this on the menu.
- Tagliatelle Bolognese - the sauce is rich from the mix of meats involved. Deep complex and meaty
- Chitarra - with the mix of seafood, we were surprised we didn't like this one more. It was a little bland, surprisingly.
- Rigatoni Amatriciana - this was our favorite. A little spicy from the red chili, the onion and grape tomatoes held up to the pancetta, creating an overall splendid sauce.
We were a little worried this wasn't enough food when we ordered, but we were happily satisfied (but not uncomfortable). We could have ended it there.
Croccantino - anytime I see zabaione (or sabayon as I've seen it before), I will always get it. It's a whipped egg custard infused with some liquor like cognac or sweet wine. This is the first time I've seen it served on a plate instead of a glass, but the flavors were sooooo good. The candied almonds were a great addition! Would get every time.
Torta Di Formaggio - ok so we really want to try this as well. A light version of a traditional cheesecake, we ate every last bite of our meal and dessert.
Everyone knows Cafe 2825, Chef Vola, and many other options for Italian in AC. Add Girasole to the list -- you won't be disappointed. Looking forward to coming back.
Final tab: I think about $115, plus tax and tip. All told a great meal for $150. Do keep in mind, we didn't order any alcohol. We did that at the casinos.