Eatsburgh Episode 1: Girasole

Eatsburgh

Episode 1: Girasole

"Girasole is the word for 'sunflower' in Italian, and is the family surname. Like the sunflower, Girasole traverses time, blending the old with the new." 

In Episode 1, Eatsburgh introduces you to a family-owned Italian restaurant located in Shadyside, Pittsburgh. Walking into the small building almost hidden from the side street, we entered a lively, vibrant and packed space, and there, we met its welcoming owner, Jimmy Girasole. 

The Girasole family opened the restaurant in 2000. Inspired by his beloved daughter, the father bought the building, created the menu and wishing to bring the most authentic Italian food to the Pittsburgh community. 

The food offered were also the family's favorite dishes, not from just one area, but a fusion of Northern and Southern Italian styles. On the menu, there are harvests of the Northern mountains, and also gifts from the Southern sea. 

Girasole Menu

Like many restaurants in Italy, the menu at Girasole follows part of a traditional Italian meal structure since both the lunch and dinner menus are divided into two courses, a Primi and a Secondi course. The menu also has a seasonal version to attract customers. 

Most of the dishes and labels on the menu are written in Italian, while the descriptions underneath are written in English. For instance, fish is written as "pesce", and below the dish name, the dish is described in English as Faroe Island Salmon with mushroom leek risotto and fennel peppadew relish. 

Many of the popular dishes at Girasole's current menu are largely inspired by Jimmy's daughter in law, Jennifer, who developed them from her favorite Italian recipes she collected over the years. When we asked Jimmy which Italian dish was his favorite meal on the menu, he couldn't decide, since he truly likes all of them. Surprisingly, Jimmy also declines to give order recommendations to his customers, and instead encourages his customers to explore the menu and develop opinions on each of the dishes for themselves. 

Jimmy enjoys sharing the things he appreciates with others whether its stories or Italian cuisine, which is what makes him so friendly and easy to talk to. He also enjoys sharing his music with others, and he curates all the playlists for the restaurant. 

Beyond the menu, influences of Italian culture are apparent in the decor hanging on the exposed stone walls of Girasole. The decor includes detailed oil paintings of different cities in Italy. Perhaps one of the most striking paintings is a vibrant oil painting hanging on the back wall of the restaurant of a boat on a Venice canal surrounded by buildings. 

The sunflower on the Girasole logo is tied to the name of the restaurant and Jimmy's last name Girasole, which translates to sunflower. The sunflower also accurately represents the positive and vibrant nature of the restaurant. As a whole, Jimmy embodies this positive attitude associated with the sunflower through his deep appreciation for meeting people and getting to know the patrons who come to his restaurant. 

"Well, I love people. I love people, I've met so many interesting people. If you knew the history of this place, there's no place like it. And there's nobody like me. In my day, there were people like me."

Jimmy also explained to us that starting a restaurant was a risky endeavor, especially at Girasole's current location. Before Girasole moved into their restaurant space, there was another Italian restaurant at the same Shadyside location off of Walnut Street that went out of business. Clearly, it was a risk for Jimmy to start another Italian restaurant at the same spot, but Jimmy's son Gino, who discovered the rental space, convinced his father to take the risk. 

Despite the risks and challenges associated with starting a restaurant, the efforts of Gino, Jimmy, and the Girasole staff have paid off: since its establishment, Girasole has become one of the Top Italian Restaurants in Pittsburgh and was voted the No. 1 (non-chain) Italian Restaurant in 2010.  The restaurant has also become a staple within the Shadyside community, and Jimmy is known personally by a wide variety of community members. 

Running the restaurant can often be challenging and exhausting for Jimmy and the staff. However, the dedication and hard work of the entire team has allowed the restaurant to survive and flourish, even in the midst of a global pandemic. Today, anyone can visit Girasole to try one of the restaurant's many dishes inspired by the cuisines of northern and southern Italy, and experience the lively atmosphere of the space. And, if you visit the restaurant in person, you might even have a chance to have a conversation with Jimmy himself.