Girasole Cucina Italiana
CUISINE - TRADITIONAL ITALIAN FARE
502 W Union Ave, Bound Brook, NJ 08805 | WEBSITE | (732) 469-1080 | Reservations
Went to Girasole for the first time tonight…
I began by apologizing to Aldo, our waiter (and an excellent one at that) for never having been there before. I mean for God’s sake, you can see my old Hot Dog restaurant (Amazing Hot Dog) from their parking lot! All those wasted years that I drove by Girasole twice every day!
The vibe is great, the service structure is the best I’ve seen in a very long time, the food was perfect and the prices were appropriate.
We started with two appetizers from the evening specials: Mussels FraDiavolo- fresh, plump black mussels in a beautiful Garlic tomato broth. Mozzarella Rolatini- my Chefly guess is they lay down a layer of fresh Mozzarella slices, Zucchini slices, Roasted Red Peppers, and eggplant. Roll it all into a log and then cut slices. Then flour, egg and breadcrumb each slice before frying them. They are served in a delightful sauce. The included House Salad was tender Red Leaf Lettuce, sliced Tomatoes and Red onion in a light Oil and vinegar dressing. Make sure you say YES when they ask if you want fresh ground Pepper and grated cheese!
Our entrees were: Linguine con Vongole- small and tender littleneck clams and Linguine cooked to the perfect al dente in a brothy white wine and garlic sauce. They’re smart to pull back on the addition of salt and to allow the clams natural brinyness to season the dish. Parmesan Encrusted Salmon with Tomatoes, Spinach and chunky Mashed Potatoes- perfectly cooked Salmon filet with a wonderfully crisp Parmesan crust that didn’t overpower. The lemony sauce was emulsified well with wine and Olive Oil.
We rounded out the meal with Warm Bread Pudding with Raisins and Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream.
This meal demanded an Espresso for me and a Chamomile Tea for Lynn
We will return soon and often!
Post Update: We’ve returned often and taken many friends… more pictures added, even more delicious adventures to come
