Profile

Quieter than its cousins, Primola and Canaletto, near the Queensboro Bridge, townhouse-size Girasole—sunflower in Italian—is an extremely fine, and overlooked, eatery. Recessed lights in its low ceiling cast a warm glow on cornmeal-hued walls. Colorful Art Nouveau prints and paintings of sunflowers line the room. Meals here consist of dishes from all regions of the Boot, bookended by a complimentary plate of antipasti, a large basket of bread, and an assortment of house-made cookies. The Insalata Girasole is a bright pile of radicchio and greens, asparagus, mushrooms, artichokes, tomatoes, and French beans, and roasted red and yellow peppers. And while sautéed baby artichokes under a blanket of melted fontina are undersalted, that lets the vegetable’s unique flavor come through, so the result is advantageous. Pastas are tender and well-seasoned, and secondi are golden with head-turners like quail risotto and veal kidney with sausage and polenta. Italian bottles dominate the well-chosen if pricey selection of Northern Italian wines, with three reds and three whites from California thrown in for good measure. Wine by the glass is a bargain in comparison. — Colleen McKinney

Tortino di carciofi al formaggio, $14; cavatelli con cozze e fagioli, $18; scaloppine di vitello ulivata, $24