Girasole is the friend you haven't seen in forever but know you can count on even after a long absence (six years, in my case). The same things I appreciated about the two-story, family-run hunt country retreat back then are the details I applaud now: pastas made in-house, neighborly service and a main dining room that pulls the outdoors in with the help of streams of light and paintings of rolling hills.

The fritto misto is terrific: sweet scallops, shrimp, parsley and more in the barest of batters. Soups (rustic white bean with shaved Parmesan) have the edge over salads (arugula with sliced pear and gorgonzola is over-dressed).

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Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/