BALTIMORE, MD (April 10, 2025) – Il Girasole, a Northern Italian-inspired restaurant owned by Antonio Bevacqua, and which opened within South Coast Collection (SoCo) earlier this year, has revealed new menu changes that includes a four-course dining experience, three-course lunch special and “La Merenda” Happy Hour program. The restaurant is located at 3321 Hyland Avenue and is the creation of Bevacqua, who studied his craft at culinary schools in Italy and later managed restaurants throughout California. It operates in a 3,000 square foot space in the 292,000 square foot luxury home furnishing and design lifestyle center in Orange County.
Il Girasole’s new dinner tasting menu experience features an appetizer, pasta, fish, meat, and dessert with specialties including Agnolotti, Orecchiette, Black bucatini, Spigola (striped bass), Halibut, Anatra (duck breast) and Costata (eye of the rib). The three-course lunch specials features the choice of Mezzi Paccheri Genovese (braised beef) or Spigola (striped bass). The daily Happy Hour is available 2 – 6 pm from Wednesday through Sunday, and 4 – 6 pm on Monday and Tuesday. It includes menu items such as lamb meatballs, Arancine, prosciutto, and artisanal cheese, and caviar, as well as premium wines in the $12 to $25 range.
Bevacqua, who relocated to the United States from Italy in 2003, has deep experience in the restaurant industry, with a special emphasis on upscale establishments, including Michelin-rated concepts in Europe. His goal is to create “a true restaurant destination in Costa Mesa” using locally-sourced and imported ingredients to provide residents of Southern California with “a different and highly-unique Italian restaurant experience.”
“A large segment of the population believes that Italian food consists of lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, pizza and some pasta dishes,” Bevacqua said. “Il Girasole was designed to be the exact opposite of this thinking by offering highly-creative and chef-driven cuisine that customers will not find at other restaurants. A memorable meal is a multi-sensory experience which combines presentation, high quality, and taste along with great service in an aesthetically-pleasing environment. Every element needs to be perfect, and that is what we intend Il Girasole to consistently provide.”
The restaurant, whose name translates to “sunflower,” opened in February.
Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland and founded in 1960, Continental Realty Corporation is a full-service commercial real estate and investment company focused on acquiring and operating retail and multifamily properties. The privately held firm owns and manages a diversified portfolio of retail centers consisting of nearly eight million square feet of commercial space and more than 10,000 apartment homes across 13 states, with a portfolio value exceeding $4 billion. For additional information, visit www.crcrealty.com.
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