Il Girasole in Costa Mesa is shaped by the culinary point of view of its owner and chef, Antonio Bevacqua. Born in Florence and trained in Italy, with additional experience in Paris, Bevacqua built Il Girasole around the food traditions of Northern Italy, then grounded those traditions in Southern California’s ingredients and dining culture. The restaurant treats Italian cooking as both heritage and craft: familiar in spirit, but expressed through a modern fine-dining lens. In a region full of Italian spots that lean heavily on comfort classics, Il Girasole stands out by focusing on precision, balance, and restraint — hallmarks of Northern Italian technique — delivered in a setting that fits Costa Mesa’s design-forward, food-curious scene.