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The price of swank at Stella's
Stella's makes a darn good martini or Manhattan, but if you're planning to eat as well as drink, we're inclined to recommend another destination. The drinks themselves are a touch on the pricey side, but we can't imagine why you'd want to spend $9 on a cheeseburger. Lunch, especially in Collegetown, ought to be an affordable affair. A recent lunch for two at Stella's, though, ran $20, plus tax and tip, without even including any beverages. The food was all tasty and creative, but was passably satisfying rather than plentiful. We started with the fantastic Bloody Mary Chicken Wings, a variant on the Buffalo specialty marinated in vodka and spicy Bloody Mary mix, served with cucumber dressing instead of bleu cheese. The wings were meaty, and while ten for $6 seems a hair overpriced, it's not too far out of a reasonable range. (A dozen for $6 sounds better.) The wings weren't at all gloppy; the sauce was cooked on, just the way I like it, and was spicy without being overpowering. Up next, my luncheon partner had a soup-and-salad special, a cup of tasty vegetable soup and a small portion of the "Stellagarden" salad, while I selected a Plastic Optimist sandwich. The price for each was $7, which would have felt more reasonable if the portions were larger. My sandwich, a combination of smoked turkey, bacon, tomatoes, onions, greens, and garlic mayo on french bread, was understuffed, and the only hint of the promised cheddar was a faint orange tinge on some of the bread. The "starter" Stellagarden salad was colorful and attractive, thanks to large slices of carrot, red cabbage, and the like, and the tamari-citrus dressing was tart and interesting. I'm pleased to say that we got good service on this visit; on past visits we've been less impressed. It may be that there was exactly one waitperson (a friendly and well-informed waitress named Nancy), and exactly one party (the two of us) the entire time we were there. This also meant we got to sit at a table for four, which was big enough for the two of us. The tables for two, closer to the door, boast a trendy non-rectangular design that doesn't actually offer enough space for two people's worth of food and drink. Having felt cramped at these tables in the past, I was glad for the extra elbow room. A followup visit at dinnertime offered another opportunity to enjoy the Bloody Mary Chicken Wings, which were every bit as good as we remembered. I selected the Parisian Chicken from the "Swanks" page of the menu, thinking I should try some of Stella's full entrees. This dish was tasty, a fairly straightforward combination of grilled chicken, cheese, and ham that reminded me of happy chicken cordon bleu experiences of the past. It would have been much more satisfying with two pieces of chicken breast instead of one, and much more appetizing without the chunk of bone in the otherwise boneless meal. My entree came resting on a small bed of mashed potatoes that were delicious, and was accompanied by crisp, sauteed fresh vegetables. Our dinnertime visit came during Stella's Monday night whisky special; buy one bourbon or scotch and get the second (lower or equal value) at half price. Their nightly specials offer a great opportunity to sample a fine bar selection. On this visit, the shots were markedly less generous than on a previous visit. Stella's tasty food is still, for me at least, outweighed by the relatively small portions and relatively high prices compared to what I'd expect. Have your martini or scotch, then go next door for a slice of pizza. |
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