January 16, 1997|By Laura Rottenberg | Laura Rottenberg,SPECIAL TO THE SUN
A newcomer to Hampden, Stella's is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that would make any area's denizens crow with civic pride. Even after a wait of 15 or so minutes for lunch and up to 25 minutes for dinner, Hampdenites brim with good cheer and anticipation.
Stella's is just across the street from Cafe Hon (in Hon's old space, in fact), and it does for Italian food what Cafe Hon does for traditional American diner fare. Very affordable Italian classics are offered in generous portions and clean presentations by a good-natured staff.
Dinner entrees feature about a half-dozen pastas and an equal number of meat and fish dishes; sandwiches, salads and baked pasta dishes constitute the lunch menu.
The setting for this fine Italian fare is a narrow room with plum-colored walls and antiqued golden wainscoting, long autumnal-colored brocade banquettes and comfortable earth-tone Windsor chairs. Tables are simple Formica-topped squares. Chocolate-brown tile floors and pretty brass wall sconces with golden lamp shades give the room a warm, intimate feeling, and a colorful three-panel mural adds whimsy.
The long open kitchen is filled with the buzz of food preparation and the frequent "shooshing" from a shiny cappuccino machine.
Our meal began on a homey note with a complimentary ramekin of garlic potato spread served with a basket of warm baguette slices; the hodgepodge of mismatched silverware and china did nothing to dispel the feeling.
Our first dish was one of the most comforting and homemade-tasting soups I've had in a long time. In a shallow bowl, bollito misto was chockablock with tender cubes of chicken and beef, turnip and carrot disks, celery and onion curls, and little pearly barleycorns. The chicken stock was the kind of life-sustaining broth for which every cold and flu sufferer pines. A traditional Caesar salad was almost as good, with a mix of crispy romaine hearts and floppier outer leaves in a light, balanced dressing with buttery croutons.
A special of lasagna Bolognese was spectacular, with a rich meat sauce that tasted as if it might have been enhanced with a splash of cream and a little liver. The pasta squares were silken, the tomato sauce bright and fresh, and the ricotta filling perfectly plush. Spaghetti and meatballs featured the same lively tomato sauce, and the meatballs were delicious, dotted with fennel seed. If only the pasta had been al dente.
Another lovely entree was the torta rustica, offered at lunch and dinner. A flaky pastry crust enfolds layers of sauteed spinach, roasted red peppers, fontina cheese and a wisp of prosciutto, served with a jumble of roasted vegetables. (Note: Lose the celery; too stringy.)
A "real Italian hero" brought a pleasant, crusty baguette containing Italian cold cuts, romaine and provolone, served with chips and a floppy pickle.
The real reasons folks in Hampden seem so happy lately are in the dessert case at Stella's. Every dessert is more fabulous than the last, with no froufrou presentations or unnecessary garnishes. Chewy amaretti macaroons and crisp biscotti are perfect with a coffee drink, but the cream puffs are the stuff of legend. Airy choux pastry is filled with light custard mixed with whipped cream. And a chocolate swirl cheesecake is perfectly moist and velvety atop its crumb crust.
Stella's has no liquor license, so bring your own or enjoy an iced tea or Italian soda with your meal.
Stella's
1009 W. 36th St.
(410) 243-0051
Hours: Open Tuesdays to Sundays for lunch and dinner
Credit cards: All major cards
Prices: appetizers, $4-$6; entrees, $8-$14
Pub Date: 1/16/97
