Last September when a favorite coffee shop closed and a couple of months later a new restaurant called Stella's Italian Pizzeria went into the space, I was most disdainful and resistant. "Just another mediocre place," I said. "Don't even bother". Once more (it happens often lately), I was wrong! On a friend's recommendation we went to Stella's (twice) and it was a wonderful surprise! Owned and operated by chef Marco Barbitta of the well-established fine dining Downtown Bistro (a restaurant that can challenge any in a big sophisticated city). Marco is Swiss-Italian and knows his way around a kitchen. In this checked-tablecloth place, the atmosphere is casual pizzeria style and reminds me of places I frequented in New York a long time ago. The walls are decorated with film noir photographs and multi-colored candle drippings in Chianti basket bottles. All very retro and fun. The music is Dean Martin, Vic Damone, Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Pavarotti. Like that. The food is several notches higher than most places in or out of Taos.
We ordered Ceasar salad with grilled chicken...
grilled salmon with gluten-free angel hair pasta and veggies sauteed in pesto sauce...
eggplant parmesan (sans tomato sauce, specially prepared, because someone in our party has recently developed a sensitivity to it)...
There was also an order of chicken parmesan with veggies and pasta, but I didn't take a picture because I was already eating. There's a nice selection of wines and big jars of a variety of naturally flavored olive oils for cooking and dipping. Like this huge one with about a million garlic cloves in it.
We never got around to ordering dessert, but plan to on our next visit. We have vowed to go back often, until we've sampled everything on the menu. Oh, did I mention that the prices are quite moderate? and there is an outdoor courtyard (which will be fabulous when the wildfire smoke clears out)? If I were a food critic, I'd give this place five stars.
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