This was a pleasant surprise for a nice dinner in the North Lake Tahoe area! The food was well-presented, creative, and tasty. The ambiance and food was upscale but the prices actually weren't too bad (especially compared to the Bay Area). We spent about $65 per person after tax and tip. We ordered two appetizers, two entrees, and shared a glass of wine. The dishes had a lot of creativity in both the flavor combinations and the plating. A couple of highlights were the blended anchovy sauce in the little gem lettuce and the citrusy umami sauce in the hamachi Crudo. The ingredients were high quality as well, the Spanish octopus dish was super tender, just like some of my favorite octopus dishes I had in Portugal and Spain. After a long ski day I'm usually craving a burger or pizza, but I'm glad a restaurant like Stella exists in the area for those nights we're feeling a bit bougier! read more

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Great ambience, architecture and service but food is totally bad. I call this extra disappointing. What a way to spend $140 ---- very mushy, old poke tuna -- what was that? The only thing fresh was the avocado - unfortunately it was buried under a mountain of mush - and the whole thing was drizzled with something like maple syrup -- not a good pairing of flavors. The "sesame ceaser salad" was wilted and the seeds not even toasted -- kind of meh. The shrimp scampi- well we both had a case of mild dysentry -- they were grey -- not sure what cooking method was employed, served atop a glutinous mountain of pasta el dente -- in an unmmelted, glutinous mountain. Server said, "yah, it is a lot of pasta." Dessert -we kept hoping for something good- liquified raspberry spread atop store bought cheese cake--- nothing light about it -- mostly condensed milk -- oh so sad. My god-----how does this place stay open? Must be the flow of tourists. BEWARE ---- the reviews are all false. read more

Incredibly overrated. And disappointing. Menu and food is unique but mediocre. Worst gnocchi I've ever seen or had. Is more of a French stew than a gnocchi. Steak had a terrible odor and after taste. Tables shoved in this little hall way too close together. Massive massive flaw here being that they have this lady spraying cleaner on tables with people and tables in here being shoulder to shoulder. Could almost see the spray from the cleaner going into people's wine glasses at the nearby tables. 0 tact. Steak. F- Scallops. B+ Gnocchi F- Crispy potatoes A- Desserts. A. Lady spraying cleaner on tables 12 inches away from other people's plates. Irredeemable. No clue how this place has 4.5 stars. About as misled by a review as I've ever been read more

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Great service, wonderful food. We had the sea bass and risotto -- both were fantastic. Also tried the eggplant dip appetizer and that too was delightful. Enjoyed the upscale ski lodge vibe and gluten free options, of which there were plenty! Will definitely be back. read more

Stella - Sea bass. The broth was amazing -- had to ask for a spoon to finish it. - Specialty Food Near Me - Truckee, California

We had a wonderful dinner here! Great food, pleasant service, and a lovely outdoor seating area. Our family of 3 (2 adults and 1 child) shared the following: 1) Zalouk (eggplant dip) - very flavorful 2) Ceviche - tasty 3) Chicken tinga tacos - good 4) Branzino - excellent - our favorite dish Our glasses wines were great, too. The food was very good, and the service was friendly, prompt, and attentive. The back patio where we dined was very pleasant, and we appreciated having this Covid-safe option. One feedback point - we had a 5:30pm Saturday reservation here that we made via OpenTable - we found the reservation policy a bit unreasonable (no cancellation with less than 24 hour notice without penalty), but fortunately were able to keep our reservation. Overall, we had a great experience here and would recommend this restaurant! read more

It was obviously a holiday rush day but they were not even sorry to forget our order of appetizers. We had to flag down the servers on numerous occasions. The server was also pretty curt when we asked for a recommendation- sad, as this place was highly recommended to us. It was a very painful experience of a lot of waiting and then wolfing down our food. They checked on us regularly to see if all was excellent though, which was just ironic because we would say, "we need our food." Maybe an off day for the restaurant, but we were visiting and thought it could have been handled much better given the circumstances. Ie- apologize and explain the situation. Nothing was even adjusted in the bill for the poor service and painful experience. read more

Warm, welcoming, cozy, yet modern and elegant restaurant in Truckee/Ski land. We were completely delighted with the offerings and with teen/tween eating companions nonetheless. We had the for the table trio of 3 separate dishes w/ warm olives, burrata, and eggplant dip - served with warm focaccia. The starters of hamachi was inventive in bright flavors yuzu and shizo oil with bits of avocado. Little gems salad w/sun dried tomatoes was crisp and well dressed. All plates were cleared! For entrees - the special was winter squash risotto - w/ pomegranate burrata and greens. Great vegetarian dish. Short Rib w/ Grits, Grilled Sea Bass, and a Roasted 1/2 chicken that was cooked to perfection (think super juicy tender breast meat that was very tender) We were so stuffed that we didn't get dessert. But very affordable for the quality and complexity of flavors. read more

Fantastic experience from the moment we walked through the door. Very warm and pleasant atmosphere with an open kitchen and wood fired oven. My short rib was excellent. The fish was prepared with finesse, seasoned superbly and executed in a French style. read more

Stella - Pan Seared Coravina - Specialty Food Near Me - Truckee, California

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So pleasantly surprised and happy I finally made it here! The service is excellent, food was so well presented, ambiance was excellent. We sat inside and will def ask for seating outside in their back patio if weather is nice. Eggplant app was superb, fresh homemade pita bread (option of pita chips or tortilla chips). Branzino is excellent with its garlic and spicy sauce. Served with polenta and veggies. Asparagus with garlic sauce was perfectly cooked. Cauliflower was well cooked, not over cooked, not undercooked. Served with rice and shishito peppers. Open kitchen setting with art decor around. Allows corkage. The outdoor waiting area had 8 chairs around a fire pit. Bathroom was easy to access with the European style toilet seats (the squared kind where you can't lay toilet paper to cover easily lol). Can't wait to go back. Our server was young and came to check back at the perfect time and amount of times (you know- not asking how the food was before we took a bite). Thank you Stella. read more

Another update with a new chef and cuisine and I am so happy to say it's just lovely! I'm always skeptical of fusion cuisines which can easily be confusion but this was delicious. First ---the service was perfect and meal pacing as well. There were two people working the full room and maybe 3 chefs in the open kitchen and they were stellar and never did you see them act anxious. Very warm and welcoming and a lovely setting Wine by the glass list was very decent. We shared a bunch of small plates. The zaalouk Moroccan eggplant with pita was my favorite. Way, way better than baba ghanoush and served with fresh hot soft pita. Shrimp chilaquiles was piquant and very tasty with the crispiest little tostadas to dip in and our server brought us a couple more to finish it. Great! I had reservations about a tomato dish in October but these heirloom tomatoes were so tasty served with masa crisps (!) and a lime Greek yogurt. I thought it sounded meh from the menu but it was unctuous to eat and I noticed the kitchen was always making more of them to serve. ( so cool to have an open kitchen!). We finished up small plates with the equally yum pork tacos-- extremely flavorful with a dark mole/salsa negro on the side. The tortillas were so soft and fresh. Then we just shared the s'more pot de crème for dessert which was richly delicious but probably could have used some kind of acid note with all of the very deeply sweet intense flavors but it was still a hit. So... delicious food, fabulous service in a lovely location. So happy the new Stella is here and even better than the first time I was at the old Stella. We will be back! read more

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Stella is the BEST restaurant to dine in if you're in the Truckee area. My family and I literally look forward to dining here every time we visit Truckee. We have dined in many other restaurants in the area and nothing compares to Stella! Thank you to Lesley, Sammy and the rest of the team at Stella's who always takes the best care of us. We aren't the easiest family to take care of, as we have 2 little kids but the team here manages to make us always feel like a million bucks. From providing our daughter with the coolest crayons and paper, to being patient while my son decides to run around the restaurant. Thank you all! Amazing service! The ambiance here is spectacular. I love their outdoor area. Truly feels like you're not even in America. Almost has a European vibe. Now to the food! Absolutely incredible. The beauty of every dish is incredible. This restaurant should have a Michelin star in my opinion. Everything is always super fresh and flavorful. The menu is simple. Not too big, which I think is great because the chef truly perfects every item. They even have a kid menu (and I also enjoyed my kids' homemade pasta)! Prices are a bit higher than other restaurants in truckee, but trust me, it's worth every penny. We will be dining here tonight again. Two back to back dinners at the same place says a LOT. We can't wait for 5:15pm! read more

The service was horrible. I went in on a Sunday morning at about 10:30 with my young child. Not a lot of people were there-3 sitting inside and about 10 outside. Most tables were empty, but had dirty dishes waiting to be cleared. I understand if short handed, but rudeness is not acceptable. I stood there for at least 5 minutes as the girl working there ignored us. Five minutes later she rushed by and rudely said sit where you wont but it will be a while before I get to you. She did not give a menu, but I knew what I wanted. We go there when we stay at the hotel. I told her can I give you my order-its simple two eggs and she said no. 10 minutes later and I went up to her. My daughter was so thirsty. I asked for water just for my child. She has the audacity to march over, pour ONE cup of water, slam down the pitcher and slam down the cup of water by my little girl and marched away. Not only did she startle my daughter, but she splashed water on her. At that point, I grabbed my girl and we left. Horrible service. They may be short staffed, but that does not excuse her behavior. read more

5 stars for take away amazing dinner food! The seasoned fries were a big hit with our 5 year old and the grown ups. The wings were so fire hot, I had to rinse the sauce off in the sink and they were still was too spicy for the little but reasonable for us. (I order my Thai medium for reference) The pork tacos sans onions were truly magical but also too spicy for the 5 year old. Hubs nearly licked the chocolate tart plate clean. It was a huge hit if you can eat gluten. Sadly, no deserts were marked GF. My only suggestion is to add 1-2 simple plain small plates that are kid friendly. I am dying to come back but am unaBle to serve my daughter fries only. As for breakfast 2-3 stars, it is not what it used to be, fruit is primarily filler melons. There are fresh spinach, tomato and cucumbers. There are two unlabeled cereals and oatmeal, scrambled eggs that have additional unknown ingredients. They also have heated up potato rectangles, that look like they came from safeways frozen food aisle. If you have gluten allergies, there are a lot of unknowns here, might be safest to stick with oatmeal fruit and vegetables. read more

Stella - Specialty Food Near Me - Truckee, California

Really wanted to like this place, especially since it's named after my pup . But unfortunately our experience wasn't very great. My dog would have checked in on me more. The hostess had a lovely welcoming smile and attended to us after we sat down, but then after that, while our water glasses were empty, she was folding napkins and cleaning tables that nobody every sat at. Maybe she thought that water filling and checking in was meant for the waitress but she was running around like a chicken with her head cut off. Mind you, it was not terribly busy when we first got there, although picked up by the end of our meal. The food was okay. Cauliflower appetizer was flavorful, roasted carrots were basic, octopus a bit too hard, bread tartine pretty to look at. Main dish of fish and gnocchi was bland. Friends ordered steak, waitress did not ask how they wanted it cooked. One friend specifically asked for rare, it came out well done so she sent it back. While I understand that getting attentive restaurant staff can be hard when there is only a few of them (seemed like 3 staff working the tables if you include the hostess), for the prices that we paid, the expectations were not met. We had to ask for more water, more wine, salt and the tab. Probably could have walked out without paying and no one would've noticed. read more

Stella - Orange roughy and gnocchi - Specialty Food Near Me - Truckee, California

This place just didn't float my boat. Came for dinner and was seated directly in front of the open kitchen and host desk, so staff were whisking past our table every 30 seconds. Even so, they only checked on us to take our drink/appetizer, entree and dessert orders' so my water glass was empty most of the time. There were only four entrees offered, and two of them featured cauliflower, leaving only two choices for people who wanted something else. All entrees were in the $40 range, which seemed high. All in all, the food quality was good but the choices were limited and the prices were high, so I suggest reviewing the menu before you arrive. Also, request a table away from the kitchen. read more

This is one of the best meals I've ever had, I'm on a year of traveling and of all the countries and restaurants and fine dining I've experienced Stella is one of the best. read more

Easily the best restaurant in Truckee. Food/Service/Atmosphere all top notch. Hospitality is the 5th star.

A whipped zucchini dip with homemade focaccia was absolutely delicious. The second course of Ahi tuna flatbread was also fantastic. The wine list was very well done. A double burger with a special sauce was perfectly done all in all a great dining experience in a very nice setting. read more

Food: 5 stars Service and value: 2 stars Ambiance: 2 stars Ok, so I really wanted to like this place. But let's start at the beginning with the reservation system. They require a $50 pp deposit basically. (If you don't show, they charge you.) I kind of get it, but that felt extreme. When I tried to call to make a res, they told me they were totally booked. But I could see they had a ton of slots on open table. So I booked via open table and showed up. They were clearly unprepared for us, even though there were several open tables. So they set up a table in their back area near the leftover propane tanks and a dead plant. If we had been on the other side of the patio, we would have had ambiance. Service took forever. I think they forgot about us. I had to flag a waiter to order, etc. Food was brought out at different times. So someone was finished eating before the rest could start. I expect more from the service when I'm paying this much. read more

This restaurant has a brand new format. It especially caters to the active person, who needs a variety of options for their dining experience. We were fortunate enough to be one of the first guests to try Stella using this new format. You order at the front counter and then the server brings your meal to you. There are two different water stations-- one in the main dining room and one outside. They have some really great choices, including prawns, octopus, smoked brisket, tacos, chicken, and my favorite, pan seared salmon. We tried just about all of them! They also have excellent vegetarian options. We had our meal family style with all the different selections in the center of the table. This was a big hit and everyone enjoyed each plate. My favorite was the salmon. Absolutely scrumptious! My wife enjoyed the beef brisket tacos. They're sort of smallish tacos, so 4 tacos is just about right for one person. Besides the tables inside, there's a beautiful outside patio with about half a dozen tables. They also have outside heaters for those cold evenings. Best of all, the servers and staff were really friendly and helpful. This was a magnificent experience. Thank you to the entire staff at Stella! read more

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What happened to you, Stella??? STEEEEELLLLLLAAAAAA!!!! Where have you gone??? My partner and I are so unbelievably bummed about the changes that have happened at Stella, especially the last few weeks. We noticed some differences a few months ago when we'd come in for breakfast. The vegetarian fare that Stella was known for disappeared from the dinner menu, so dinner at Stella has become a no-go. We still went in for breakfast because the food was super delicious, excellent portion sizes, and reasonable prices for the area. As locals, it can be tough to find places to go with really good food that isn't ridiculously priced. Also, Kim is seriously the absolute best. She pretty magically takes care of everyone and everything and makes Stella feel so warm and cozy and welcoming in the mornings. Stella was worth the trip from Tahoe Vista, just to see Kim. We just went in a few days ago and everything has changed!!! The charm of Stella is gone. The warmth of the space has been totally replaced by weird cheap tables and chairs that look wildly out of place in the space. The breakfast menu now has only 4 items on it, the portion sizes went down, and the prices just went through the roof. And seriously.....where did the chilaquiles go???? That's a locals favorite and why mess with your locals who keep you going through the shoulder season? This place has been taken over by an out-of-state company who clearly does not get the vibe here. Everything feels cold and corporate and weird now. If the owners are listening, please bring back the charm and the menu. Your locals will thank you. read more

We did takeout on a Friday night and it was about 30 mins from order to ready. The restaurant was serving inside and mostly outside when we got there. Our pickup was super simple and easy. We had the grilled cauliflower, salmon with corn, fig / pear salad and one more salad. All our dishes were excellent. The cauliflower is like a suped-up sushi roll with excellent extras and sauces over the top. The salads were fresh and only modestly dressed, which speaks to the excellent quality of the fresh ingredients. Really recommend for take out meals!! read more

Seats about 10 tables. Spacious. Can view into Open kitchen which is nice. Good atmosphere. Small, but diverse menu. small but diverse wine selection. several local beers. No cocktails. friendly wait staff. Have been twice and will be going again. read more

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Wow this place was phenomenal! The rich flavors, creative and unique menu items and service was exceptional. I've never seen dishes like this or tasted such savory flavors. The restaurant itself is small and a bit unassuming. It would be nice to have a fireplace. Everything else is superb. read more

Food was good. Service was weird. It was snowing pretty heavily, and they called like 15 minutes before the reservation to tell me the table would be released if we didn't show up during the grace period. Based on the punctuality of the phone call, it set a high bar in my mind for service, which never really materialized. We were like the invisible table. The chef would visit other tables. Skip us. Folks that came in after us had full meals and desert and got out. Food wise I'd go back, but service will have me look elsewhere. read more

Great service .good food .good wine .come and try.small menu but everything is delicious and special. read more

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Was super grateful for the opportunity to be squeezed in this restaurant on a moments notice while staying on the property. I love the creativity and quality of the plates but I find the portions too small for the cost. It's almost like eating gold and diamonds, which means you do not get much material. In my Bay Area - Napa opinion it's the price point is about 20-30% more. If you want to be full expect to eat a three course meal. read more

The food is amazing. Gourmet delicious bites every step of the way. The ambiance is lacking. It's bistro style with terrible lighting. (Psst - Dear restaurant Manager - Switch to warm lighting!) I almost feel bad for the chef and staff, with such a high end menu and mis matched environment. Make sure to make reservations and apparently better to do it through open table than through an old fashioned phone call. We got bumped and moved around quite a bit. It all worked out in the end. The staff was wonderful and the food was truly delightful. read more

Definitely get a reservation - Stella is small and popular, so you may not be able to get in without one. They have a short menu with a mix of mediterranean and mexican food. The Zaalouk appetizer is a must-get! Really delicious eggplant sauce served with a fresh pita. The pork tacos were delicious but small - portioned. Perfectly sized for an appetizer. The menu has good options for vegetarians and vegans. They clearly mark dietary restrictions so that it is easy to order. Service was fast and friendly. Will definitely return! read more

Great location, business is set up very classy. Small restaurant, that does fusion type food, like from chef school. Our meal was ok I give it about a B. Wine was good. Unfortunately the day we went the business was understaffed, took too long for the basics like water, drinks, or to place an order. The manager was trying to help though. Also too long for the meal to be prepared. YMMV read more

There wasn't one redeeming quality about this restaurant. The food and the service were a complete disappointment. We arrived right on time for our 5:45pm reservation. We were placed at a 4-top in the middle of the room and asked if we could sit in a booth instead. The entire place was empty, but they told us they were reserved for someone else. Umm ok - some reservations are more important than others? Fine - we let that go. The waitress had a sourpuss and attitude right from the get go. We ordered 4 of the small plates to share and when we ordered the shrimp cocktail she made it a point to shame us by saying "that's your main???!" In a dramatic tone. Our bill for 2 people was $150 so I'm not sure how she felt she was somehow getting jypped by our table - that's the impression she gave us. The Brussels sprouts we got were VERY under cooked and drowning in balsamic sauce. We left almost the entire thing untouched and when she cleared it away she didn't even bother to ask if there was something wrong with it. Every decent restaurant I have been to, would at least offer to replace it. All of this we let slide because we were celebrating my birthday and trying to have a special night. THEN the straw that broke the camels back - one of the workers (his name was Tyler or Taylor) must have been a manager in training because he clearly had not graduated from management 101, comes to our table at exactly 7:14pm and announces to us that he just wants to let us know that our time is up because he has another reservation at 7:15. The two of us had just paid our bill and had 2 or 3 sips of our wine left so were about to leave anyway. I was GOBSMACKED. I have never in my life been rushed out the door of a restaurant at which I had a reservation. As a manager of a nice restaurant it is your job to figure out situations like this and you never put the burden on the customer. My friend wanted to address this in a quiet and respectful manner so we stopped on the way out and asked if we could have a word with him outside so that other customers couldn't hear our complaints. He told us to give him a minute, but then left us standing out there. At this point we decided to just get his name and leave a review - he clearly wasn't interested in salvaging us as customers which he easily could have done. When we asked for his name he then decided to come out and speak with us. NOT to apologize, but to explain that he had to honor the other reservation and that's why he had to rush us out the door. I was APPALLED at his lack of customer service skills at such a nice, high end restaurant. He was clearly in over his head if he couldn't handle a table over staying their 90 minute allotment by 5-10 minutes. My friend and her large family have frequented this establishment multiple times and will NEVER return. I really hope this place gets some training in place for their workers - I can't imagine they will stay in business long otherwise. read more

We are so glad we came to Stella tonight. The food is incredible, the space is so welcoming, warm, and fun-the kitchen is fully open-so you get a first row seat to the creativity this restaurant delivers. We chose two dishes: a chicken/risotto and a swordfish/gnocchi...YUM this restaurant is a very easy drive from Downtown Truckee. Go here! read more

Just such terrible service and food. Ruined our anniversary. There were no customers when we got there on a Thursday night but our server didn't come for 30 minutes. Chicken undercooked and burger is made with no tomatoes. read more

The place was great and nice. There were only 2 servers at the restaurant when we went. The food was good, the stake was not good, the first time we asked for medium, it came out way overcooked, then we had them remake it and it came out mushy and fatty, it was okay to eat, just not the best. Overall we loved the place and would love to go back. read more

Great service and food with an open kitchen concept. We had a party of 8. We tried short ribs, black cod, burrata plate, cauliflower entree, broccolini, and all the dessert choices. The cod was cooked to perfection, and the cabbage has an amazing smoky flavor. The cauliflower entree was also well done. We (young and old) all enjoyed our meals. They were not busy on a Saturday night. Stella has a new chef now and must be under the radar. It should get busy like Old Town Tap and other restaurants once folks find out about this gem. read more

Dinner was amazing. Outside dinner with heat lamps. You order inside and the food is brought to your table Everything was very tasty read more

Stella - Soup of the day - Specialty Food Near Me - Truckee, California

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We've been here a few times and the food has always been excellent. A hidden gem in some respects, and we are thankful for that! Service is always top notch and it all comes out beautifully. You don't need a special occasion to have a gourmet meal, and this is a great place to try the latest culinary creations by an amazing chef! read more

This was one of the best meals we've had in Truckee. The butternut squash soup, beet salad, and short ribs were amazing! The roast chicken was very juicy, which is hard to find in a restaurant. The staff were very friendly and attentive. We will certainly be back! read more

I almost gave this a 4 star only because the food was very good. The menu options were a bit limited. The ambiance was excellent. I showed up early with my date prior to a few others showing up, hoping to have a glass of wine before dinner and was told they could not seat me. (Plenty of open tables) and they could have served us a glass of wine in the outside seating area but that was not an option. We all thought the service was poor. The different wait staff we had seemed very new at their job. For the prices they charge they need to pick up their game. These are not Denny's prices. read more

WOW top-tier experience all around!! The food was mindfully crafted and incredible. A great part of the experience was having the chef personally served and explain the food and how it was all locally sourced. Every member of the team was courteous and gave exceptional customer service!! read more