I was in Richmond for work last week and decided to stop at Stella's for dinner before driving back to Baltimore. I adored it.
First of all - the location and the ambiance are really lovely. Stella's is located in a more residential neighborhood (I street parked a block away in front of a really charming bungalow house), and it's incredible charming: outside seating under an awning, corner door, in a tiny strip of shops. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful, intimate, and romantic (but still wonderful for me, as a solo dinner at the bar).
And the restaurant has history. Stella's has a lengthy Richmond history for being not such an old place itself. It's named after Stella Dikos, who was born in Nazi-occupied Greece in 1942 but who emigrated to the States after an arranged marriage. She and her husband opened Village Cafe, which served American and Greek classics, in Richmond in 1956. Her first namesake restaurant opened in Richmond in 1983, and the current Stella's is nod to her, too. Until she passed away in 2024, you could still find Stella working the restaurant that bears her name.
The food and the drinks really live up to the charm and history of this great restaurant. Stella's serves Greek dishes - some classic comforts and some more modern takes the cuisine. The menu is large, and the only thing I don't like about solo dining is that there's not someone to share with you, so you can't order as much. But looking at this menu, I couldn't order just one dish. I started with a salad, their Maroulosalata (tender lettuces, dill, scallion, feta, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh lemon), which I loved. It was simple and fresh and bright and everything I want in a salad. Honestly, I could eat it every day. My main dish was harder to choose. Did I want Moussaka? Always. Or did I want their Artichoke Moussaka? Interesting, maybe I want that! Was I craving Pastichio? Always. But then there were dishes I'd never tried before (Pastichiatho, Koltopoulo, Hilopites...) and roasted whole fish and roasted leg of lamb... I said to myself, "Well, you'll just have to come back," and ordered their Hilopites (egg noodles, giant beans, pine nuts, cherry tomato, kalamata olive, feta, fresh mint, and extra virgin olive oil). Comfort in a whole. I loved it. I also had a glass of wine recommended by the bartender - a bright, acidic, Greek white wine perfect for the meal. And I chatted with the bartender, other servers, and a solo drinker to my left.
All of this - the history, the ambiance, the wine, and - YES ABSOLUTELY - the food, added up to one of my favorite meals lately. I can't wait to have a reason to come back to Richmond, so I can eat at Stella's again. Next time, I'm bringing other people, not because I need the company (Stella's is exactly the kind of warm place where a solo diner can have a great experience) but so I can try more of their menu. A gem.