Pardon my
French (or
should I say
butchered
French), but
Mademoiselle
Purcell’s
10th grade
French class
was quite
some time
ago. Don’t
ask how long
and don’t
ask me to
read Le
Petite
Prince
again!
Anyway -
Feeling a
little
European
tonight but
your
financial
advisor, be
they Suzy
Orman, Mad
Money’s Jim
Cramer or
your spouse,
is telling
you to stay
home and
turn on the
Travel
Channel.
Well if you
can’t go to
Europe, this
is LA folks
and Europe
can come to
you. Tucked
over in
Sivlerlake
in an area
known as
Sunset
Junction, is
a florist, a
well stocked
cheese shop,
the latest
coffee
clutch in
the area and
a little
hole-in-the-wall
French
restaurant
called
Café
Stella.
Stella, for
her petite
size, has a
lot to say
for herself.
Quaint, cozy
and European
are just a
few of the
adjectives
used to
describe
Stella from
those who
have met
her. To some
this might
translate
into crowded
and
expensive.
But if you
have a
chance to go
to Europe
and stumble
into some of
those little
out of the
way
eateries,
you will
find that
the tables
are rather
close
together, as
the place
was probably
built 200
years ago
and everyone
must have
been smaller
then. But
the women
wore big
dresses, so
I don’t know
how that
worked out.
What I do
know is it
certainly
reminds me
of my
travels and
I find the
atmosphere
completely
charming.
Like
stepping
into a
Renoir
painting -
Tres
Magnifique!
Once you
arrive you
will find
there is
both indoor
and outdoor
seating,
with the
dimly lit
interior
broken into
both a
dining room
and a bar
area. Dark
woods run
throughout
each with
the walls
along the
booth lined
bar area
hung with
assorted
signs,
paintings
and animal
heads. Cozy
is certainly
the word
when the bar
is filled
and so are
the booths,
but the
staff seems
to squeeze
around
everyone
just fine.
There were
four of us
in our booth
and it was a
bit tight,
but
manageable.
Hey, when in
Paris, or
when
pretending
to be, you
take the
good with
the not so
good. I like
cozy, but
not everyone
is a fan.
The outside
patio area
is tented
and strung
with tiny
lights,
giving you
both a
little more
leg room and
little more
light.
But what is
atmosphere
if the food
is no good?
That is not
the case at
Café Stella.
They have an
excellent
cheese plate
assortment
on the
appetizer
menu, which
when paired
with the
right wine,
is quite
heavenly. I
don’t know
that much
about wine,
except to
not order it
in a box,
but our
waitress was
quite
knowledgeable
on the
subject and
helped
suggest just
the right
one. There
is also the
delicious
Tartare De
Thon Aux
Deux
Coriandres
(Tuna
Tartar),
featuring a
California
twist on the
classic
appetizer.
Feeling like
a salad,
then I would
suggest the
Salade de
Saint
Jacques
featuring
seared jumbo
sea
scallops,
wild
mushrooms
and wilted
beet greens.
On the main
menu the Coq
au Vin was
both savory
and moist
but the
braised red
wine
shortribs,
which the
party at the
next table
ordered,
looked
delicious as
well.
Please note
that even
though Café
Stella
offers no
hard
liquors,
with the
extensive
wine and
beer menu
they do
feature, no
one will go
thirsty.
Parking can
be an issue
as well as
the
Silverlake
area is
pretty much
all
neighborhood,
so it’s
about
finding
something on
the street.
However,
there is
valet
parking
available
and I
recommend it
since
finding your
own spot can
be
frustrating
at times.
So these
days, when I
feel like
getting
away, I go
see Stella.
Soft lights,
good wine,
and a little
dinner can
make all the
difference
sometimes
don’t you
think? Yes,
my wallets a
little
lighter, but
no jet lag.
