Simple Pleasures

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SHE SELls sea shells, see?: Executive chef and partner Aliza Green offers up linguine and clams with pancetta. eddy palumbo

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underthetable
-Marc Kravitz

April 11-17, 2002

food

Simple Pleasures

SHE SELls sea shells, see?: Executive chef and partner Aliza Green offers up linguine and clams with pancetta. eddy palumbo

Stella Notte does nothing unusual, but everything well.

by Maxine Keyser

Stella Notte

8229 Germantown Ave., 215-247-2100

Dinner, Sun.-Thu., 5-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5-10:30 p.m.; Sunday brunch, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Wheelchair access through Chestnut Grill. Reservations stongly suggested. Visa, MC. Diners Club, Discover.

"Chestnut Hill, was not un-Narnian. Century-old maples and ginkgos, and sycamores, many of them mutilated to accommodate power lines, grew in giant riot over patched and repatched city streets bearing the names of decimated tribes. Seminole and Cherokee, Navajo and Shawnee. For miles in every direction, despite high population densities and large household incomes, there were no fast roads and few useful stores. The Land That Time Forgot, Gary called it."

So writes Jonathan Franzen in The Corrections of this tree-shaded, buttoned-down corner of Philadelphia. But visitors won't soon forget Stella Notte, an Italian spot comfortably ensconced on the second floor of the Chestnut Hill Hotel and a new venue for Aliza Green. Her name is not new to Philadelphia -- she has cut her cooking teeth at, and consulted for, some of the best restaurants in town; she has written books, the latest being The Bean Book; and she has taught at numerous places. At Stella Notte -- with partners Greg Welsh and John Arena, who both own the Chestnut Grill downstairs -- she has created a smart, casual spot for good, traditional Italian food.

Beneath the navy-blue celestial ceiling, the room is done in muted greens, golds and rust, with soft light issuing from disconcerting sconces that look like a stalactite; if you sit under one, you feel that it might drip on you. There is a big wood-burning oven, and since Green came on board three months ago, the atmosphere is clearly modeled on Al Forno in Providence, R.I., one of the most acclaimed Italian restaurants in the country.

Certainly, the wood-roasted clams al Forno ($7.50) are a case in point: six succulent clams roasted on the half-shell under a blanket of bread crumbs mixed with fennel and pepper. They come out of the oven juicy and with a slight, attractive char. Nothing unusual, just done extremely well. A hearty antipasto plate ($8.75) is not overly large but full of quality -- slices of sparkling prosciutto and soppressata, varied olives, some shaved provolone, roasted peppers and a meaty eggplant caponato. Triangles of flat bread come with it, along with the slices of rustic bread for the table. Nice with a glass of Gavi ($6.50) from the small, mostly Italian and reasonable wine list. A salad of wild greens ($5.75) is, as most of the other dishes, nothing new but executed well, with top ingredients -- toasted pine nuts, sprinkles of Gorgonzola and an understated balsamic vinaigrette.

Just like Al Forno, which made its name with wood-oven pizzas, Stella Notte features a number of them, and they are all delicious and crispy, with wood-blackened crust and savory toppings. I always favor the classic Margherita, with plum tomato sauce, basil, fresh mozzarella and olive oil ($10.50), but there is also a glamorous Alpine pizza ($12) with exotic mushrooms, caramelized onions, fontina, Parmigiano and truffle oil.

Pastas, too, are basic but very appealing, in big white bowls, with jumbo lump crab meat ($17.75), or stuffed with porcini mushrooms ($14.50), or even in a 13-layer meat lasagna ($15) filled with all the requisite items -- meat sauce, sausage, eggs, ricotta and romano cheeses.

Stella Notte bills itself as a trattoria and steakhouse, so steak we must try, from among grill selections of a six-ounce filet ($19.50), eight-ounce filet ($23.50), 12-ounce New York strip ($24) or 16-ounce Cowboy ($25). They offer some attractive sides too -- crisp potato gnocchi, roasted vegetables, creamy polenta. However, a daily special, printed on the menu and not recited, catches our eye; it is a pan-seared filet with a smoky wild mushroom and pancetta sauce, touched with brandy, that is so juicy and flavorful that we gobble up every drop. With it come good mashed potatoes and bright sautéed spinach with pine nuts and lots of garlic. Striped bass with artichokes ($18.50) receives a special treatment, sautéed with tomatoes, green olives and the tart touch of lime juice, with a delicious crisp risotto cake on the side.

Desserts ($5.50), on a separate menu, are much better than at your usual Italian restaurant. We have a choice of an above-average tiramisu with a mascarpone mousse; roasted-apple bread pudding, which comes highly recommended; a ricotta cheesecake; and various chocolate fantasies. Alas, we can only truly manage a trio of sorbettos -- blueberry, raspberry and fabulous limoncello with a homemade pizzelle. And the coffee ($2) is La Colombe, for a perfect finish, plus a reasonable list of cordials and ports (an '83 Graham's for $15).

The young waitstaff, attired in white shirts, ties and black aprons, are sometimes rattled, but on the whole, eager to please. As I said, the kitchen does nothing unusual, but everything well, using the freshest and most prime ingredients. If Green should choose to experiment a bit along the way, I won't complain, but right now, an evening at Stella Notte is a bella notte.




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