Stella’s Serious is No Joke
By Jason Sanford | November 25, 2011 2:47 PM
Photo by Jody Tiongco
“It has to be good for my guests for it to be good for me.”
Stella’s new chef, Marco Mariselli, wants his visitors to experience superb food, a great dining atmosphere and to enjoy his culinary mastery, a passion borne of his drive for preparing some of the best Italian food this side of his home country.
“I’m just so proud of what we do in the kitchen,” Marco says. “But everyone needs more than just food as a reason to go out and eat.”
And while the name would be misleading if fresh, seasonal and stellar cuisine weren’t the star of the show, Stella’s Serious Italian offers a decidedly “borough-influenced” experience. Live music on a near-nightly basis, courtesy of the talented Brooklyn saxophonist Gary King, sets the mood for a memorable evening, and guests can enjoy a refreshing Negroni or glass of Chianti along the handsome, NY-inspired bar.
Whether the food and ambiance takes diners to New York, Italy or just to their happy place for a couple hours, chef Marco is doing his best to live up to restaurant’s namesake.
“We’re very dedicated, passionate people here—and once people come here, they almost always come back,” he comments.
(17 Monarch Bay Plaza, Dana Point; 949-234-1679; stellasitalian.com)
