"We Will RRRoCC You!"
Hours:
Closed Monday
Tuesday thru Thursday
5:00-8:30
Friday and Saturday
5:00-9:00
Sunday 5:00-8:00
Restaurant Synopsis:
La Bella Stalina means “The Beautiful Little Star”, which is
an appropriate name for this star of a restaurant tucked away in St. Anthony’s
Lodge, an Italian Social Club located on Church St. in Downingtown, PA. Kathleen and Louie DelPiano took over as
owners of La Bella Stalina earlier this year, realizing their dream of owning
and operating their own restaurant after over 20 years in business. A “local’s secret”, La Bella Stalina is open
to the public Tuesday through Sunday nights from 5pm – 9pm, serving up the very
best in Italian fare in their intimate dining room. The last Thursday of every month is Ladies
Night, with a full meal from a special menu of options for $20. Every Tuesday is Create your Own Pasta night,
with a choice of three pastas, three sauces and six toppings for $10. The pasta is made fresh at La Bella Stalina,
and the quality is unparalleled. I am
fortunate enough to live around the corner and was tipped off about this gem
shortly after moving to Downingtown. It
quickly became one of my favorite restaurants, and I am delighted for the
opportunity to give them an official RRRoCC review!
What we sampled:
Calamari Fritti $8.00
Bruschetta $9.00
Beet Salad $6.95
Aglio e Olio with
Pappardelle $11.00
Ricotta Gnocchi Marinara
$12.00
Spaghetti and Meatballs with
Sunday Gravy $15.00
Linguini Alfredo $13.00
Parmigiana di Melanzane
$15.00
Pollo Ripieno di Asparagi
$17.00
Vitello con Gamberetti
$20.00
RRROCC OFFICIAL REVIEWS:
Kelly says:
Melanie says:
"We started our meal with samples of the Bruschetta and the
Calamari Fritti. The Bruschetta is a
blend of fresh Roma tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, fresh basil and a splash of
fresh lemon juice piled high on thick slices of rustic Italian bread. Fresh is the operative word in this
description, and the flavors meld perfectly with every bite. This dish is a great way to wake up your taste
buds for the culinary delights that await you during your meal. The Calamari Fritti is one of my personal
favorites… crispy and flash fried, each piece is crunchy goodness. Well paired with a side dish of homemade
marinara sauce, one order of Calamari Fritti is generous enough to satisfy 3 –
4 people. I especially like my Calamari
sprinkled with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
The Beet Salad started as a summer special one evening, and has been so
popular, it has been on the nightly specials list for weeks now. And rightly so – this dish is beautiful and
delicious! A bed of Spring Mix holds
thick slices of roasted beets and tomato, chunks of tangy cheese (sometimes
goat cheese and sometimes gorgonzola cheese, which are both equally good on
this salad) dressed with fresh herbs, olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic
vinegar.
The list of sauce and pasta options offered at La Bella
Stalina provide for endless combinations of homemade delicacies. At the top of my list is the Aglio e Olio
with Pappardelle pasta. A simple sauce
of olive oil, with crispy chunks of garlic, pecorino cheese, pepperoncino and
fresh parsley, this is my absolute favorite.
The Pappardelle pasta is thick and wide and an ideal carrier for the
layers of flavor in the Aglio e Olio. I
was also delighted to finally try the Alfredo sauce, which I paired with the
Linguine. The Alfredo is made with fresh
Pecorino Cream and cracked black pepper.
It was creamy and thick, and coated each piece of Linguine with gentle
flavor.
In addition to the pasta and sauce options, La Bella Stalina
offers Italian Chicken, Veal and Seafood dishes, including their Chef’s
Signature Dish – Pollo Ripieno di Asparagi.
This consists of chicken breast stuffed with layers of prosciutto and
provolone cheese rolled around spears of asparagus and finished in a white wine
and chicken broth reduction. There is a
reason this is the Chef’s signature dish.
The medley of flavors surrounding the asparagus is music to your mouth,
with each flavor pairing perfectly with the others. The Italian dishes come with your choice of
potatoes and a vegetable or a side dish of pasta, any way you like it. My chicken came with brightly steamed
broccoli and roasted red potatoes that were crispy on the outside, and soft on
the inside, with a light seasoning that was perfect.
One of my favorite aspects of dining at La Bella Stalina
(and there are many) is the availability of wines and spirits at club prices. A generous 6oz pour of the house Chianti,
which is my regular order, is less than $4 a glass – unbelievable!! Many, many thanks to Kathleen and Louie for providing
us with a first class meal that offered a sampling of so many of the wonderful
dishes on the menu; to Sue for taking such good care of us during our visit;
and to Roberto, the head chef, for slaving over a hot stove to make our mouths
water and out stomachs sing. You don’t
want to miss out on this beautiful little star of a restaurant for one more day
– make sure to stop by soon!"
"La Bella
Stalina is a neighborhood restaurant known to Downingtown locals tucked into
St. Anthony’s Lodge on Church Street in Johnsontown. With Frank Sinatra music playing in the
dining room, and tantalizing smells coming from the kitchen, I could hardly
wait to dig in!
My first
dish was Ricotta Gnocchi with Marinara.
Obviously homemade, these cheesy gnocchi were the size of
marshmallows! The smooth, sweet marinara
was a lovely compliment to these homemade masterpieces!
My next
dish was Spaghetti and Meatballs with Sunday Gravy. I went old school Italian on this one and was
not disappointed! The massive meatballs
were homemade, stuffed with cheese and garlic and absolutely perfect! The Sunday gravy was a nice, thick
traditional homemade sauce that smothered the homemade spaghetti and was
absolutely delicious!
I was
already stuffed on the generous “sample” sizes the kitchen sent out, but I
still had more to go! I was presented
with the lovely Vitello con Gamberetti next.
Veal with Grand Marnier cream; this cream sauce almost did me in! Rich with a hint of smoky sweetness the Grand
Marnier cream took my veal dish to a whole new level; a beautiful accompaniment
to the tender beef, it was unbelievable!
I had barely
recovered from the veal when the Parmigiana di Melanzane arrived. Cheesy, heavy and dense this dish was
eggplant Parmesan heaven! The many
layers of eggplant, sauce and cheese made for warm, gooey nirvana!
To top off
this Italian feast, I had to have Cannoli.
Sweet, fluffy generously filled, the cannoli was the perfect ending to
an extravaganza of eating!
Thank you so much to our wonderful
server Sue and the outstanding kitchen staff at La Bella Stalina for a
fantastic (and filling) night!
~Melanie
& Kelly
www.facebook.com/RealReviewsChesterCounty
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