Trattoria Stella

We heard this was the best place to eat in Traverse City. Now we haven’t eaten in that many places, so hard to say, but we came out of it feeling great about every choice we’d made.
It’s located in the basement of the old asylum building outside of downtown that’s all been redeveloped. The interior is just right — active but not loud, cozy but not dark, busy but not crowded.
We opted for the restaurant week menu. We were looking for a wine to go with it, and the server called over the owner, who is a sommelier and an italian wine expert. She pointed us to a really nice red from sicily that started mineral-​y and just blossomed over the course of the meal. Nice.
First up was a tasty salad with roasted parsnips for me, and a fried mozzarella and prosciutto across the table. I don’t usually talk about bread baskets, but they brought us out some focaccia that was just bananas. Pillowy soft, sweet and moist. Man. After that, I can’t really remember anything, because my main course — mini gnocchi with pulled pork, brown sugar, and coriander with a fried egg on top — was so good. I literally wiped my plate clean with the last of the bread. Unbelieveable combo of savory and sweet. Good lord. There was desert too that was excellent.
They had the little touches too — excellent service, and when our entrees took a bit to come out because the kitchen was backed up they brought us out a little soup to tide us over.
Is it the best restaurant in Traverse City? I dunno. But it was the best place we’ve been to in some time. Highly recommended.

Great atmosphere. Food was delicious. I had lobster and cream with crisp shiitake mushrooms, and arugula and Bibb salad. I also had a side of sautéed Brussels sprouts, and a Founders oatmeal stout.
When we called for reservations they were booked until 8:45, but they had several tables by the bar and we were able to sit with a party of four and a baby with no wait.
My wife had the cod with pignoli risotto and shaved fennel, artichoke and salt packed capers. This dish was delicious. There were plenty of mummmms, and nomnomnoms, coming from our table as everyone tried a bite of this dish.

Very very expensive but I guess you get what you pay for. Their food was ok but nothing truly fantastic that night. They didn’t cheap you out on the portions but it would have been nice if they were a little larger. The cool thing is that this restaurant is in the old morgue of the insane asylum. It gives it a certain mystique that’s awesome.

I’ve been here twice now and haven’t been disappointed. The staff is very friendly and it’s a welcoming atmosphere. Will go back again soon!

We came here on a recommendation and were very impressed. From the bread that arrived with the appetizers to the pistachio meringue for dessert, we were happy with every aspect of the food — we started with the beef tripe and burrata (made at the restaurant!), and continued with the grouper and a pasta with stuffed quail. The grouper was delicious, with a slightly salty outside and fluffy inside, nicely balanced by the corn and potatoes that accompanied it. Check out the cocktail menu — signature cocktails are accompanied by micro stories, which sold me on a delicious Rabbit Hole.
The service was friendly and the perfect amount of attentive; we never ran short of water in our glasses and our waiter took time to explain how the burrata was made when we were curious. Everything arrived at the table with exactly the right amount of time to enjoy each course. We would go again and recommend Stella to anyone who wants a relaxing and romantic dinner adventure!

Amazing! Came here for our 5^th anniversary and we were not disappointed in any way. Our waiter Stuart was on point. We neither asked nor waited for anything.
The oysters were fresh, briny and delicious. My favorite was the Spanish octopus… oh my… I will travel from our home 2 ½ hours away for this anytime! Our mains were the short rib for me (delicious) and my husband had the ribeye special. His roasted Yukon gold potatoes were like candy and the Marsala set off the ribeye beautifully. We split the Panna cotta with blood oranges which was bright, crisp and refreshing.
I believe we found our go-​to spot for future anniversaries and any time we are in the area.

Stella never disappoints! I vacation in TC 6 – 8 times annually and the menu only gets better and better. The ambiance is awesome, servers friendly and management always make me feel at home. I’m especially a fan of the manager named Andy, whose wine recommendations and hugs are equally outstanding. As long as Stella’s doors stay open, I’ll keep visiting!

I absolutely adored this place. First, the décor is amazing. So welcoming and warm. Then the people that work there make you feel the same way. I sat at the bar, had a couple apps and a couple glasses of wine. Followed it up with an AMAZING dessert (the chocolate cake — not cakey at all, but more like a dark chocolate pudding consistency) and port. The bartender also was great at making both wine and food suggestions. I love love love it when the staff will make suggestions. Sometimes I get so hungry I just can’t make a selection — because it all looks so good. I completely dislike it when a waiter/​waitress says to me, «It’s all good». Thanks for the help. Here, she didn’t even bat an eye. She had excellent suggestions for any route I might want to take and even made a suggestion to bring out the brussel sprouts first so that it would seem like a salad (even though it was covered in glorious cheese and grease). The other nice thing is that the other people at the bar were also super friendly. I was in town on business and was all alone… but being here didn’t make me feel alone at all. In fact, I feel that this town is going to just suck me into their clutches and I’ll be totally okay with that. Especially if I get to frequent this place!

Hands down one of the best restaurants I have been to. The service and food was synergistically excellent. The ambiance is upscale with a family style. The staff is extremely knowledgeable. I highly recommend the scallops, brussel sprouts &. Rib eye. Please take some of their homemade
Bread and dip it in their sauce from their scallops. Don’t bother searching through their wine menu, just tell the waitstaff what your pallette craves, they will deliver a glass (or bottle) that is delightful. I will most certainly be back again.

My fiancé and I went here to celebrate our engagement the day he proposed… July 3^rd. We had an amazing meal here. My fiancé has a pasta dish that he loved, I had risotto. We also had a summer salad. The service here is impeccable and it is really the place to go to celebrate a big event… you feel special dining here.

I’ll keep this brief but to the point–
In the old mental hospital = super cool with a hint of creepy. Loved it
Service = painfully slow! (Although for the people at the table next to us who were seated after, served first, and left first I’m sure it was great)
Drinks were regular and took forever.
Carpaccio was amazing.
They ran out of the soup my wife really wanted.
Oysters were hit or miss.
Probably wouldn’t go back.

Stella doesn’t disappoint. The octopus is the best thing on the menu. This time we added the fried kale with lemon to our order and I’m glad we did. My entrée of fettuccine with shrimp and clam stock was good but it paled in comparison to the charred octopus. The panne cotta with local blueberry compote was to die for. The food is crazy good inside this old mental hospital! A trip to
TC is not complete without a meal at Stella.

I dined at Trattoria Stella for the second time this weekend, the first being back in 2012.
I’m definitely a fan and it has become a «MUST STOP» for our group for our past and future visits to TC.
— Great service — friendly, attentive, knowledgeable
— Cool atmosphere — I love the complex has been repurposed from Asylum to multi-​use. The paintings near the bathroom are a little… strange, but otherwise it’s a great environment for dining.
— Did a great job serving our group of 10 — though they’ll only seat large groups early (like 5:30)
— Good cocktails and wine list
— Excellent appetizers — especially the burrata. We also liked the duck pâté and fried artichoke bottoms.
— Wonderful entrees. The popular entrees @ our table were the wild boar tenderloin, the orrechiette with the stuffed squash blossom and the best thing there… the pasta with a ragu sauce. I LOVE LOVE LOVE ragu and it’s one of the best I’ve had. I ordered it 3 years ago too and it’s still as delicious. The homemade pasta is also pretty good, though was slightly overcooked.
If you’re looking for a nice dinner out in TC — head here!

Trattoria Stella hits the mark in every area: atmosphere, service and food.
The building is a former inpatient psychiatric hospital and the complex has several shops as well as information concerning the history of the building (based on this there are no worries about potential hauntings!). Stella has a separate side entrance. (A few reviews mentioned it was hard to find, but if you drive to/​park on the left side of the building there is a direct exterior door. There is also a sign with the name of the restaurant.) The light brick and stone wall are low lit in the evening leading to a romantic atmosphere. The most appealing tables are in the corridor of small room like dining areas. Each one has a table of four and a table of two. We were initially seated in the main dining area, across from the kitchen. We asked to move and we accommodated and moved to one of the tables for four. (I recommend asking for the corridor when making reservations, which you will want to do during high season.)
Our server was incredibly knowledgeable about the extensive wine menu. She asked about each of our taste preferences and recommended wines based on our responses. She was accurate as well and we all enjoyed the selection. Though the entire service she was the right blend of friendly and professional.
The menu changes seasonally, and while not large, has a good variety of choice Italian items. We had four in our party and we started with shared appetizers of the heirloom tomatoes salad and the burrata pugliese. The salad was a mix of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. It was fresh and lovely. The burrata (a mozzarella «pouch» with a mix of mozzarella and cream in the center) was simply amazing. It was plated on tomato sauce with thinly sliced salami and served with toasted crostini. We were raving about in for the rest of the weekend. I had the Atlantic scallops served with fresh corn, chanterelle mushrooms with a light, creamy sauce. The scallops were perfectly caramelized and well portioned. I also tried the pastas that were ordered: the orecchiette and the fettuccini. Both pastas were clearly freshly made, you could taste the difference. The fettuccine had shrimp and a roasted tomato sauce that had a nice bit of heat and overall flavor. My favorite plate was the orecchiette. Beautiful, lightly fried squash blossoms filled with ricotta with a simple tomato sauce. Not an easy dish to execute and Stella’s was excellent.
We were too full to order any dessert. We all agreed that the options sounded wonderful, and I look forward to trying at least one in the future as Stella’s is worth the drive to Traverse City to return.

4.5 stars. An all-​around great dining experience.
A great venue, located in an old, converted hospital. I admit finding this place within the building is not easy and there are numerous other establishments to go through before you finally arrive. The signage is a bit thin within the building and it’s not hard to get turned around. Despite that, it’s a cool space with many distinct, personal dining alcoves making for a unique experience.
The service is really friendly and attentive and the food is very good. Some of the menu items are exceptional and others fair, but the good outweighs the meh and the drink menu makes up for the rest. The Agricol-​D-​Fashioned was refreshing with Clement Rhum.
I sampled a few appetizers (in the interest of science, obviously) and was happy with most of them. The Pig’s Foot was fair and probably the most disappointing item of the night. Au Pied du Cochon is typically a tasty, succulent dish but this was fried and over-​cooked to the point that it could have been anything under that crust, which is a shame. The Beef Bone Marrow was better and did benefit from the accompanying onion insalata. My favorite app, though, was the seared Fois Gras with figs — wonderful!
My friend got the Veal Costoletti and I the «Chef’s Cut» which featured some wonderful ground lamb and excellent sausage with tomatoes in a delectable stock. We shared the dishes and I enjoyed both, but preferred mine.
Finally, the desserts were excellent: the Pecan Gianduja Crostata was a very tasty chocolate tart with honey fig jam but the Hummingbird Nectar Crostata stole the show (lemon semifreddo with lemon zest and hummingbird nectar glaze with fresh strawberries.) Some robust espresso capped off a wonderful meal. One of the best places in Traverse City and I will definitely be back.

We stopped in here for our first anniversary.
This is in the running for the best place in the state. The food and the service and the wine and the food/​wine pairings are all amazing.
The food is all locally sourced. All the sources are listed on the daily printed menu. The food is prepared perfectly with the highest level of quality and care.
Our server Stephanie was great, knowledgable and attentive. The courses and wine were paved perfectly. Our secondary server (Sarah) was so good she was practically invisible.
Our table was in a small romantic nook tucked away in one of the restaurant hallways. There are many little spots tucked away in this restaurant that allow your party to feel that they are VIP patrons secreted away in their own place.
We had just enough room to have four courses for our meal. We started with the focaccia-​dusted and fried pigs foot with a sunny side up egg, mustard greens, pepperoni I, and shaved caper berries. Delicious. The wine pairing was smooth and scrumptiously subtle.
Our second course was a combination of Burrata Pugliese and Beef Carpacio. Both were outstanding and the suggested wine pairing (Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah Merlot blend rose) was tops for the meal. This was a 1+1=3 combination.
Our third course was the Porcini, Cremini & Cream Zuppe. Excellent. Deep rich smooth blend of flavors. The suggested wine pairing with this course (locally sourced Michigan Brys estate Pinot Noir) was great.
Our fourth (and sadly last) course that we had room to eat was the roast leg of lamb with fennel. The suggested wine pairing was Nero D’Avalo. This was my wife’s favorite wine pairing of the night.
We finished the evening with a cappuccino (so tasty) and a Caffe Sogno.
If the highest quality of food and wine and service were not enough, we also felt our night was even more special with the attentive table side chat with both the manager and the restaurant owner.
We strongly recommend anyone that appreciates gourmet food, wine pairings, or the highest level of service plan to visit this special restaurant on the old mental hospital grounds in the Grand Traverse Commons.
We will continue to share the highest recommendations of this restaurant with our closest friends and family.

I went here for dessert with my good friend– and we had a great experience!
Service is impeccable, the ambiance is amazing, and if you’e looking for a special meal, this is the place to be!

I feel a strange love for the building this place is in. The whole complex used to be a psychiatric hospital (and my Aunt actually worked there for a while as an Occupational Therapist!) and then was closed down in the 80s like so many others and was left abandoned. In high school my friends and I would find a hole in the chain-​link fence on a Friday or Saturday night and sneak in through a broken window. We would spend hours exploring the old corridors and patient rooms and would scare ourselves silly with ghost stories!
Now that the complex has been restored, it is no longer creepy or «haunted» and is a beautiful setting for a restaurant! I’ve also never had a pasta here that I haven’t loved and wanted another plateful.
I also really enjoy that they have gotten adventurous with some of the menu items! The last time I was here I ordered the Pig Brain! PIG BRAIN! My parents were mortified, and I felt like I should get home and turn on an episode of Hannibal (which I did). The taste was delicate and subtle, but I felt I could tell I was still eating pork. I think some people might have problems with the texture, however, since it was almost like a hot pudding that you didn’t even really need to chew. That sounds weird, but it was good! Plus now I can say I have eaten brains!

Based on the high ratings and recommendations, we decided to stop by. First of all, the décor/​atmosphere was certainly unique. This building was part of an asylum back in the 1800s/​early 1900s. We were seated in a narrow hall with a corridor that I can only describe as intimate, rustic, and creepy at the same time.
We started with the beets (beautifully roasted with melt in your mouth mozzarella) and the chef’s choice (fried pig ears — a little bit on the salty and oily side).
Entrees:
Salmon– nice crust on the outside, but a little overcooked on the inside. It came with some fingerling potatoes and sweet corn. I thought it was a bit rich, but still tasty.
Short ribs– nice and tender, but paired with the gnocchi made the dish a little too heavy in my opinion.
We passed on dessert only because we were so full (partially due to the richness of the food). Honestly, I expected a little more. But the service was just so phenomenal. If I were to return, I would just go with some appetizers and even try the in house made pasta. Maybe on the next trip to Traverse City…

Michigan. Northern Michigan. I grew up summers there and I always struggle between keeping it a secret, or sharing my love for it– part pride and part desire to keep its economy humming. Businesses like this are a perfect example of my inner conflict. There’s a reason the New York Times wrote this article about Stella:
which focused only on the bar scene, which is fine by me– because they left the part about the amazing food to me.
I’ve been coming here for years with my family– since it opened (when was that? 1998?). This past 4^th of July, my husband (who’s Italian), our friends and I were in the area for another friends’ wedding. Excited to share an experience with them the day before the wedding, I organized a day on the Platte River, beach combing, and a dinner. Why did I wait to try to make a reservation here day of? Poor planning on my part, as none were available. But they said they could get us in at 9:30– which would mean that my friends would miss fireworks over the bay! I knew I loved Stella — but would they? Oh the drama!
They put their faith in me and forewent the fireworks– in exchange for a different kind of thrill. Because we never committed to the reservation, we «showed up» and they apologized that all they had was the communal table in the bar. Are you kidding me? It was awesome. We ended up taking it over. Our server, Andy, was exactly what the NYT article described about the woman who waited on them– attentive without being overbearing, and a keen sense for knowing how and when to contribute to the conversation.
Ok– I’ve been holding out on you: the food. I’m one of those «morally against veal» people– I guess now in theory because I ordered the Veal Chop. Oh was it spectacular. I don’t know how they roasted it but the fat on the edges carmelized making it hard for me not to be that dog with a bone. If you’re picking up what I’m putting down. The rest of the meal– the apps, the salad– were all sublime. But it’s all hazy after that veal chop.
My foodie friends from Chicago? Let’s just say they completely forgot about missing the fireworks. They said we had the perfect day– ending with a meal that you could find in the best restaurant in the best city. Me? That’s what Stella and Traverse City are!