Stella Italianfare UTC

I had such a great meal here. Local, lovely and delicious. I had the gnocchi with bolognese and it was amazing.
Also even better, the servers were so friendly. Really great place!

The service was amazing the minute I walked in. When I was browsing through the menu, I was given a complimentary glass of champagne. As we ordered our food, we were also given some delicious bread with balsamic and olive oil. The olive oil was AMAZING. I could’ve eaten that all day. I ordered the Tagliolini Ai Tre Crostacei, which was homemade pasta with marinara sauce, shrimp, crabmeat, and lobster. It was delicious and went beyond my expectations. The shellfish was cooked perfectly and was not overpowered by the sauce. Overall, an amazing experience and I would definitely come again.

Quick review: the service and food was great! I highly recommend this restaurant. The pasta tastes fresh and handmade. The only downside I saw was that they have a habit of over salting their dishes. Enjoy!

Excellent service! Complimentary glasses of sparkling wine and great bread for my table. I went here on my birthday for the first time, and I wasn’t disappointed! This will be my new go-​to spot for Italian food. Thank you for the excellent food and service. I will be entertaining here!

I like homemade pasta and scallops were good too. But I think sauce can be more salty a little bit.

It’s OK.
When you first walk in you can smell the stickiness of the place but you never know! Maybe it’s one of those amazing hole in the wall places!
Our server was super nice and appropriately attentive. We went during lunch hour on a weekday and the place wasn’t that busy but the parking lot in this center is HORRENDOUS. LOTS of people circling for a spot and NO SPOTS are open at all.
I ordered the Clam and Shrimp Penne Pasta with a clam cream sauce. The sauce and the pasta were REALLY GOOD! Loved it! However, when I bit into the clam, there was sand… I tried another clam… same thing… sand…UH OH, this place did not soak their seafood long enough and thought it would be a good idea to cook them anyway. Next was the shrimp! You can’t go wrong with Shrimp… right? Unfortunately it was the same thing… sand…they did not clean those shrimp either…

My review is for a dinner i had last week. I really enjoyed everything about this restaurant. Service was above and beyond for my party of 5 and our waiter was so accommodating. I would pour their bolognese sauce over anything — it’s so deliciously meaty and not overly tomatoey! Their bruschetta with prosciutto was so satisfying. I finished my meal with an order of tiramisu (which I typically don’t enjoy because it’s either too rummy or too sweet) and I could not stop scooping that stuff up. So good! Pretty sure I ate my weight in amazing food that night.

Excellent service and food! Complementary glasses of champagne (sparkling wine) for the table, as well as delicious bread.
The Portobello Ravioli– smothered in a Gorgonzola cream sauce and adorned with walnuts– was to die for; the veal special was fantastic as well. Everything ordered was sized to share, but the pastas were perfect for a single meal. To end the meal, the house made Tiramisu was divine!
Will definitely be coming back to Stella!
Update: Owner comped us a «Chocolate Salami,» a chocolate dessert with cookies inside! Wish I could have snapped a picture of it in all of its glory– I devoured it too quick!

Best Italian food in San Diego. Incredible service. Authentic food, ambiance and the wine just fabulous. The waiting staff and owner are from Italy with the sexy accent and all. This is a must

Hands down, THE MOST AMAZING AUTHENTIC, BETTER YET HOMEMADE ITALIAN FOOD AND DINING EXPERIENCE! We had the bruschetta (on point and bread made fresh daily with Italian Tipo 00 flour), mozzarella burrata salad, chicken parmesan special, and tagliolini ai tre Crostacei. I have to say, everything was delicious! And to top it off, we had tiramisu and their all time specialty, salami di chocolate for dessert. Lastly, we ended our wonderful night with a glass of homemade limonciello… super tasty! Our server, Eric, the owner, Mauricio, and chef, Abel, made us feel at home and service was beyond exceptional! Thanks so much for an amazing experience and will be sure to come back for more! :-)

The most authentic Italian I’ve ever been to in the US. When we first entered the host, who later revealed was the owner, seated us and greeted us with sparkling wine. Our waiter Joe was accommodating and told us if we wanted something that wasn’t on the menu the chef would make it. We ordered linguini with mushroom and truffle, gnocchi and steak. Everything was cooked to perfection. For desert, we ordered the tiramisu which was a bowl of heaven. The owner then brings out chocolate salami accompanied by his own limoncello drink. I’ve had limoncello in Sorrento Italy, but his was so much better. I’ve had the same dish at famous Madeos in LA and this quaint restaurant surpassed the LA hype.

This was our first time at Stella and we were blown away by the quality of the food and the detail of the service. Our waiter was attentive and friendly, ensuring that we set the pace of our meal. And when our food came, each dish was so good that each bite was better than the first. Stella provided a meal that demanded taking time to enjoy every single bite. The food was certainly the best Italian food we have had in San Diego county.
PS The ravioli portobello is a must!

«Stella DID get her groove back!!» Under new ownership and management, I can tell the new owner takes great pride in his restaurant bc it shows in the food and services. The fresh ingredients from freshly made pastas to one of a kind salami chocolate dessert are impeccable. It’s as close to having dinner in Italy as you can get. Every month the restaurant has a dinner event which happens to be tonight! Enjoy 5 courses with wine pairing for only $ 60/​person. Come tonight and experience the authenticity of Italian food in San Diego. We love this place so much so tipped the waiter $ 40 =)

Io ti amo Stella!
Service is top notch. I felt like I was in a restaurant in Italy while dining here. The servers know every ingredient in each dish and why it belongs there. Definitely recommend as a great place to beat the crowds for lunch.

What a awesome surprise! Had dinner here since I was staying nearby, after searching for places on Unilocal I read great reviews and decided to give it a try. I had the best Funghi pasta ever! It was from heaven! Funghi with truffle oil, divine! It taste like Italy!
Jo was my server and he was great, can’t wait to come back! Thanks Jo for the wonderful service and talk!

So, let me first start off by saying that this restaurant provided such a great experience that I felt compelled to make a Unilocal account to share my glowing review! I was having a craving (preggo) for some authentic Italian fare and this place delivered! Antonio, our Italian server, was just an absolute delight. He was so attentive and we never had to ask for anything. He was on it!
Now let’s talk food. I got the tortellini with ricotta and spinach in this rich and delicious vodka cream sauce! This was so flipping delicious! It’s one of those meals that I got full ²⁄₃ of the way into my meal but I couldn’t stop because I needed consume all of that amazing– ness! So my boyfriend (who is still in food coma by the way) got their off the menu seafood pasta dish special of the night! This was tagliolini pasta cooked in a light white wine sauce and accompanied by fresh clams, mussels, and calamari and a wonderful blend of tomatoes and spices! My boyfriend had never tried clams or mussels before but was feeling extra daring tonight! Let’s just say that I’m pretty sure he is obsessed with them now. By far, the best authentic Italian meal we have ever had.
We will be back here 100% without a doubt!
Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a nice meal… You will not regret it:)
See you next time Antonio! Grazie!

We went last night before a piano recital at the Auditorium at The Scripps Research Institute.
Nice big open room with sparse, but interesting decoration. Our server «Sobhy» did a good job of explaining the «dips» and specials for the evening, as well as keeping the food coming with perfect timing.
There was a woman there with her baby, and an older woman. The kid started screaming and bawling about ¾ of the way through the meal, and it went on for a while. I have made it a habit to avoid restaurants that have screaming children and have done a good job of doing so… please…if you bring your child to a restaurant and it starts screaming… step outside and deal with it… pronto!!!
We started with Insalata Caprese ($ 14.00). The tomatoes were pretty much unripened (see photo), but they did have great flavor, and the seasonings and presentation were pretty much spot on. We had Chianti for me ($ 10.00/glass) and Pinot Grigio for her (same cost). Decent wines.
I had the Penne Del Bettolone ($ 18.00) with gluten free pasta, and my lovely wife had the Butternut Squash Ravioli ($ 18.00).
The penne itself was perfectly cooked. The dish was served with a light tomato cream sauce and is composed of prosciutto, peas, garlic and mushrooms. About that garlic… I love garlic… but for the love of all that is holy, any dish with WHOLE cloves of garlic should be slow cooked… and that was not the case here. Whole, almost raw cloves of garlic provided that special pep that only whole cloves of garlic can. I spent a fair part of my meal slicing garlic cloves into smaller bits.
She loved the ravioli, said the sauce was light and the dish was seasoned well and delicious.
We ended with gelato, coffee for her and vanilla for me… bit spendy at $ 7.00 per dish.
Will definitely go back to try more of the menu, and get a better feel for the room. We left at about 6:45 pm last night, and the restaurant was getting quite filled up.

Tagliolini ai tre Crostacei for $ 24 features homemade pasta with lobster, crab, and shrimp, in a marinara sauce that has a hint of heat, but isn’t actually very spicy. At this price, I expect to be feeling ecstatic about my pasta. For me, it was an enjoyable dish, but the shrimp wasn’t tender enough. The flavors were a little mild for me. This pasta is on the dinner menu. I’d also prefer the pasta to be al dente.
My friend and I split the excellent Insalata Esotica, and the kitchen split it for us. It was a generous size for $ 13, and big enough for 2 people. Baby arugula, hearts of palm and avocado were blessed with fresh mozzarella and shaved parmigiano, and dressed in balsamic vinaigrette. The balance of flavors and textures was delightful in this refreshing salad.
On a previous visit, I was impressed with the Penne Pollo Broccoli & Pomodori Secchi, a pasta on the lunch menu for $ 14. The light cream sauce is delicious.
Stella Italianfare brings a fresh taste of Italy to the UTC area. The food is good, and the wine list includes excellent Italian wines. This is a pricey restaurant, and when guests pay these prices, naturally they will expect consistently high quality. I recommend that you try Stella, especially if you like good Olive oil imported from Umbria, and a good Parmigiano Reggiano.

From the reviews it seems that this place can be ‘hit or miss’. The main complaint seems to be the non-​attentive staff — and when I was sitting there, reading the reviews, — it’s not they are inattentive, it’s because they are European (Italian). It’s the same type of service as you would get in Italy, France, etc. And it is irritating waiting for things like water, like refills, like your check… because we are impatient Americans! Well, not really, we just require a different level of service — the constant check-​up. But there is a polite balance.
With that being said, Stella attempts to be an upscale Italian fare — whereas Lorna’s would be more family fare. My meal was just OK. I like real Italian food — and it was good — this place could easily hit a 5 star Italian restaurant in an area with little to no competition. I had the Pesto and Shrimp with ribbon pasta. I was hoping for more flavor from the Pesto — something with a punch. I couldn’t tell if there was garlic or not — it tasted like it had less flavor than a Knorr packet. The shrimp and pasta was just a tad over cooked (if just pulled off the stove 5 minutes earlier). It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. I like they make their own pasta — but they should specialize in something that really separates them any competition — like a homemade ravioli with fillings.
But for the price and quality — I felt I got a three star meal at a potential 5 star place. It is pricey — so you expect the meal to reflect the price. Would I try them again? I just don’t know. I’ll wait to see what my other Unilocalers say in the future.

We met my parents here for an impromptu, Valentine’s Day lunch with my parents shopping in the area. My Dad turned a milestone of a birthday the week before and received one of those San Diego Restaurant Gift Cards sold at Costco from a long time friend that can be used at participating San Diego restaurants.
When my Mom told me they wanted to use that gift card, I searched online to see which restaurants in the area accepted those cards in the UTC area. Fortunately, Stella Italianfaire UTC did and had reservations available for Noon.
When we arrived at Noon, we were literally the only customers there. They might have just opened, but we were able to pick any seat to dine at. Our water goblets were filled quickly after we seated ourselves and our server took our drink order as we glanced over the menu with our lunch options.
My husband and I already had set dinner reservations at another Italian restaurant in La Jolla, so I didn’t want to eat any pasta here. The salmon limone sounded good, so I ordered that while my hubby ordered the meatball sandwich with fries. My Dad usually orders a salad when we’re out, so he topped his with a grilled salmon. Mom ordered the sea bass accompanied with green beans, but also got a small minestrone soup to start off with… turned out to be a good sized bowl for my parents to share.
The restaurant slowly started to fill up, but only with two other parties as we waited for our food to come out. For it being really empty, we waited a while for our food to come out. When we all looked at the time on our phones, over twenty-​five minutes had passed, I don’t think it should have taken that long to prep our food, but it was a little bothersome since we knew we were the first customers there and they weren’t busy.
When our entrees finally came out, I was surprised by the plating of the fish entrees my Mom and I had. They basically put it on an oversized cutting board and drizzled it with vinaigrette. Although it looked creative, the flavors of the salmon and overcooked, sauteed spinach didn’t deliver. My Mom salted her fish a few times more than she should have, but oh well, it is what it is.
As we were eating our lunch, I know it’s routine for our server to follow up to see how everything was. I don’t know if they don’t communicate this to one another, but we were asked this three times in less than five minutes. Our sever came once, the guy that poured our water came after him asking the same thing, then our server came back again. We gave a polite nod, but thought it was odd that we were asked this three times.
Overall, the food was okay and they need to step up their pace with the slow service. A solid three stars, but a full five stars for the abundance of their twice cooked fries that accompanied my hubby’s meatball sandwich, those were really good!