Stellar Trattoria Stella: The Stars Twinkle for New Italian Destination at Grand Traverse Commons

Aug. 11, 2004

Part of the fun of dining at the new Trattoria Stella in the Grand Traverse Commons is imagining that you’re in an ancient Italian monastery, pallazo or wine cellar.
That fantasy is encouraged by the tremendous architecture of the restaurant’s location in the southern end of Building 50 -- one of the largest historical preservation projects in the country at present. Built in the 1880s, the former mental hospital has the look of a fairytale castle and comes as close to a sense of antiquity as it’s possible to find in Northern Michigan.
Stella brims with atmosphere. The brick walls of the restaurant are two feet thick and a graceful series of arches conjures an Old World sense of intimacy and charm. That’s especially true down one narrow passage of multiple arches and quiet alcoves which lends itself to visions of candlelight, the tinkle of wine glasses and the murmer of romance over a fine meal.
“We wanted to have a space that has a sense of history to it,” says Amanda Danielson, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband Paul. “It gives the restaurant a sense of place and community similar to what you’d find in Italy, which is very old. With this community in particular, we wanted to build a neighborhood restaurant and bar with that same kind of feel.”

DINING PHILOSOPHY
The Danielsons have also adopted Italian ideals on the creation of their menu, which emphasizes fresh-daily food drawn from throughout the region. So far, that approach has generated a packed dining room and rave word-of-mouth reviews since Stella opened in early July.
“We change our menu twice a day based on what’s fresh and available,” Amanda says. “Our fish is flown in from Hawaii and Maine and we get as much of our produce locally as possible.”
The fresh food philosophy is drawn from the heart and soul of Italian ideas on dining. “It goes back to the fresh regional food you find in Italy, where everything is obtained locally that day,” she says. “Italy is so regional and diverse and we respect the principles on which the food is based. There, they pull a fish from the water and serve it fresh the same day with a wine from a vineyard next door.”
She adds that Stella offers dishes popular all over Italy and its two large islands, rather than those of a single region. “Italy offers a lot of seafood and shellfish as well as heartier foods from the interior. Our menu doesn’t come from any single region of Italy, although I would characterize it as contemporary Italian.”

NEW OPPORTUNITY
The Danielsons moved to Traverse City from Birmingham where they were both active in the restaurant industry. Amanda has a special interest in wine, and has opened restaurants around the world for Elias Brothers and T.G.I.F., including a six-month stint in Brazil. Paul opened the Big Rock Steak and Brewhouse in Birmingham and was also employed by Sweet Lorraine’s and at D’Amato’s in Royal Oak.
“We knew when we met each other that we both had the same goal to open a restaurant,” Amanda recalls. “In the course of our relationship, we realized that our vision was exactly the same.”
The couple chose their site in the Grand Traverse Commons a year ago and had an instant affinity with project developer Ray Minervini and his family, who share a love of Italian food. They were also fortunate to secure the talents of chef Myles Anton who moved here from the suburban Detroit area to help launch the restaurant.
For the uninitiated, a trattoria is Italian for a small, family-owned community restaurant. Typically, a trattoria’s food is purchased fresh at a market each day, and when a serving of a particular item runs out, that’s it.
Stella is an Italian word for “star,” and it happens to be the name of the Danielson’s pet Labrador retriever as well. Stella is meant to invoke both a sense of Italy and the northern resonance of the North Star.

PERFECT FIT
Having found a perfect fit in terms of location and cuisine, the Danielsons are making plans to be here for the long haul, especially since they are expecting the birth of their first child in December.
“We’re planning to be part of this community for the next 25 years of our lives,” Amanda says. “With that in mind, we’re trying to offer prices that are very reasonable -- not expensive at all. For us, it’s not a matter of squeezing every dollar we can from the customers -- it’s maximizing our sense of community.”
To that end, Stella has already begun supporting cultural institutions in the area such as Interlochen Public Radio, WNMC-FM, the Dennos Museum Center and Old Town Playhouse. The Danielsons also plan to have community education programs beginning this winter, such as classes in wine and Italian cooking.

THE BASICS
So, what’s for dinner when you dine at the 6,000-square-foot restaurant which has seating for 140 in three distinct dining rooms, along with a 45-seat bar?
Although the menu changes daily, some favorite standards include a bruchetta with marinated local tomatoes, shaved garlic, fresh mozzarella and basil on toasted crostini. Two other regular favorites include a spiraling pasta cavatappi with grilled chicken, baby spinach and roasted garlic cream, as well as a traditional spaghetti with meatballs.
The dinner menu for Aug. 1 included six antipasti, including a beef carpaccio; Maine Peeky toe crab cakes; a white pizza with three cheeses and roasted garlic; a funghi pizza with crimini mushrooms, asparagus, goat and mozzarella cheeses; and a red pizza with roasted tomato sauce, pancetta, pepperoni and tuma cheese. Add to that two soup choices: a rich tomato-based minestrone and a cream of mushroom with roasted portabella.
Insalata? The choices included a classic Caesar with white anchovies; bib lettuce with fennel and Macintosh apples; blanched green beans with gorgonzola cheese and lemon-garlic oil; teardrop tomatoes with arugula, mozzarella and basil; and field greens with pine nuts, red onion and goat cheese.
For pasta, there was the aforementioned cavatappi as well as a ravioli stuffed with porcini mushrooms and fontina cheese; and a penne tossed with Italian sausage, broccoli raab, mozzarella and basil pesto.
“Frutti di mare, pollame & carne” included a grilled sashimi-grade blue marlin with a parmesean risotto; Atlantic striped bass with polenta and grilled asparagus; a grilled pork loin served with ravioli stuffed with ground pork, dates and onions; a flat iron steak with whipped potatoes and sauteed mushrooms; a veal scallopine with seared proscioutto; and a filet mignon with yellow wax beans. Prices run $16-$17 on the pasta dishes and $18-$32 on entrees.

LET’S DO LUNCH
Lunchtime includes several of the popular dinner offerings as well as a selection of scrambled egg frittatas created with diverse ingredients such as Italian sausage, artichoke hearts with baby spinach; and sauteed shrimp with red peppers. Lunch also includes tramezzini sandwiches on grilled focaccia with a tomato-basil relish. The offerings include roasted beef tenderloin, chopped steak with a roasted portobello, chicken breast with onion marmalade and tuma cheese, Genoa salami and grilled zucchini, among others.
Bear in mind this is a partial list, as chef Anton changes the menu daily, adding an exotic melange of ingredients to his creations. For the full story, check it out yourself. And do be an early bird if possible since Stella doesn’t take reservations unless it’s a party of six or more. Fortunately, there’s a large bar with a friendly feel at the heart of the restaurant -- the perfect place to savor the atmosphere of this imaginative new dining experience.

Trattoria Stella is located at the south end of Building 50 on the Grand Traverse Commons grounds at the former State Hospital in Traverse City. Phone: 231-929-8989.