Emma G.
Yelp
Based on some of the issues that occurred during my meal here, this easily could have been a more negative review. However, this was a classic case of some really positive intangibles negating some of the negatives, which to me is an overall selling point and makes this a solid recommendation. The Millennial Chum and I came here for brunch this past Sunday in the middle of a Stockton/Lambertville/New Hope canal loop hike, both pretty hungry. I was very appreciative of the fact that this place let us in with our hiking clothes/backpacks, despite the obvious upper-class vibe going on. Stella is right next to the Bucks County Playhouse and boasts some gorgeous Delaware River views. We were the most casually dressed people in the room, but no judgment from anyone - love an unpretentious fancy restaurant.
We were told by the hostess as we were brought to our table that we had her favorite waitress, Jordan. It's honestly pretty unusual for me to encounter an endorsement like that at the beginning of a restaurant experience, but I'd have to say it was a pretty deserved one in hindsight. An absolute superstar. Very personable and professional, with great presentation skills. This isn't exactly a lengthy diner-esque menu but she demonstrated strong knowledge of the dishes and went out of her way to tell us her personal favorites. Love that touch.
I decided to sup on a cocktail since we were earning so many calories with our hike, and went with the As It Should Be ($17), featuring pomegranate, prosecco and rosemary. It was above average and hit the spot. Obviously if you're not in the mood for something tart I'd stay away, especially since the rosemary doesn't dull that tartness at all. I ended up having two of them, though I'd say these should have been closer to $14 or $15.
I opted for the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with the fresh strawberries addition ($14 + $2 for the add-on). Delicious and absolutely hit the spot. Sometimes that lemon flavoring can be overwhelming, but this was the perfect, delicate tart touch, complemented by the sweetness of the strawberries. I never put butter on my pancakes (I know. I'm in the minority.) but I usually do put a bit of syrup on them. I did do that here, but it wasn't necessary - there's enough taste without enhancing it with the condiments. After massive peer pressure by the Millennial Chum, I reluctantly agreed to also split the Buttermilk Biscuit Eggs Benedict with Pork Roll ($13) - I literally had had Eggs Benedict less than 24 hours earlier - and had to admit they were great too. I'm not a pork roll fan, so I removed that prior to munching, but it was pretty much perfect. I definitely prefer biscuits with Eggs Benedict dishes for texture reasons and because it assists in soaking up some of the sauce goodness. It's a bit of a small portion for the price though. As mentioned, I had a full entrée beyond this and was able to eat my half of the Benedict with no issues. I don't think I'd get that again, at least not by itself. The Millennial Chum got the House-Made Toasted Almond & Sunflower Seed Granola ($11), which based on the portion was probably the only dish with a legit price point. She was just okay with it and said it was a bit bland.
This honestly would have been a pretty amazing experience except we had to wait over an hour for our food to arrive. That's just too long, even on a lazy Sunday. There was a baby shower or similar event being held in the next room, which very likely contributed to the delays - I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume this was an out of the ordinary situation. Regardless, our waitress stopped by often with updates, apologizing and letting us know that they were short-staffed and would get our food out as soon as possible. Yes, ideally we would have liked to have had meals in front of us in half the time. But in the event of significant delays, this was handled by the waitress about as well as it could have been. Big points there.
I'd absolutely stop by again, but I might hesitate if I saw a bunch of well-dressed partygoers with balloons, etc. coming in at the same time.