First look at Stella by Jose Garces, by the river in New Hope
It’s a comfy, tavernlike American small-plater with a bar. The deck overlooks the Delaware.
Talk about “new hope.”
Chef Jose Garces, on the ropes last year when his restaurant empire was sold during bankruptcy, has emerged with his name on a new restaurant in New Hope.
Stella by Jose Garces (50 S. Main St., 267-740-7131) boasts a river view off the deck of the new Ghost Light Inn, across the parking lot from Bucks County Playhouse. Garces and his corporate overlords from Ballard Brands have installed a comfy, tavernlike American small-plater, open now for dinner Wednesday to Sunday. (Bar opens at 4 p.m., dining room at 4:30.) Chipper service, too.
Cocktails, all $13, include the Stage Left, with a strip of cucumber wrapped around the inside of a glass of gin, lime, and mint.
Dishes include a list of spreads, such as duck liver mousse ($8) studded with onion, radish, and citrus and served with three rounds of griddled sourdough. Spaghetti pie ($18) was a super-rich pasta, almost a savory kugel, in which white cheddar cream held it together; a server poured a black truffle and wild mushroom emulsion into the middle. There’s a $55 tasting, and a $25 wine-pairing option.
Menu is here.
Valet parking is available out front. Reservations are handled via OpenTable, though walk-ins are accommodated.