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Restaurant notes: New in Chestnut Hill

Stella Sera replaces Bocelli, and how about some DIY Thai?

Dining in Chestnut Hill ebbs and flows.

To recap some recent developments:

Solaris Grille, Cuba, and Bocelli folded up their tents all within the month.

But things are looking up.

Chip Roman and Jason Cichonski are developing a bistro for Cuba's space at 8609 Germantown.

Bocelli, an Italian BYOB at 8630 Germantown Ave. for two years, reopened the other day as Stella Sera under Anis Kharroubi, one of the former partners. (Bocelli's location in Gwynedd Valley remains.) Stella Sera's menu is larger and includes more homemade pasta than its predecessor's. Most entrees are $15 to $22, though the veal chop runs higher. It's open every night for dinner for now and is cash only; starting in February, Monday-Saturday lunch will be added.

Then there's the space in the Top of the Hill Plaza (8705 Germantown) last occupied by Shundeez (we old-timers remember it as Roller's original spot). Atchara and Steve Cooley are developing it as a pan-Asian BYOB called Thai Kuu and they hope to open in February. Menu will be predominantly Thai -- as is her background -- but one feature will be hot stones delivered to the table so customers can cook their own meals.

Self-cooking? Calls to mind the space in the Chestnut Hill Hotel vacant since the Melting Pot pulled out in April 2009.