Lo Stella Ristorante

The Golden Triangle space that houses Lo Stella Ristorante has seen a number of Italian joints come and go. But Lo Stella has history on its side: It’s an offshoot of Lo Stella in Portofino, Italy, which has been turning out family recipes and regional specialties for 165 years. This outpost is owned by Alessandro Polo, who worked at the family restaurant (now run by his father and sister) until he was 24, and his chef spent five years in the kitchen there, so the two eateries have much in common. Lo Stella specializes in housemade pastas such as pansoti, an herb-stuffed ravioli in walnut sauce; tagliatelle Bolognese (his grandmother’s recipe); and the standout pappardelle al pesto. However, execution and service snafus sometimes get in the way of its old-world charm.