04/20/09

Now Stella's. Not as good as Cafe Star or the old Stella's

by linnstanley

I was a big fan of Cafe Star and went there the other night only to find that the restaurant had changed to mirror Stella's Trattoria, run by the same people. I always thought of Cafe Star to be a step up from Stella's (which I still love) and was disappointed by the change. And even with the same menu as Stella's,the food is not as good as the original, located in the Highlands. I hear the brunch menu is still the same as Cafe Star's old menu, but if the chefs have changed, I'm a little wary.

• Pros: Food is "good"
• Cons: Food is only "good"

02/24/09

Cafe Star Has Lost Its Luster

by den123

Like Mizuna, Rioja and Barolo Grill, Cafe Star was an old reliable on our fine dining list. However, ever since Chef Rebecca moved to NYC in the fall of 2007, the food has really gone down hill. The steak was undercooked and over-sauced; the jus covered the entire plate and that's just not necessary. The shrimp appetizer wasn't noteworthy, just boring and bland. The salad with hot bacon dressing came cold and too early (right after we got the shrimp app); no, the dressing was not cold b/c we had to wait to eat it, it was cold on arrival. The salad came with mozzarella cheese, which was much too bland for the spinach and bacon dressing; would have been better with a strong blue or goat. And pickled onions on a spinach/bacon salad? No, raw red would have been fine. The whole combination just didn't work.

Besides not presenting the wine, the server filled our proper wine glasses so much that the wine couldn't breath. Not that we care about presentation that much, it was just a sign of how the experience quality has lessened. Unless we hear the food has improved, we won't be going back again. But that's okay, b/c we look at it as an opportunity to try other great places in the city. We were going there so often that we never tried other great places in Denver. (originally written 1/21/08 and posted in Westword.)

• Pros: Fun Atmosphere
• Cons: Parking, Inexperienced Servers

12/18/08

Cafe Star, RIP

by writeon1

THIS JUST IN: CAFE STAR HAS CLOSED AND WILL BE REPLACED WITH STELLA'S. YUCK!!

Here is another example of an originally unique restaurant, ruined by identity crisis. Yes, it was tragic when the chef who created their outstanding menu defected to NYC. But is it really that hard to imitate some of what she was doing? Is there no one in the kitchen capable of any creativity? And for gosh sakes, why remove some of the dishes for which you were best known??? Gone are the refreshing Mediterranean salad, the amazing escargot bread pudding and several of the other items I literally used to crave and couldn't get anyplace else. Instead, we have boring pizzettas, more pastas and just a more mediocre selection overall. The weekend brunch still stands, and those selections are as delicious as they are inventive but overall, the lousy, inept service coupled with the trashing of the dinner menu really, really disappoints. We used to be really loyal regulars but after they 86'd my favorite cocktail on the menu and installed the bizarre movie night screen in the bar, it was the last straw. That bar is a gorgeous, hidden gem- made for adults who appreciate real cocktails and the opportunity to sip them in hip surroundings. Why destroy that with movie nights and crappy drinks you could get at Bennigan's? Sorry, but I'm in the market for something different and unfortunately, Cafe Star's desire to conform is working all too well.