Slider Envy

Café Stella is simply the best in town

by Jeff mIller

It’s happened to all of us. We sit down in a restaurant, we study the menu, we make our selection, and then something spectacular is delivered to another (smarter) diner at the table next door.

This, sadly, happened to me a while back. It happened at Le Café Stella. And the delight that went to the other (unworthy) diner was the beef sliders.

So we returned recently and got revenge. I ordered the lamb sliders. Connie got the beef version. And we made sure to groan with delight with every bite to make our neighbors jealous.

It’s been said that Le Café Stella’s sliders are among the best in town and I can’t argue. My father, a career restaurant man, said burgers are all about the bun, and I think he would have applauded Stella’s. Manager Jason Hernandez describes these brioche buns as “soft and buttery,” which makes me want to run right back for another plank of them.

Yes, they arrive on little planks of wood, perhaps the better to slide right onto your palate. There are three varieties: lamb (with harissa aioli and arugula), chicken (with fontina cheese) and beef (with caramelized onions, bacon and bleu cheese). I asked manager Hernandez straight up if these are the best in town and he modestly said, “Well, ours are pretty good,” also noting, “Nobody does lamb but us.” (I happen to be a big lamb fan, so I heartily approve).

Most burger historians agree that the slider was invented in Wichita, Kansas, way back in 1916 by Walter Anderson, who would soon invent White Castle and the whole fast-food phenomenon. Why he thought the world needed a small five-cent burger is unclear but he was right. You might be hard-pressed to find an American of a certain age who has never indulged in a sack of Castles.

A hard-line burger purist might see the words “aioli” and “arugula” and say that’s a divergence from the original. But walk past that purist with a plank of Stella’s sliders and deliver them to my table, then listen. That’s a purist changing his tune.

Louie’s is a hidden gem

offering creative and up-to-date Californian cuisine with spot-on service. Its bistro-like space is located inside the 130-year-old Hotel Upham, and reflects the charm and tradition of its Victorian location, with a jazzy, comfortable feel all its own. The romantic atmosphere can be experienced dining cozily inside or outside on an old-fashioned heated verandah. Choice selections from the well-stocked wine bar are served with extraordinary fresh seafood, pastas, filet mignon and a changing menu of specialties.

Food 26

Decor 21

Service 25

Cost $47