Stella's — Restaurant in Taos

As an erstwhile denizen of the culinary underworld, I regrettably recount my tenure within the lamentable confines of Restaurant. My brief dalliance with this gastronomic purveyor was akin to a descent into the abyss, where the shimmering façade of culinary excellence masked a harrowing reality of squalor and neglect. Within the sequestered sanctum of the kitchen, where dreams of culinary mastery are birthed and nurtured, I beheld a scene of unparalleled disarray. The air, thick with the fetid miasma of neglect, bore witness to a symphony of malodorous discord. The very essence of cleanliness, a virtue sacrosanct to the culinary craft, was but a distant memory amidst the labyrinthine recesses of this culinary Hades. The culinary mise en place, a sacred tableau upon which the alchemy of gastronomy is wrought, lay ensnared amidst a cacophony of chaos and disarray. Utensils, tarnished and forlorn, bore witness to a legacy of neglect, their once-shimmering visage now obscured beneath a patina of culinary detritus. The countertops, a testament to the passage of time and the indifference of man, lay obscured beneath a veil of grime and neglect, their once-pristine surfaces now marred by the indelible stains of neglect. But it was within the dark recesses of the culinary larder that the true horror of Restaurant revealed itself in all its ghastly splendor. Here, amidst the cobweb-shrouded expanse of culinary oblivion, lay the veritable heart of darkness, where ingredients once vibrant and vital now languished in a state of abject decay. Produce, once bursting with the promise of culinary excellence, now lay ensnared within a fetid morass of rot and decay, their pungent aroma a haunting lament for culinary potential unrealized. In conclusion, my tenure within the hallowed confines of Restaurant was a lamentable odyssey through the annals of culinary neglect. Bereft of cleanliness, organization, or even basic competence, it stands as a damning indictment of all that is lamentable within the culinary realm. I implore all who would venture into its murky depths to heed my cautionary tale, lest they too become ensnared within its...

Let me preface this with a little background info. I am a local teacher. Every time my family comes into town we try to make it to Stella's. My Dad as a surprise bought my mom a set of thier unique silverwear.

Stella's aggreed to donate a gift certificate for a fundraiser I am coordinating for my students. When I called to ask to speak to the owner the man on the other end kept asking how many for my dinner reservation. I explained I wasn't calling for dinner but to speak to the owner. He hung up on me. I called back assuming it was a mistake; it wasn't. The man told me he was just speaking to me and if I wasn't calling to make a reservation he had no interest in speaking to me. I asked for the owner or a manager again the man said he wasn't present. I explained that the owner already agreed to donate a gift certificate for the restaurant and I was calling to see if I could pick it up that day.

The man replied by saying he doesn't know who I spoke too, and he doesn't care about what I have to say unless I'm making reservations. He then accused me of lying because of my area code being 505 instead of 575, to which I told him that I moved to the area recently when I was offered the teaching position. He then asked when the last time I ate at Stella's was and said that I was being extremely pushy. I continued to be polite and apologized if I came off as pushy. I asked the man to please leave my contact information so the owner could give me a call. The man then said that if I wanted to see the owner I should make a reservation and actually eat at their restaurant instead of asking for handouts and to stop bothering him he then hung up on me again.

I was very upset after this encounter. My family and I have met and spoken to the owner who was a very nice guy. I can't believe that staff at this restaurant would speak to customers this way, especially ones who teach locally! The business already agreed to donate. It's bad business to be rude and disrespectful to local teachers. I guess my family and I will need to find a new place as our regular...

Summary: Do not eat here if you have Celiac disease. Also, this place is run by a very rude owner.

We visited this restaurant last night after researching gluten free restaurants in Taos. My wife has celiac disease so we were happy to see numerous mentions of gluten free options on the menu.

We had reservations right when they open at 5:00 (our two young kids eat early). We were seated and the owner took our order. I mentioned to him that my wife has celiac to double check that they could accommodate. His response was quite strange. He kept repeating that “We are an Italian restaurant.” and “We have cheese on everything.” He does not seem to know what gluten is despite the numerous mentions on the menu.

I, again, tried to explain to the owner that my wife has a disease so I needed to understand if they could accommodate. I point blank asked if we should find a different restaurant to eat. He assured me they could accommodate and brushed off his comments as “dry Italian humor.”

While we waited for our food, many of the staff members arrived. If you plan on visiting this place, you probably don’t want the first reservation.

The food arrived and my wife’s gluten free lemon chicken dish had a piece of bread on the plate. Anyone with celiac dreads this moment. I had to inform them that they would need to remake the dish instead of just removing the bread.

The owner heard that we sent the dish back and yelled the f word, loud enough that my kids heard.

A nice lady stopped by our table to assure us that they would remake the dish, that the kitchen knows what to do, and that the owner just forgot to list gluten free on the order.

I ordered a piece of chocolate cake for the kids which, while it was listed as gluten free on the menu, they said was not appropriate for someone with celiac. They did end up comping...