A Place Called Stella's
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
No visit to Ithaca, NY would be complete without a brief stop at our locally famous coffee house and part time whiskey bar, Stella's. Stella's is locating in the heart of Ithaca's bustling College Town, at 403 College Avenue. Stella's itself is seperated in to two parts, the Coffee house and the Whiskey bar.
The coffee house was the original Stella's and was opened in the early 90's. It had an old European feel to it and quickly became the home to brooding writers, cynics, marxist revialists, and all other manner of people looking for a dark and smokey place in which to waste away the hours of thier lives. the coffee isn't the kind you get at most places. This coffee is made from high quality beans which are then freshly ground, and turned in to a very dark, and very powerful brew that has become the hallmark of the Stella's community. Of course their are many other coffee-based drinks to partake from. The fine folks at Stella's have come up with a selection that is rarely rivaled. Their unique names and blend of flavors give each drink it's own character and distinct charm that is seldom reproduced in other establishments of this kind. Any regular will be able to write a lengthy essay on their favorite drink of choice explaining to you why it grabs them and inspires them. For me it's just a coffee, black. Not to be a one pony show the coffee house also provides a fine array of foods that are all reasonably priced. Like the selection of drinks the foods have a special distinctness that make them an apetizing experience.
The more recent addition to Stella's has been the Whiskey bar which took over the adjoining store in the mid-nineties. It took almost no time for the Whiskey bar side of Stella's to build up a groud of regulars of their own (and some regulars have been known to cross-populate the two halfs). While the one side focused on student would-be revolutionaries, the Whiskey bar reached out to the hipster, 60's throw back community, and also tried to grab those festive days when jazz reigned supreme on the music scene. The drinks are definately the latest in trendy and hip. They provide a wide range of alcoholic mixed beverages and are staffed by an all-in-black knowledgable staff that knows just the drink you're looking for. Their martini's aren't half bad, a sign of a truly sophisticated place. Of course they have the same wonderful selection of food that the other half offers. Except they tend to have a much better presentation of it as they are more designed for dining. The downstairs part of the Whiskey bar is where the real fun begins. Downstairs are tables and a nice stage where many local and regional jazz bands come to bring their blend of music, playing toa crowd that really feels and understands it in that way only a hipster can. They also do a lot of spoken word which gives them a reputation for high class and intelligent thoguht.
Each part of Stella's has a charm all it's own. While one half might not always be for everyone, the other one will generally reach out and grab you.
The coffee house was the original Stella's and was opened in the early 90's. It had an old European feel to it and quickly became the home to brooding writers, cynics, marxist revialists, and all other manner of people looking for a dark and smokey place in which to waste away the hours of thier lives. the coffee isn't the kind you get at most places. This coffee is made from high quality beans which are then freshly ground, and turned in to a very dark, and very powerful brew that has become the hallmark of the Stella's community. Of course their are many other coffee-based drinks to partake from. The fine folks at Stella's have come up with a selection that is rarely rivaled. Their unique names and blend of flavors give each drink it's own character and distinct charm that is seldom reproduced in other establishments of this kind. Any regular will be able to write a lengthy essay on their favorite drink of choice explaining to you why it grabs them and inspires them. For me it's just a coffee, black. Not to be a one pony show the coffee house also provides a fine array of foods that are all reasonably priced. Like the selection of drinks the foods have a special distinctness that make them an apetizing experience.
The more recent addition to Stella's has been the Whiskey bar which took over the adjoining store in the mid-nineties. It took almost no time for the Whiskey bar side of Stella's to build up a groud of regulars of their own (and some regulars have been known to cross-populate the two halfs). While the one side focused on student would-be revolutionaries, the Whiskey bar reached out to the hipster, 60's throw back community, and also tried to grab those festive days when jazz reigned supreme on the music scene. The drinks are definately the latest in trendy and hip. They provide a wide range of alcoholic mixed beverages and are staffed by an all-in-black knowledgable staff that knows just the drink you're looking for. Their martini's aren't half bad, a sign of a truly sophisticated place. Of course they have the same wonderful selection of food that the other half offers. Except they tend to have a much better presentation of it as they are more designed for dining. The downstairs part of the Whiskey bar is where the real fun begins. Downstairs are tables and a nice stage where many local and regional jazz bands come to bring their blend of music, playing toa crowd that really feels and understands it in that way only a hipster can. They also do a lot of spoken word which gives them a reputation for high class and intelligent thoguht.
Each part of Stella's has a charm all it's own. While one half might not always be for everyone, the other one will generally reach out and grab you.
