After having thoroughly enjoyed two mesmerizing Estela brunches in the past year, my excitement around my upcoming dinner reservation there was palpable. Chef Ignacio Mattos’s reputation – honed through years at Il Buco and later, Chez Panisse, then sprinkled with a feature episode on Chef’s Table – had preceded him. The restaurant’s accolades, inclusive of a recent Michelin star as well as a place on the world’s 50 best restaurants list, were cherries on top of my experienced-fueled anticipation.
The restaurant, a modern day bistro equipped with brick walls, marble tables and soft wood, was at times hectic throughout the dinner service as multiple waiters carrying shareable small plates, wines, and water refills gracefully dodged one another as patrons continued to enter the space in a never-ending fashion. The sound ebbed and flowed throughout the night along with the capacity and alcohol consumption.
The wines are deliciously thoughtful, and all natural. The list we were told, was recently refined to include lighter wines, more likely to complement the food versus overwhelm it. The menu is both familiar and surprising. It includes classics like burrata, tartare and scallops – but then turns them on their head with respective pairings such as salsa verde, crispy sunchokes and whipped potato.
Estela was the type of meal where I was sad to have one course end yet anxiously, excitedly anticipated the next. The raw scallops were a temperature and texture all raw scallops should have. The whipped potato and sea fennel, its fluffy and salty accompaniments, paired so perfectly you’d wonder how you’ve never tried it before. This dish is simply a must-order…but then again so are most.
Dishes that ordinarily would have been skipped like the endive salad were a standout. The crunchy leaves were splashed with an oily dressing and complemented with rich and full flavors of walnut, anchovy and cheese. A former endive-hater at our table was immediately a convert after just one bite.
The lamb ribs were covered in seasoning, perhaps a little too much so taking away from the excellent and simple taste of the meat itself. The fluke and uni seemed bland to me (a self-proclaimed uni lover!) and the portion of circular diced fish was too small for a second spoon at our table of 5 to allow me to change my mind.
The ricotta dumplings – such a fan favorite that they cover both brunch and dinner menus – could possibly be my best bite this year. Soft and pillowy the dumpling is complemented with a thin, crisp slice of King mushroom. The shroomy umami (sounds like a band name!) sauce is delectable. I dream about this bite. If there must be one dish only on your table, make sure it is this one.
The dessert menu is slim with just three offerings. Your best bet for something sweet is a pudding-esque panna cotta. The chocolate cake is surprisingly bitter but the creamy whip offsets it nicely. Quite personally I would have been happy with another dumpling, but I’ll have to save that for my dreams.
Coleslaw Etc. 