My Dad and Stepmom were in town this week. With only one evening for a dinner, I made sure to pick a winner. Estela has been receiving a lot of good press lately (check out articles here and here), so I was excited to take it all in.
Estela is located in the Nolita area of NYC just off of Houston & Mulberry. It is the brainchild of former Blue Hill Stone Farm beverage direction Thomas Carter and James-Beard nominated chef Ignacio Matos. This small plates style restaurant is meant to be enjoyed with others. The dishes are creative, full of flavor and extremely unique.
First came Burrata with Salsa Verde over Charred Bread.
Next came Beef Tartare with Sunchoke. The Sunchoke was chopped up with the Beef which created a lovely contrast of crunchy and tender.
Moving to the heavier dishes we nibbled on Lamb Ribs with Charmoula and Honey...
...and then Quail with Grapes, Parsley and Ajo Blanco.
If we did not have enough, two more came. Here is the Ricotta Dumplings with Mushrooms Pecorino Sardo. The round disks on top are thinly shaves mushrooms.
And finally, Mackerel with Butter Beans and Nettles.
Needless to say we were stuffed. The food was delicious and the staff was extremely helpful and knowledgable. They also have an on sight sommelier available to help you navigate the expansive wine list.
Love catching up with family over a great meal. Estela is a wonderful place to splurge and order a lot or to share a dish at the bar with a friend over a glass of wine.
Bon Apetit!
