Stella Kenwood Restaurant | The JetSetting Fashionista

The Incredible Stella Kenwood Restaurant

In the heart of Sonoma wine country, Stella Kenwood offers a fresh take on Italian cuisine, blending traditional flavors with California’s seasonal bounty. Opened on March 1, 2025, by the esteemed team behind Glen Ellen Star, this new venture has quickly become a culinary destination. Read more about The Incredible Stella Kenwood Restaurant below.

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Culinary Vision

Chef Ari Weiswasser, a 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalist, leads Stella’s culinary direction. With experience from renowned establishments like The French Laundry and his own first restaurant the adored Glen Ellen Star Weiswasser brings a wealth of expertise to the table. Chef de Cuisine Bryant Minuche, formerly of Michelin-starred restaurants Eleven Madison Park and Le Bernardin, complements this vision with his profound understanding of Italian flavors.

Located at 9049 Sonoma Highway in Kenwood, Stella is open for dinner daily from 4:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended and can be made through their website.

So excited to be stepping into Stella. This has been long awaited from my pal Chef Ari Weiswasser, Chef/Proprietor of Glen Ellen Star and now Stella.

Chef Ari Weiswasser, Chef/Proprietor of Glen Ellen Star and now Stella. Learn more about Chef Ari in my interview on the blog here.

The Menu

Stella’s menu showcases house-made pastas such as bucatini cacio e pepe, lobster ravioli, and spicy mafaldine. The mozzarella bar features Italian-imported mozzarella and burrata dishes, including burrata with brown butter walnuts and aged balsamic vinegar which I had which was spectacular. The combination of the delicate burrata with the nuts and balsamic was heaven!

Entrées like the Duroc pork chop with lemon caper butter sauce and whole grilled Daurado fish highlight the restaurant’s dedication to quality. I enjoyed the Pork Chop which was breaded and divine. It’s a large portion so you could probably share a meet entree in order to save room to also get a pasta or two as well.

We started with the Meatballs which I was obsessed with. They had a pistachio pesto on rtop which I have never had with the meatball marinara sauce and it was perfection. They were super tender and the marinara sauce was to die for. Be sure to try these and have some bread handy for dipping.

The delicious Pork Chop covered in capers which I love.

We ordered two pastas (which I’d recommend) so you get to try a few things. This was the Tonnarelli cacio e pepe which was wonderful. I also ordered the Tagliatelle which was in a brown butter sauce and mind blowing. As you can tell I loved everything I experienced. The Stella team has truly nailed this diverse menu with amazing pasta, great proteins and the fun mozzarella menu.

Chef Ari hard at work making the Alaskan Dessert. We got to watch him and the team first hand making everything. I always LOVE a Chef’s Counter so if you’re like me be sure to request the Chef’s Counter when you make your reservation.

Ambiance and Design

The restaurant’s inviting atmosphere includes a spacious dining room with a fireplace, a chef’s counter offering views into the open kitchen, and a covered outdoor patio ideal for private events. This thoughtful design ensures a memorable dining experience for every guest.