Shining on
The Star café’s Italian menu offerings are as delicious as ever
By Erica Wayne 06/17/2010
The original logo of The Star Cafe in Montrose was really nifty; naturally it was a star, but it was made out of pizza wedges, with the restaurant’s name in the center. Three of the four menu pages were devoted to pizza, calzone, pastas and sandwiches served on pizza bread, but the fourth had just enough “fusion” items to dis¬tance The Star Cafe from your basic pizza and pasta joint.
A decade and a half later, The Star still manages a successful balancing act. In addition to your basic sausage-pepperoni combo ($12.50), you’ll find pizzas with no-longer-esoteric toppings like Thai chic¬ken with peanut sauce ($12.95), barbecued chicken with red onion and smoked gouda ($12.95) and BLTA — bacon, tomato, lettuce and avocado, complete with mayo ($12.50).
Instead of the ubiquitous calzone fillings of meatballs and pepperoni, The Star fashions a lasagna-style calzone with Italian sausage, ricotta, sautéed onions and Bolognese sauce ($11.50). Even further afield are the chicken tequila calzone, served with sliced limes ($11.95), and the fajita calzone, filled with steak or chicken, caramelized onions, peppers and cheese, topped with guacamole, sour cream and green onions ($12.95).
The pastas are equally eclectic. They’re served with top¬pings like blackened chicken ($14.95); pesto shrimp and andouille sausage ($15.95); asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese and Kalamata olives in jalapeno sauce ($12.95); or chicken tequila with peppers and cilantro ($13.95). With a bow toward tradition, there’s a real old-fashioned, non-trendy Bolognese ($12.95) and linguine with white wine and garlic-clam sauce ($12.95), in case you bring Granny or are feeling retro¬spective.
One of The Star’s most interesting dishes is butternut squash ravioli ($12.95). Plenty of other haute Italian restaurants serve similar squash- or pumpkin-filled pillows, almost all with sage and butter sauce. However, The Star adds an idiosyncratic touch of madras curry and a pinch of brown sugar. Yum.
Another fun dish is the homemade pasta rags stuffed with roasted chicken, fresh spinach, basil pesto, ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella and fontina set in a shallow pond of marinara with fresh herbs ($13.95). And I’ve been wondering about something called “day old spaghetti,” which is baked, sauced with marinara and paired with Caesar salad ($9.95). It’s listed under a “Lite Fare” heading, along with crab cakes with roasted ancho chile mayo ($12.95) and chilled gazpacho with bay shrimp ($7.95).
Meat lovers can load up on filet mignon stuffed with red peppers, basil and Italian herbs and topped with yellow zucchini relish. At $19.95, it’s the most expensive thing on the modestly priced menu. Cedar-planked salmon with citrus seasoning is slightly less ($18.95).
Pan-seared chicken breast topped with apricot salsa and bedded into garlic linguine ($15.95), and smoked pork tenderloin marinated in Marsala and served with candied apple ($16.95) are among the other entrees for carnivores. And there’s a 40-clove oven-roasted garlic chicken with mashed potatoes and peppercorn sauce ($14.95).
The restaurant itself is a little bizarre, but still charming. There are lots of wonderful early 20th-century architectural details: exposed brick walls, lots of dark wood and a tin moulding complete with turquoise patina beneath the ornate, timbered ceiling. These elements lend an air of elegance to the place. But the floor, underneath its coating of sawdust, appears to be made up of concrete blocks. The walls are hung with a variety of turn-of-the-last-century posters that fit the decor perfectly. And even though The Star is long and narrow to an extreme, there’s still space for an open kit¬chen.
Our last visit was a late one. We arrived close to 9 p.m. and, even though most of the other diners in the place were finishing coffee and paying bills, we were warmly greeted, shown to a tiny table and treated to an immediate basket of hot, plump rolls with minced garlic and parsley on top, along with a wine list. Thirsty, we instead chose Foster’s “Oil Cans” — 25 ounces of Australian lager for $7.50 apiece.
My mate settled on Bolognese linguine (such a traditionalist!) and I got a half-order of the Jackie-O salad (Greek, natch, but gussied up) with romaine, tri-color peppers, red onions, Kalamata olives, feta, cucumber, tomato and a smashing fresh garlic-and-dill vinaigrette ($9.50). To augment the meal, we decided to split a four-cheese pizza with mozzarella, fontina, smoked gouda and gruyere ($10.95).
Desserts at The Star have always been very good.
From a tray of cakes, tarts and concoctions, we decided on a baroque tiramisu ($5.95) – larger and way more dangerous than the usual refined rectangle or square you get at most Italian restaurants. The slab was at least 3 inches by 3 inches, sprinkled with chocolate shavings, wading in crème anglaise and totally irresistible.
Nestled on a street that in the past 20 years has attracted new and trendy restaurants like a magnet, The Star continues to have a loyal clientele. I’ve watched more recent Montrose restaurants come and go, but there’s no doubt The Star Café will continue its stellar success for quite a while longer.
DIGG | del.icio.us | REDDIT
How about including the address of reviewed restaurants?