Stella’s pop-up dinners in February and March

Stella at The Cedar House Sport Hotel is a place where culinary excellence meets adventure. As snow continues to blanket the Lake Tahoe / Truckee region, Stella announces dates and menus for the upcoming February and March Pop Up Dinners. Pop Up Dinners are held in the open kitchen mere steps from the award-wining Cedar House Sport Hotel’s entrance. There is one menu, one seating (6 to 8:30 p.m.), and interesting tidbits about ingredients and technique from Stella’s exceptional culinary team.

“Stella Pop Ups offer more than a delicious dining experience. They offer discerning diners a casual and fun opportunity to connect with one another– without all of the kitchen work and clean up of hosting a dinner party at home,” says owner Patty Baird. Diners are encouraged to ask questions and join in conversations while savoring each course in the well-planned tasting menu.

With less than three-dozen seats, Stella Pop Ups are intimate dinner parties for residents and visitors mingle. Detailed menus and prices are available online. Reservations can be made at shop.cedarhousesporthotel.com. For more information, visit the reservation page.

Stella’s culinary team is well known for delivering unparalleled dishes and dining experiences. In addition to Stella Pop Ups, the team offers private cooking classes and custom dinner parties for groups large and small. For details visitcedarhousesporthotel.com/stella or call 530.582.5655.

ABOUT STELLA DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN
Stella, located at the award winning Cedar House Sport Hotel at 10918 Brockway Road in Truckee, CA, offers outstanding culinary experiences including public Pop Up dinners as well as private customized cooking classes and events. Hands on classes can accommodate up to twelve people and lecture style classes (with snacks or themed menus) are available for up to thirty guests. For details, visit cedarhousesporthotel.com/stella or call Patty Baird at530.582.5655.

Chinese New Year, Feb. 5 and 6
Nowhere in Tahoe can you celebrate the Chinese New Year like you can at Stella. Blue crab rangoon, house made sweet and sour, lo bak gow; cantonese steamed seafood dumpling, xo sauce, char siu bao, honey walnut prawns plus crispy anchovies fried with chilis and stuffed scallion pancake are starters. Courses include Xiao long bao; dumpling stuffed with pork sausage and broth, lobster in black bean sauce,with grilled bok choy and a whole roast duckling served with spouts, mushrooms, cabbage, house made fermented plum sauce. What’s a night without dessert? Enjoy coconut pudding, macerated mango, sweet puffed rice and Lychee sauce. $107 pp plus tax and 18 percent service charge (wine and beer available for purchase or BYO, $25/bottle corkage fee).

Valentine’s  Dinner, Feb. 13 and 14
Calling all sweethearts! Celebrate your love in style with exquisite courses made from the right ingredients. The mood is set when you step into Stella and have your first – passionfruit aperitif and bite into the canapés: fresh shucked oysters, champagne migonette; smoked salmon, herbed cream cheese profiteroles with caviar; split marble potatoes, chive, butter, creme fraiche, crispy pancetta duck liver and foie gras mousse, lingonberry jam, sourdough crostini. Enjoy three courses followed by desser golden beet and chevre napoleans, petite green salad with pistachio-mascapone crepe, seared squab breast with fava beans sautéed with foie gras and hedgehog mushrooms, cauliflower puree and porcini jus, then a pan-roasted rack of lamb, truffle-herb parisienne gnocchi, quinoa, cognac butter sauce and brussels leaf. Dessert will be strawberry-dragonfruit gelatin, kiwi jam, champagne sabayon, almond tuille and dark chocolate covered strawberries. Lodging at The Cedar House (extra) is highly recommended to make this night the most magnificent Valentine’s Day. $125 pp plus tax and 18 percent service charge (wine and beer available for purchase or BYO, $25/bottle corkage fee).

Basque Night, Feb. 19 and 20
Feast on Basque cuisine deliciously prepared by the Stella Team. Enjoy the flavors of Spain and Truckee’s very own historic Basque past. Begin with a sparkling aperitif and fried Bacalao with capers and spicy tomato sauce, sausage and charcuterie board, blackened Padron peppers stuffed with Manchego and Iberico ham plus house canned oysters, clams, and mussels, herbs, spices and unforgettable olives with grilled sourdough. The first course will be adobo marinated grilled pork spareribs, charred eggplant with creme fraiche. The second course is pan fried sweetbreads and sautéed mushrooms with saffron potato croquettes, and for the third course, enjoy braised lamb shank with house-made Piperrada sauce, Spanish paprika, chorizo, baby bella mushrooms and Basque beans. The evening is complete with Basque cake, pastry cream, apple cider caramel and olive oil crumble. $97 pp plus tax and 18 percent service charge (wine and beer available or BYO for $25/bottle corkage fee).

Go Fish, Feb. 26 and 27
Seafood lovers will rejoice during this Pop Up Dinner’s exquisite menu featuring the ocean’s scrumptious bounties, Stella style. Begin with a sparkling aperitif, crab toast with creme fraiche and fine herbes, deep fried baby octopus with remoulade, oysters with champagne mignonette, and sliced Hawaiian Ahi with cold pressed olive oil and black lava salt. The first course is hamachi tiradito, roasted poblano emulsion, cilantro lime vinaigrette, popcorn followed by a delicious woodfire duo: baby squid, lemon, herbs, squid-ink sauce, pecorino romano, aside  mussels with uni-brown butter beurre monte, roast red pepper relish. The third course is Bouillabaisse a la Marseilles served with sourdough baguette – Langostine, Branzino, scallop, spot prawns, and pickled mackerel. For dessert, enjoy tres leches cake, grapefruit sorbet and Meyer lemon sorbet. $115 pp plus tax and 18 percent service charge (wine and beer available or BYO for $25/bottle corkage fee).

Guest chef: Red Truck’s Chef Larry Abney March 4 and 5
Red Truck’s Chef Larry Abney joins the Stella Kitchen Team for an extraordinary evening of exotic flavors, incredible ingredients and pure eating bliss. Menu is under development, but this is one party not to be missed. Vegetarians and omnivores will love every bite. $97 pp plus tax and 18 percent service charge (wine and beer available or BYO for $25/bottle corkage fee).

Northern Lights, March 11 and 12
Beet Juice Pickled Egg with smoked pollock roe pate, Rye toast, topped with smoked salmon, caper, Neufchatel and anchovy, Pork meatball, Dashi pickled seabeans and house-canned sardines welcome you to the Northern Lights Stella Pop Up Dinner. Cleanse the palate with cured Ahi and delight in the first course: Goose pelmini, onion broth, dill sour cream, shaved pickled celery followed by Boudin Noir, pear fritter, frisee salad. The third course is braised pork knuckle with pickled apples and griddled mashed potatoes, and the delicious dessert will be frosted berry bread pudding served with vanilla crème anglaise and Meyer lemon Chantilly. $97 pp plus tax and 18 percent service charge (wine and beer available or BYO for $25/bottle corkage fee).

Latin Grill, March 18 and 19
Enjoy an evening inspired by Latin cuisine. This Pop Up Dinner celebrates South American’s traditional old world approach to cooking with wood and fire. With a sparkling apertif,enjoy Pulpo ceviche with housemade corn tostada shells, Plantain tostones, Chicken and black bean pupusas and sourdough crostini with queso oaxaca, roasted poblano pepper and crema fresca. The first course is scallop ceviche with star fruit over chilled cream of Poblano soup. Savor a bite of fresh mango, papaya, corn, crema fresca, cotija and lime. The family style assorted barbeque includes includes blackened sweetbreads with Chimichurri, grilled flank steak with Mojo rojo, Carnitas with salsa Verde and smoked sausage and it is completed with rice and beans, tortillas and Sofrito. Top off the evening with Tres leches cake, macerated strawberries, grapefruit coulis and Meyers lemon jelly. $97 pp plus tax and 18 percent service charge (wine and beer available or BYO for $25/bottle corkage fee).

Italian Easter, March 25 and 26
Walking into Stella will take you to Italy with this outstanding tasting menu in honor of Easter. Begin with a sparkling aperitif, Arancini mozzarella stuffed fried risotto, Lardo iberico with grilled ciabatta, miniature pizzagaina tartlets topped with prosciutto, capricola and pepperoni, a fritto misto and antipasto of salumi, olive, anchovy, caperberry. The first course is Sarde alla beccafico – fried stuffed sardine with pancetta, brown butter pesto and sweet peppers. The next course is hand rolled linguini with sea urchin beurre monte, osetra caviar, chive and grana padano then enjoy Agnello De Latte Arrosto, roasted lamb shoulder, fennel pollen, asparagus and patate al forno. Top off the evening with Spumoni Cannoli for dessert. $97 pp plus tax and 18 percent service charge (wine and beer available or BYO for $25/bottle corkage fee).

—Nicole Cheslock for Stella