Miami Quarterly

Issue date: 12/1/08 Section: News

The cozy atmosphere of Stella is envisioned in this picture

Welcome to Stella 12 Beech, the new restaurant that replaced Lottie Moon's earlier this year. The atmosphere has changed dramatically and what once was a low-key hangout has turned into a place that new owners Tom and Cher Uhl hope is reminiscent of chic restaurants in New York, Chicago and Cincinnati.

"We went through the beer-drinking phase," says Tom. "We wanted a place where people could come relax and have a drink and be comfortable."

Although prices at Stella are comparable to other Uptown restaurants, one critique among students has been that the portions are not. Some say that it's likely you'll leave the restaurant unsatisfied.

"It was good, but the servings were really small," says senior Angela Miller, referring to her brunch at Stella.

Stella boasts a vegetarian and vegan friendly menu, but has added more meat options to lunch and dinner menus recently to try to attract more customers.

"It's not exactly for everyone-that's not possible-but it's a place where there's, we hope, an option for everyone," says Cher.

The Uhls believe that what you put into your body is critical. Nothing on Stella's menu is pre-prepared and most dishes are made with fresh, locally grown produce.

"A lot of times what you eat in here was picked earlier that morning," says Tom.

The seasons greatly affect what products are available, giving the Uhls an opportunity to re-create Stella's menu seasonally.

"We are still in the process of figuring out what works and there are a lot of plans we're making for the future," says Cher. "I guess you could say that Stella's motto is 'Still evolving.'"

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