Stelle Bistro, Walnut Creek

The scent of basil and oregano wafts through the air at Stelle Bistro as waiters bustle about, delivering steaming plates of spaghetti bolognese and fettuccine. The cuisine celebrates classic Italian dishes with a distinct focus on fresh fish and gourmet ingredients such as truffle oil and prosciutto. Amid a culinary playground of hardwood and warm hues, spinach salads or the creamy mozzarella and crisp tomatoes of a caprese salad raise the curtain on dinners. Next, the manicotti di zucca takes the stage, wrapping a blend of butternut squash, walnuts, and brown butter in cannelloni, whereas the braised veal steak simmers in a red-wine sauce. The bistro’s marine fare, meanwhile, represents the breadth of oceanic life with salmon, sole, mussels, and vegetables harvested from the gardens of Atlantis.