Linda Falkenstein
The turkey on sourdough at Stella's Bakery.
The turkey on sourdough with the meal deal chips. Pickle, please?
Sometimes all you want is a quiet place to sit down for lunch with a friend and get a decent sandwich. A while back a friend suggested meeting at the new (or new-ish; it opened in November) Stella’s Bakery and Cafe on Regent Street — and it, to use a 21st century cliche, checked off all the boxes. It’s inexpensive. There’s dependable free two-hour parking, especially if you’re willing to walk around the block from Orchard Street. You can hear your own conversation. And you can leave with a loaf of fresh-baked bread.
Stella’s, of course, has been around since 1988, rising to Madison icon status through its hot and spicy cheese bread at the Dane County Farmers’ Market. That bread, a sweet brioche-like loaf, is layered with veins of monterey jack and provolone cheese and if you buy it at the right time, the whole thing is kind of steamy and gooey and chances are good that you will not make it home from the market with any of it left in the bag. The bakery also sells empanadas as well as other pastries and breads. Now, with the establishment of a sit-down cafe, Stella’s breads have become the basis for a selection of sandwiches.
The cafe itself is a pleasant revamp of a long empty mid-century modern professional building (last home to a chiropractor). The brick front has high oblong windows — no people-watching out those — but in true Wrightian fashion the space opens up to the rear of the lot, formerly parking and now an outdoor patio and bar perfect for summer evenings or game days. The patio bar features beer, wine, and wine-based cocktails. A glass garage door opens to the patio on nice days.
The seven sandwiches (all between $9-$12) are generous without being daunting. My favorite so far has been the pulled pork, featuring fall-apart-tender housemade pulled pork and a housemade barbecue sauce with, you guessed it, housemade slaw. It’s served on a hot and spicy cheesebread bun — the filling overpowers the bun in terms of cheese and spice, but the bun valiantly contains a somewhat sloppy sammie. This is a tangy stunner that’s dream picnic fare and I loved the robust play of salty and sweet.
Also served on the hot and spicy mini is the Italian, which combines classic Italian cold cuts with arugula, tomato, hot giardiniera, and even more melted cheese. In the Madison sandwich pantheon, this falls somewhere between Fraboni’s Italian and Paisan’s Garibaldi and is a worthy contender.
Last fall’s turkey berry carried a 1980s vibe, with sliced turkey, brie, apple cranberry jam and horseradish on Stella’s cranberry walnut bread. It’s been replaced by a more straightforward turkey on sourdough with lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese and horseradish-mayo sauce. It was fine, but I vote for the turkey berry.
According to staff, the chicken bacon ranch sandwich is the most popular. It’s easy to see why; it’s made with in-house roasted chicken, crispy bacon and mixed greens with a housemade ranch dressing on Stella’s focaccia. I would skip the ranch or ask for it on the side; it made the sandwich messy and stole attention from the focaccia, which is honestly the star of the show.
Other sandwiches are a BLT, a grilled cheese, and an egg and cheese — Stella’s could use a vegan option.
Pastries and coffee are also on hand, as are the empanadas. After 2 p.m. on some days, Stella’s version of a pizza is served, and for aficionados of Stouffer’s french bread pizzas, this is gooier, more robust, and has better bread. You might also find a salad or bakery special on the chalkboard.
A meal deal for an added $3.25 includes a Coke or Sprite and a bag of Miss Vickie’s chips. I only wish there were a side pickle option — these deli sandwiches call out for the crunch of a good pickle. Finish with a house-baked cookie — the chocolate chip, made with browned butter, brings a craveable caramel depth along with the melty chips.
Stella’s Bakery and Cafe
1219 Regent St.
608-238-6581; stellasofmadison.com
$5-$12
