Last week, as my fiancée and I were making some final preparations for our wedding day – grocery shopping, package shipping, and other maudlin errands that are too rote to mention – my stomach growled for a quick snack and caffeinated pick-me-up.
So, on the way to Trader Joe’s, I made a pit stop at Stella Nova (4716 N. Western), a locally owned coffee chain with a handful of locations around the Metro.
Little did I know this detour would lead to a starry-eyed meal!
After the first few sips of our drinks, we dove into the warmed-up scone. Covered in a sticky, sweet glaze that made it look more like a berry-filled arrow-shaped doughnut, the first bite surprised me with a wheat-heavy taste that gave me minor pause—but the flavors were still bold and enjoyable.
With my warm mocha in one hand and the last bite of scone in the other, I moved on to my main event: the endearing Chicken and Waffle Sandwich ($5.80). A twist on the traditional “chicken and waffles” combo, this version features a chicken sausage patty, provolone cheese, and a fried egg, all nestled between a mini-Belgian waffle.
The egg and cheese were light and crispy delights, pairing beautifully with the diminutive waffles. Dunking bites of the sandwich into the pre-packaged syrup packet made for a satisfyingly sweet and savory experience. The waffles held everything together impressively, while the chicken sausage delivered most of the flavorful punch.
But my fiancée won the meal lottery with her Craft-A-Lunch ($10.50) grilled cheese sandwich. A true make-or-break order, the sandwich was stuffed with Swiss, American, provolone, and gouda cheeses, along with a sun-dried tomato spread on panini bread.
With a bag of sea salt chips at the ready, her sandwich was uber-cheesy, in the best way. Besides the four prominent cheeses—gouda is my fave, by the way—the lush spread of the sun-dried tomatoes was an amazing way to take a sandwich to the hilt.
In other words, it’s a damn good sandwich!
After finishing her meal, my fiancée was so taken with Stella Nova that she browsed the merch and bought a fitted T-shirt right off the wall. Wearing it out of the coffee shop and into the real world, I have to admit—it looked pretty good on her!
And while my love for Stella Nova isn’t quite T-shirt worthy—only plain black tees for me!—I still walked away with a very good light lunch that would stick to my gelatinous bones as I tackled the rest of my random tasks.
Cómpralo ya!
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Follow Louis Fowler on Instagram at @louisfowler78.
