CUSP Magazine: Spring Issue 2014
CUSP Magazine is a Chicago based publication focused on helping up and coming creatives gain exposure for their brand and products. Our company is a collective of highly motivated individuals who work together to bring a new voice to the creative community.
CUSP Magazine is a Chicago based publication focused on helping up and coming creatives gain exposure for their brand and products. Our company is a collective of highly motivated individuals who work together to bring a new voice to the creative community.
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FOOD // REVIEWS<br />
Stella Barra Serves West Coast by the Slice<br />
Written by Sophie Galate<br />
Stella Barra Pizzeria, located at 1954 N.<br />
Halsted St. in Lincoln Park, whets Chicago’s<br />
appetite for pizza with a Californian flair.<br />
Executive Chef Jeff Mahin partnered<br />
with the management company, Lettuce<br />
Entertain You, to open the third<br />
establishment of the Southern California<br />
pizzeria in late November of last year and<br />
has met booming success.<br />
“I think our appeal is that we produce light,<br />
straight-forward food that has a California<br />
sensibility,” Mahin said, “rather than a<br />
cuisine that is focused on the Chicago<br />
market with hints of California appeal.”<br />
Stella Barra serves their simple - yet delicious<br />
- pizzas on Mahin’s signature crust. The<br />
seasonal ingredients, some of which include<br />
fresh burrata, black truffle and rosemary,<br />
are what make Stella’s pies stand above the<br />
rest. To accompany their meals, Mahin has<br />
designed a comprehensive wine, beer and<br />
cocktail list, with boasting options from<br />
around the world as well as a selection of<br />
local flavors from Chicago breweries.<br />
“We really wanted the food we grew up with<br />
in California: somewhere that you could<br />
come a few nights a week, hang out, have<br />
a great glass of wine and a great meal,”<br />
Mahin said.<br />
Summer House Santa Monica, one of<br />
Mahin’s newest restaurants and adjoined<br />
with Stella Barra, also promotes a strong<br />
Californian influence through its menu.<br />
“I think people as a whole are trying to eat<br />
healthier and more conscious of what they<br />
eat and I think California cuisine is a clear<br />
representation of that,” Mahin said. “The<br />
movement as a whole is about simplicity<br />
and quality.”<br />
The interior design of Stella Barra pairs<br />
nicely with the menu. Accompanied by dim<br />
lighting and industrial accents, the rustic<br />
dining room provides a sleek downtown<br />
Los Angeles atmosphere. A concrete bar, a<br />
wine cabinet, a view of the kitchen and a<br />
hidden vintage patio make it one of the few<br />
restaurants able to emulate California even<br />
through the winter.<br />
Photography by Sophie Galate<br />
<strong>CUSP</strong> MAGAZINE 22 SPRING ‘14 ISSUE
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