We love eating here for a date-night dinner. The food and service are usually excellent. We always leave with a full stomach. Lots of options on the menu at a reasonable price. Dishes seem to be clearly explained on the menu. Most recent visit, I ordered the Stella Note pizza with the cheese bread as an appetizer. The table also gets bread. Heather was our server, and they were wonderful. After our entrees, they'll bring out a dessert sample platter so guests can see the dessert options before ordering. It's purely to look at and not taste. The restaurant has a whimsical atmosphere with dark, sultry lighting and fake vines and string lights draped across the walls and ceiling. From a distance I thought they might be dusty, but up-close they appeared surprisingly well-maintained and clean. I really appreciate that, as dirty/dusty props hanging over my meal are a major turn-off for me. The place overall, seemed very clean and tables set up neatly ready for customers to sit down. The main flag for me is the building itself. There are several uneven points in the flooring to trip over - even some ramps. The dim lighting can make things difficult to notice. Finding the restrooms was confusing even though there were small signs because it was dark. The route via the signs also seemed to lead through the drink area where cups are kept. I feel like that's not very common for restaurants to have you walk through so it made me question if I was going the right way. The ladies' restroom had small tight stalls. I didn't notice any accessible stalls or restrooms. To be fair, it is possible I missed them due to the low lighting. Overall, I would give the food and service 5 stars. The building itself is the reason i have to give an overall 4-star rating. I appreciate how strongly the restaurant remains loyal to its whimsical ambiance while still serving tasty dishes. Eating there reminds me of the cozy 90s sitcom settings for example from Friends or Sabrina the Teenage Witch. At the same time, we are now in 2026 and I think accessibility and ease of navigation are important considerations for customers. The restaurant serves well for me personally, but it may not be as comfortable or accessible for every guest that dines-in. read more

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We made a reservation for eight people. I don't usually choose Italian food, but this was my daughter's graduation celebration and she wanted Italian cuisine. The ambience was wonderful -- warm atmosphere, birdhouses with mock birds, and even a tree inside, which was a nice touch. Everyone enjoyed their meals except for my wife. Her river shrimp had a very unpleasant taste, and she couldn't eat them. The staff handled it well and quickly replaced the dish with chicken. Our waitress provided excellent service and checked on us often. Their napkins are made of high‑quality paper, which I really appreciate. Overall, we enjoyed our dinner very much and had a great celebration. read more

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Went for Mother's Day dinner. We were seated quickly, and the food came out pretty quickly as well. The pastas had good flavor (although under-seasoned), but all of them were overcooked. The salad and the pizza (not pictured as it came out a bit later) were very good though. We had a 5:30pm reservation and were rushed out before 7pm. read more

Stella Notte - Italian Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

Beautifully decorated for the holidays inside and out. Our first visit since the hours are very limited. There was a wait to get a table but not too long. We were seated in the bar but it took sometime to get service because the bartender was very busy. He was very pleasant once he was able to get to us. We ordered a calamari appetizer and it was lightly breaded and fried well with marinara sauce. My wife ordered stuff shells and she loved them. I had the shrimp and scallop scampi it was good and could have used some more garlic. Overall a good experience but it appears more staff would be beneficial. read more

Delicious Greek salad, wood-burning oven. Wednesday is half-price pizza night and I love the ambience.

Always a great place to go for Italian. We've been going for at least 14 years. Their food is excellent. I'm a fan of their eggplant parmigiana. I recommend getting an order of the meatballs to share. Bruschetta is so tasty, as well. Servers are always friendly and attentive. We really enjoy eating in their solarium which feels like you're eating outside. read more

We were met with very accompdating staff and had a delicious meal here. The holiday decorations they set up made the ambience so lovely, and the staff here were very friendly. I was very impressed by the service. The food was pretty good as well. The pesto sauce, scampi, and grilled chicken is delicious. They also served us fresh bread, and baked an extra loaf for us even though they were near closing. I highly recommend this restaurant for date-nights or family outings! read more

Yelp- Stella Notte First time visiting this local restaurant and it was a pleasant surprise. We were a group of 9. They do not do separate checks but was able to split it into 2 checks. So be prepared for that if going as a group. The inside of the restaurant could use some updating but we were there to enjoy each others company. We were taken towards the back area where they have an enclosed atrium like setting with tiny lights and an artificial tree for decor. They can accommodate larger groups in some parts of the restaurant. Our group was comfortably seated together and the volume of noise was not intrusive. I would be happy to note that we all enjoyed our meals and some had large enough portions to take home for an additional meal. All dishes came out at the same time and our server was helpful, knowledgeable about the menu and offered good suggestions. They have a wood-burning brick oven pizza oven and the Stella Notte pizza that one person ordered looked very appealing and she said it was delicious. read more

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This is such a great spot in the winter! It is quite literally a winter wonderland. If you sit in the glass portion, there are trees in the room that they string lights and it feels so festive. You feel like you are in a snow globe. The food is delicious and they have great cocktails too! read more

Light on flavor - heavy on the wallet. We got a make your own pasta and it felt the garlic oil was mostly oil with no embedded garlic goodness. The price for 2 entree with an appetizer just didn't feel "worth" it given the light flavors. But all in all - the ambiance made it still feel like a good time outside. The service is good the ambiance is great with the faux tree and lights. read more

Stella Notte - Scallops appetizer - Italian Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

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Such a cute, cozy place for a nice dinner! Stella is really a HoCo gem in Ellicott City. Delicious italian meals, & a great selection of drinks. I had shrimp & crab pasta & it was delicious. Servings are very hearty, & I pretty much had lunch & dinner for the next day as well, lol! Staff were very welcoming & accommodating as well. Highly recommend to those looking for a nice italian meal! read more

The service was excellent, despite the place being super busy. It is Christmas season and the decor is amazing, thus part of the reason for it being so busy. The food is excellent, with a good selection of Italian, seafood, and wood burning oven pizza. This is one of our favorite. Call the voicemail for reservations. If you wait until they open at 4, you probably won't get in. read more

This carry out Gorgonzola salad was $19 and I feel robbed and very disappointed. The small $9.5 salad that we ate in the restaurant was bigger. My advice DO NOT order carry out salad, you will be disappointed. read more

Stella Notte - Italian Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

The food is typical Italian fair. It's not the best, it's not the worst. With fair food comes a fair price. Where they shine is the bar. The bartender makes amazingly delicious drinks. Even standard drinks like an old-fashioned seem to taste better here. read more

We celebrated my partner's 43rd birthday here and really enjoyed our time. We ordered a round of drinks, caprese, stuffed shells, and chicken piccata. Everything was timed well, they brought out free bread and oil (delish), and both entrees tasted great! We also ordered desserts, and one was complimentary for the birthday. Service was consistent, pleasant, and professional. The decor was nice in the greenhouse dining area though it was fake trees and fake ivy. We would definitely come back and try some of their many other entrees. read more

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Wow just tried to make a reservation for holiday and since buffet asked if restaurant was auto adding the tip as I have seen this prior so would know to tip or not. Never got straight answer. 5 min later rude call from manager or owner not sure saying I'm rude to not want to tip. What I was only trying to clarify if gratuity was included. Having been a server and family in industry of course would tip always tip I'm shocked and offended by call. No thanks will give my business to a company that appreciates. Your restaurant is outdated anyway and needs be more understanding of customers. Don't assume if your staff can't understand a call! read more

Nice atmosphere. Service is always good. Salads and pizza are always good. The other food is also good. Prices are reasonable.

The best Italian restaurant in Ellicott City! I've been coming here for years and have never been disappointed! The staff and owner are warm and welcoming. The food is excellent! The other patrons are friendly. It's a place where it's comfortable to come and enjoy a meal alone. There's also a cozy little bar area. I almost always start with a cosmo...Erica makes them perfectly! I move to the calamari. It's lightly seasoned and lightly fried (that's code language for perfect!) Up next is pizza...the crust isn't too thick or too thin. They have the wood oven that gives the crust the perfect crunch. My favorite pizza is the veggie...always fresh, crisp veggies. I forgot to mention the warm bread...one of my favorite indulgences! Warm with olive oil, herbs and cheese for dipping. I seldom have room for dessert but they have a great selection. read more

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My boyfriend wanted shrimp parm as a birthday meal and normally I would have made it at home but rough and busy work weeks meant trying to find a place nearby that had it on the menu. I personally had not ever heard of shrimp parm before (chicken, veal, eggplant? sure.) Yelp narrowed this place down as having it on the menu, so I called and made a reservation for outside dining for two on a Sunday evening. I asked if they were taking COVID saftey precautions and the person on the phone confirmed they were doing one use menus, gloves, masks, social distancing, etc. We got there 6:45 pm and were promptly seated.We ordered stuffed portobello mushrooms, tomato bruschetta, shrimp parm and chicken marsala. All the food we had was amazing. Nothing was too greasy or heavy, the portion sizes were very good. Service was fast and attentive. I would definitely recommend visiting these guys for dining or carryout, especially in times like this when small local businesses are struggling. read more

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Beautiful ambiance, especially still being decorated for the holidays! The crabby tots had huge lump crab perfectly seasoned. My shrimp stella notte had a shrimp still with the shell partially on... But figure that's how you know it's freshly peeled to order LOL! Otherwise great taste overall. read more

Stella Notte - Crabby tots - Italian Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

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My daughter wanted Italian food for her 9th birthday so we decided to visit Stella Notte. There is amble parking as the restaurant shares a parking lot with a strip mall. It was conspicuously empty for dinner service despite it being a week day. The restaurant likely seats 60+ patrons but there were maybe 8 which included family of four. Staff were kind. Not overly friendly but attentive to our needs. We had calamari as an appetizer and it was tasty. They also provide bread with oil and herbs. My daughter had fettuccine alfredo with shrimp, my son had fettuccine Alfredo with no protein. My wife had chicken piccata and I had shrimp parmesan. The kids thoroughly enjoyed their meals. My meal was "ok", Italian cuisine isn't my favorite but I feel that seasoning of the angel hair pasta and sauce was lacking. My wife didn't enjoy her meal at all. She took 90% to-go and still hasn't eaten anymore of it. I didn't think it was terrible but certainly not anything that I'd order. As mentioned, Italian cuisine isn't my favorite so that must be taken into consideration, but I am not likely to return. read more

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Very average Italian-american restaurant. Not very authentic and I'd rather drive to DC or Baltimore for better. The mussels in white sauce were overpowered by white wine. The fruitti di mare seafood was not very fresh and pasta was forgettable. The spaghetti squash primavera wasn't flavorful and the squash was still pretty hard. Also pretty expensive for the quality and service was pretty slow. The interior is very nice, which is surprising given the exterior. I'd only give them another chance to try the pizza which seemed to be the popular read more

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I would not recommend Stella Notte as a venue for hosting events. While the staff on the day of the event was courteous, working with the owner/manager, Dan, was an extremely frustrating experience for me, my family, and even our florist. Communication was consistently poor, and expectations were not only unclear but often changed at the last minute, creating unnecessary stress for everyone involved. There were multiple issues throughout the planning process. Early on, I informed Dan that I would be bringing in a tall 3D backdrop using a truck. He assumed I meant a simple paper backdrop. In response, he reacted in a surprisingly rude and accusatory manner, saying he didn't trust the other items I planned to bring and that he would need to personally inspect everything before it could be brought into his restaurant. That initial interaction set the tone for what became an increasingly difficult experience. One of the major problems was a complete lack of organization - there was no formal agreement through email and due to all conversations being held through phone calls, it was challenging for Dan to agree on what was promised for the day of the event, especially around the menu. I submitted our selections at least a month in advance, but on the day of the event, Dan claimed to have no recollection of our conversation. Because of this, there were no hors d'oeuvres served--something that could have easily been avoided with even minimal attention to detail. Lesson learned: always keep everything in writing. The event space itself was also uncomfortably warm, even with the AC running, which is worth considering if you're planning a gathering here. Set-up logistics were equally disorganized. Initially, we were told we'd have only 30 minutes the day of to set up--clearly insufficient--and were quoted $300 for an additional hour. Eventually, Dan agreed to let us come the night before, which sounded helpful at first, but once again, communication fell apart. He said he would call to let us know when we could come in, to avoid disrupting guests who were dining--a reasonable approach. But by 7:00 PM, with the restaurant closing at 8:00 PM and still no call from him, my friends and florist decided to head over. When we arrived, there were still parties dining in the event space, and Dan told us we couldn't begin setting up until they left. We weren't allowed to start until nearly 8:00 PM, and then were told we had to be finished decorating by the time his staff was done cleaning--giving us barely any time at all. At around 8:40 PM, we were asked to wrap everything up. To Dan's credit, he was more accommodating on the actual day of the event. But the process leading up to it was disorganized, needlessly stressful, and lacked the professionalism you would expect when hosting an important occasion. Between the breakdowns in communication, the lack of clarity, and the poor attitude, I would not host another event at Stella Notte--and I wouldn't recommend it to others either. read more

A former colleague had given this restaurant a high endorsement so when I saw a Local Flavor offer I decided to give it a try. It is located in the corner in the same shopping center as Lotte, a Korean supermarket, and other Asian restaurants, off of Ridge Rd. The restaurant had three separate eating areas - a bar area, main dining room, and a glass enclosed patio. The patio area had an artificial tree with lights on it. The main dining room we ate had the brick oven. It felt very cozy. We got there before 5:30 and when we left all the tables were full. We started off with their complimentary bread with oil. The bread was piping hot and fresh. The oil could have used more cheese and seasoning. My husband ordered the Chicken Piccata and swapped the veggies with bowtie pasta. I got the Chicken Stella Notte which had a tomato pesto sauce which was their was signature sauce. My husband said the Chicken Piccata was just average and that he's had better. He liked my dish better. For dessert we split a cannoli which was good. Kelsey was our server. She was pretty good. Only one thing she could have done better was asked if my husband needed his soda filled. read more

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We celebrated a belated Valentine's Day dinner here on 2/16/20, which was our first visit. The host was friendly and sat us at a table immediately. We were impressed by the beautiful surroundings of the terrace section of the restaurant (see photo). Our waiter was attentive and checked on us periodically. We ordered calamari as an appetizer and it was the best we ever had. It was crispy and tender. The entrees we ordered were Prime Rib (chef's special) for $24.99 and Veal Piccata for $23.99. Each one was served with mixed vegetables (mostly asparagus) and a starch such as scalloped potatoes or risotto. Unfortunately, the Prime Rib did not seem fresh and center part of the meat was cold. The Veal Piccata was overcooked. The entrees were just luke warm when they were served to us. Overall, the service and ambiance plus the calamari receive 4 stars, but the entrees only receive 3 stars. We will try other entrees next time and maybe they will be better. read more

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My spouse and I went here this afternoon for our anniversary. Our appetizers were a small salad and garlic bread, both were super underwhelming. The salad dressing smelled and tasted like mayo and the garlic bread was dry and flavorless. For my entree I ordered eggplant parm with a side of fettuccine alfredo. It came out looking/ tasting like they just dumped a half of can of Ragu sauce on it. The eggplant was under cooked, had no flavor, and was inedible. My husband ordered chicken arrabbiata. It was flavorless, the chicken low quality, and the sauce had consistency of soup. The price point at this place is outrageous considering the quality of the food they serve. The only redeeming part of our evening was the amazing Korean mart across the street. The waitress was unapologetic, we still tipped generously. And we got side eyed the manager on the way out. Don't know how they're still open. Never again. read more

TIP: Fill your pasta craving at Stella Notte; you won't be disappointed. SUMMARY: Allow yourself to full of amazing Italian food with great customer service. There are lot of options, gluten free, appetizers, personalized meal options and a kids menu. Do yourself a favor and add this to your bookmarks! ORDER: * Piccolo Caprese* This was a nice appetizer full of goodness. To be frank, I don't even know how to describe what is in this but it was a nice start to your dinner. There are little bits of meat, tomatoes, peppers, onions mixed in olive oil and some sort of seasoning. It came with a some miniature garlic bread. *Tomato Bruschetta * You can't go wrong with tomato bruschetta - tomato, mozzarella, green onions and olive oil. I'm confident the olive oil came from Italy. There were so many great entrees; it was hard to just pick one. I'll have to go back to try their house made entrees. As the woman I am; indecisive, I ended up creating my own pasta. There are a variety of options when it comes to creating your own pasta. With three simple steps, you're well on your way to creating your personalized entree. 1. You select the type of pasta 2. Select the sauce of your liking 3. Choose a topping (meat, poultry, seafood) * Create Your Own Pasta - Fettuccini Shrimp Alfredo * The fettuccini was cooked perfectly, the shrimp was plentiful and the alfredo sauce was a creamy delicious. * Create Your Own Pasta - Fettuccini Scallops in Rosa and Stella Notte * The ultimate creation came with generous pieces of scallops mixed in fettuccini pasta smothered in rosa and the house stella notte sauce. I could be wrong but the rosa sauce reminded me of when I mix alfredo and tomato sauce. I suspect this is something similar if not the exact mix I love to create at home. The house stella notte sauce is their secret house sauce that I can't recall what he briefly shared it was. I asked if I can pick two sauces because I was torn between the rosa and the house stella notte sauce. I didn't know what either of them were but after hearing their descriptions; the foodie in me wanted them both. The gentleman on the phone kindly said he can give me a side the house stella notte sauce. I dipped my finger in the rosa sauce and my mouth immediately watered. I dipped my finger in house stella notte sauce and eyes rolled behind my head. I happily poured every once of the house stella notte sauce, adding it to the rosa sauce and my pasta. Let's just say, I devoured the entree. Luckily for my family, this was my meal (ha ha). SERVICE: Service was great. We did a carry out order and as mentioned, the gentleman on the phone was pleasant and patience as I questioned the sauces. When you do carry out, there are marked parking spots that allow you to easily pull up and wait for your food and bill. LOCATION/FACILITY: This restaurant is located off Route 40/Baltimore National Pike and Ridge Road in Ellicott City. It's at the corner of the roads - you can't miss it (and don't want to). PARKING: Free parking SEATING: Indoor and outdoor PAYMENT METHOD: Cash, credit card [May 2021] Due to the current pandemic; masks are required. All staff wear masks. read more

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We went here to celebrate our Christmas Dinner. We sat in the atrium which is very festive and nicely decorated for the holidays with all the lights. We were a table of 6 and only one person liked their food. Their food came out lukewarm and had NO flavor- bland! My husband was the only one who enjoyed his meal. He ordered the seafood lasagna which was a holiday special. Their prices are high and the food was bland. My daughter thought hers tasted freezer burn. Time for some new chefs who know how to add some flavor to the entrees. read more

Their RW menu always tempts me, but we never make it there; so I decided to pick them for Book Club night. After some easy parking, we were seated in their gorgeous indoor sun room with a beautifully lit tree, creating a nice ambiance. A typical Italian menu, our taste buds were drooling. We went on 1/2 wine night, and shared a bottle. It's the most economical choice, just be aware they add automatic 18% tip just for taking advantage of the special. I settled on the Veal Parmesean. $25 a plate, where you don't even get a house salad. As for the main dish, I got a scoop of angel hair with barely any sauce-I had to ask for a side cup. The veal was thin, topped with lots of cheese, breaded perfectly-I have no complaints there. But results at our table were under seasoned, under sauced pasta, minimal seafood in the seafood pasta dishes, and overpriced wine unless you buy the whole bottle. Probably won't adventure here again-since the taste wasnt super authentic-Olive Garden does it just as well with more bang for your buck. read more

Stella Notte - This is even AFTER my extra sauce :/ Veal Parmesean. - Italian Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

My mom goes here to have lunch about 2-3x a week. So when she invited my wife and I to try it out with her, I was excited to go and see what restaurant is good enough to visit several times in a week, hehe. It did not disappointment. They have a beautiful sunroom style dining area (pictured). The food was superb and the portions were enormous (food pictured). The staff was friendly and attentive. I will definitely be going back! I have included their menu for your convenience. read more

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Awful not nice and food is very mediocre They don't mind charging you a split entree fee for a ridiculous amount of money and don't even tell you about it . There answer is it's on the dirty menu . Wouldn't ever eat there again . The place should be demolished it's so old and tired and smelly . read more

Came here for dinner on a Friday night. We didn't wait long and found a table in the bar. The bartender was great and came over to take our drink orders. We got two glasses of wine, a martini and a beer. We all started with salads (3 house, 1 Caesar). For dinner we got a chicken Marsala entree, Greek pizza (10 inch), BBQ Chicken pizza (10 inch), and a Stella Notte pizza (10 inch). The crust was crispy on the outside and chewy. Toppings were great and the pasta was enjoyable. We ended the meal with a peanut butter cake which was moist and delicious! read more

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First let me say the bartender Erika is superhuman! She was slammed every table and seat at the bar packed. She still managed to provide excellent service but also was so pleasant. That alone is reason enough to return! The food was good. The bread with oil, cheese and seasonings was great. I usually don't like bread with oil and often ask for butter but this was very good. I had the veal Marsala which normally comes with linguine and Marsala sauce but Erika switched to angel hair with red sauce because I couldn't decide between pasta or veal Marsala. Best of both worlds. The food was very good. This was my first time here but won't be the last. On a side note I had the espresso martini for dessert. A good choice! read more

Had reservation for ten. Want to begin first that the service was very good. This review is about the food. First it was very expensive. My daughter-in-law ordered gnocchi with Alfredo sauce. When order arrived, came in a bowl with mostly sauce and few gnocchi. My order was shrimp/scallops with linguine. There were literally 4-5 each 30 count shrimp with 4-5 small scallops. Unfortunately for me, I ate one scallop and tasted cold. Cut open another; it was raw. The server did offer to get another order, I refused but they did remove it from the check. None of the pasta dinners appeared worth the mid/$20's. Maybe return on Wednesday's(1/2 price pizza) but never again for dinner. read more

Not like it use to be. No risotto in Pete's greek and little flavor. Also very little feta. Sadly a disappointment. Lasagna has finely ground meat sauce. read more

The ambiance is warm and inviting. Hubby ordered the brick oven pizza and I ordered the shrimp & scallop scampi. I'm not a fan of broccoli florets atop my scampi, so should have requested it without or made a different selection. The pizza is amazing and would return just for that alone. read more

Why is it so hard to find info about Happy Hour offerings? Website on Android phone doesn't seem to work.

Fabulous time celebrating our daughter-in-laws baby shower here with 35 guests. Everything was amazing from the manager, staff, atmosphere, and especially the food. Delicious and very generous portions. I personally loved the Chicken &Shrimp Stella Notte- a tri-color cheese filled tortellini tossed in a creamy pesto tomato sauce topped with blackened chicken and shrimp. YUM! We love this Restaurant, definitely will use again for our family celebrations! read more

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Dinner with friends. I had pizza which was nicely done. Better than many, top 15 perhaps. Companion had shrimp scampi and it was very good. No draft beer, but decent selection of bottled. I don't drink and when given a diet coke, it tasked foul. Not too much co2 or too much syrup but foul. Spit it out foul. Staffer said "yeah, it's been like that, want to try something else?" If you know it's foul, fix it or don't offer it. Hopefully that attitude is only found with their fountain soda machine and not the rest of the kitchen? I'd eat there again, but it lost a star for the not fixing the problem with the soda. read more

Food was pretty bad. Tasted like catering hall food at a cheap wedding. Service was solid, but I wouldn't recommend. read more

Stella Notte - Mostly eaten MoZarella sticks - Italian Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

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