Stella D'oro

(This venue is closed.) After nearly 80 years in the Bronx, the last consumed by a labor dispute, the "Star of Gold" cookie plant closed in October 2009. The factory jobs migrated to Ohio, though six months later at least two trailers were still parked in Kingsbridge.

I'd known the company only as a bakery until a subsequent visit to the neighborhood. From the elevated train platform I spied an old painted ad that promised "continental specialties" — charge them to "American Express" if not "Diners Club" — and what appears to be the name "Stella d'Oro," with a small "d" and big "O." (Click for a larger but still very faded view.) I've since read that from the 1950s through at least the late 1980s, the bakery owners also operated an adjoining restaurant — reportedly of the red-checkered-tablecloth variety. Can any Eating In Translation reader tell us more about the sign or the restaurant?

Stella D'oro
Former factory building at 184 West 237th St. (Broadway-Putnam Ave. West), Kingsbridge, Bronx
Surviving painted sign across the street
www.StellaDoro.com

Comments

[Sam]

I, unfortunately, can not add any additional insight to your post, but Patton Oswalt had some choice words to share on the matter. One of my favorite of his bits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-oxsMl3iCA

[Dave Cook]

Via email:

In the late 70's, my ex-wife and I often took her grandmother, who lived in the Amalgamated apartments nearby, to Stella D'oro's restaurant. It was wonderful. Superb red sauce Italian with white table cloths and courtly waiters. And of course, Stella D'oro breadsticks. It was a sad day when I heard of Stella D'oro's demise, apparently at the hands of a private equity firm which couldn't come to agreement with the union.

Aaron Morrill
Co-owner, Fizzy Lizzy

[Dave Cook]

Also via email, anonymously. I'm glad that, all in all, it's a fond recollection:

I think of that place a lot. It was great.

My family always joked that it was Stella d'Oro that killed my grandpa Sam. He was on a low-salt diet due to high blood pressure. We took him to eat there one Sunday and he had what turned out to be, the heart attack that killed him either that night or shortly thereafter. He was in his 80's and I'm sure if he had to choose, would have been content dying after having a good meal!

[JZ]

There were actually 2 restaurants. One for fine dining, and the other a casual pizzeria. The sign you mention was for the fine dining restaurant. The fine dining establishment closed in the mid 80's, followed by the pizzeria in the late 80's.

[Ken]

FWIW, my father was the accountant for Stella D'oro from the mid 50s through their sale to Nabisco in 1992. I have eaten at the restaurant many, many times. What I remember most is the Italian scenes painted on the restaurant walls. The food was good, but not great. Also can't forget wandering through the bakery as a kid snatching a hot cooking right off the conveyor coming out of the massive oven. Pretty funny to watch the conveyor around lunch time...cookies, cookies, more cookies, and then a random hamburger!