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Walking through the Piazza, or Town Square, visitors are invited to sit in the romantic grotto or the lofty Cortile. The Cortile, or Courtyard, has the feel of an Italian mountain top, with a celestial blue sky and streaking clouds covering the domed ceiling of the main dining area. Artist Kevin Hanlon captures the beauty of Tuscany's vineyards and villas through the tall inner windows. While guests dine "outdoors", they are occasionally caught in the middle of a bright show of thunder and lightening.

Stella Luna Ristorante also offers two additional dining areas. The Conferenza provides private dining for business meetings or family events of up to 30 people. The Banchetto accommodates up to 100 people with private bathroom facilities and a separate sound system. Hand painted roof tiles and Sicilian wicker baskets decoratethe walls of the Banchetto, making it ideal for weddings and other special occasions.

In addition to fine dining, Stella Luna Ristorante boasts an impressive array of Italian ingredients for sale in the Mercato, allowing guests to recreate the Tuscan dining experience in their own homes.

The Avanzatos take great pride in the completely modern kitchen at Stella Luna Ristorante. Traditional Antipasti, a variety of authentic house Pasta, and plenty of homemade dishes with lots of sauces decorate the menu. Stella Luna specializes in fresh seafood, including the biggest seller to date, sea bass. Homemade lasagna with an authentic bechamel sauce and fresh pasta Manicotti provide the guests a bona fide taste of Italy. We need to mention the best quality beef, Certified Angus Beef (CAB), that spotlights The "Carne" (Meat) section of the menu, Filet Mignon, Porterhouse, NY Sirloin, and a well marbled Rib eye, all hand cut. Desserts are prepared from recipes of Vinne's wife, Ruth Avanzato. Entree' Prices range from $8.95 to $19.95 ,more for the CAB.

Perhaps most importantly, the service at Stella Luna Ristorante is without compare. Guests are treated like family and friends to a cozy, fine dining experience.

The Avanzatos would like to invite everyone to join them at Stella Luna Ristorante and hope that you enjoy your dining experience.

Please review our web site. You will find links to the left. Below, you will notice text links to our other pages. If you have any questions or comments about this site, please feel free to contact the webmaster or the Avanzatos.

Please read;

• Our request to you ... Please, for parties of 6 or more, No separate checks. The time saved will be used to serve you better. Thank you.
• We can accommodate any on or off premises catering, Dinner parties, Weddings, Receptions, etc.
• Parties of 8 or more, please call ahead for reservations, and for those parties, an 18% gratuity will be added to your check automatically.
• For special occasions, give us sufficient notice and we'll provide a cake of your choice.

Once a major meeting place for the Indians of the area, Oneonta's woodland paths and parks were also the highways of the Iroquois. Before the six nations of the Iroquois were meeting here, there were several cultures of Paleo-Indians who lived in the vicinity about 4,500 B.C.E. The Yager museum's American Indian Exhibit contains some 20,000 artifacts from the Nations of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Senecas and Tuscaroras, the main tribes settled here.

Willard E. Yager, a native of Oneonta, dedicated his life to studying and writing about Indian cultures and their history in the area. During the Revolutionary War, Otsego County was a battlefield between the Patriots, British, Loyalists and Indians. In 1779 General Clinton's Continental Army passed through the area following the Susquehanna from Lake Otsego to join up with General John Sullivan. As they traveled down the river, they destroyed most of the Indian settlements they encountered. The Indian strength in the region was severely weakened, and the area opened up to white settlements.

In 1775 John Vanderwerker built a log cabin at the present entrance to Neahwa Park and when he returned from the war, he built a saw mill and bridge on the Susquehanna in 1787. A man named Simeon Walling, who had passed through the area with General Clinton, returned and built a cabin on present day Main Street and Walling Streets, where the United Presbyterian Church stands.

More settlers came to the area, and by 1800 several log cabins has been built. In 1808, John McDonald built a second bridge, which replaced the Vanderwerker bridge and the small hamlet became known as McDonalds' Mills. McDonald opened a post office in 1817 at his tavern, and the settlement was officially named Milfordsville because it was the southern extension of Milford. Dr. Joseph Lindsey delivered mail on horse back on the Cooperstown-Milford-Delhi route.

The town was comprised mostly of German and Dutch settlers, and had a reputation for being a rough frontier town, and earned the nickname "Klipnockie", German for tavern brawl. Eventually, Oneonta, the Indian name meaning "place of open rocks", was chosen, probably referring to Table Rock overlooking Chestnut Street.

- Adapted from information obtained from the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce.

The staff of Stella Luna welcome you and hope you enjoy your meal!