Hello, Stella

Today proved that there's no better way to follow a lecture on Jews than with food from a Greek.

Robert Gillette was giving the Banner Lecture at the Virginia Historical Society and his topic was, "The Virginia Plan: William Thalhimer and a Rescue from Nazi Germany."

For such a heavy topic, Gillette began with humor, remarking on the Byrd's recent  marquee touting their air conditioning.

"So if you came because we have air conditioning, that's fine," he joked. I didn't, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Gillette's book told the story of an agricultural training center for youth in Germany created during the 1930s.

When Hitler's rumblings began to scare people, the German Jews worried about their children's future and figured they'd have more success being accepted as immigrants elsewhere if they had marketable skills.

And few skills were as marketable as putting food on the table.

Thalhmer was on a buying trip in Europe when he first saw and heard the Brown Shirts and the experience scared him into coming home immediately.

As the national chairman for all refugee resettlement, he conceived of a farm for refugees in Virginia, with hopes that the idea would be replicated all over the US.

It eventually happened in Burkeville, Virginia with thirty German Jewish refugees working the farm.

The woman, especially, were thrilled with the greater responsibilities they were given on a farm in this country.

But all of the immigrants had a serious problem with Virginia's heat after Germany's temperate weather. Some things never change.

Gillette, a good speaker and a man clearly impressed with his subject, had the audience enthralled with the humanitarian contribution of the local department-store magnate.

Whatever else he may have accomplished, Gillette insisted that Thalhimer should go down in history for the difference one man can make.

Leaving by the front steps of the Historical Society, my friend came by and scooped me up so we could go to the new Stella's for lunch.

Us and half the city, that is. The charming space was mobbed when we arrived and it was going on 2:00.

Rather than wait for a table, we sat at the bar, only to flummox our handsome young bartender.

He got us water, but when I asked for a menu, he responded with, "A beer menu?"

No, I said, a food menu. We're starving, we explained with hungry grins.

"Well, you're at the bar and you look ready," he said, justifying his question. It was very sweet.

While we awaited menus, we admired the beautiful space. The pressed tin ceiling is one of the most striking I've ever seen.

I was thrilled to see a community table and terribly sorry I hadn't noticed it before we sat down.

Black and white photographs of the family sat on a  nearby shelf. Congratulatory bouquets of flowers were everywhere, making for a lush feel with so much flora.

The screening separating the front and back booths reminded me of the kind used in confessionals. If it wasn't intentional, it should have been.

There were so many delectable Greek choices on the menu and with Stella in the kitchen (she came out at one point, in all her tiny beauty, a colorful pastel scarf tied around her white hair), we knew we couldn't go wrong with any of it.

For our first visit, we began with the basics. I had a pork souvlaki pita (tomato, onion, lettuce, green pepper and tzatziki) with a Greek salad on the side.

They were already out of the Greek potato salad I'd hoped for (which our server had raved about when I asked him). My friend went with the lamb gyro with the fried potatoes on the side.

We didn't go wrong with any of it and with Stella-size portions, we were stuffed.

Of note was my side Greek salad which was head and shoulders above a typical side salad with huge hunks of the very best Feta, good olives and cherry tomato halves as sweet as candy.

I'm already looking forward to my next visit, but I've decided that it will be for Meze Ora from 4-6:00.

Daughter Katrina said that they'll be doing smaller versions of their meze for $3 and $4 with wine and beer specials, with any luck beginning next Monday.

She said it in that hopeful but harried (because they've only been open four days) way, but it's painted right on the mirror behind the bar, so eventually I feel sure it will come to be.

I can't imagine a better way to sample around Stella's menu. Chances are, 4-6 p.m. is going to end up as popular as 2:00 lunches.

The staff probably don't even want to think about brunch starting up in September, but that, too, is coming.

I want to be just as energetic as Stella when I'm her age.

I'm not into cooking like she is, but I'm sure I can find plenty of other things to do with that kind of energy.