Like Steve stated, a gel stain would not be my choice if I want to show off the pattern and grain. The benefit of gel stain is it is somewhat easier to get a uniform color. The trade off is it seriously muddies the appearance of the wood beneath. I would likely opt for a dye stain such as Trans Tint or Trans Fast. They can be obtained in powder or liquid form and can be mixed with water or denatured alcohol. Denatured alcohol reduces the raising of the grain, but does make the dye some more susceptible to UV. When I really want to show off the wood grain I like to seal it with dewaxed shellac. It excels at really making grain pop. I buy it on line. It can be purchased in different colors from super blonde, which is a slight amber, to ruby and garnet which are dark and on the red side. It is nothing to be afraid of, not rocket science. You dissolve the flakes in denatured alcohol. You can also purchase Sealcoat which is an amber shellac pre mixed. They have it in most home centers. If the table is going to be subjected to use, I would then top coat it with an oil based poly. I like to thin the first few coats and wet sand (320-400 grit) followed by the last coat being straight from the can. If you are going for a satin to matte finish I would do all the coats in high gloss, the last coat in the matte or satin. This will increase the clarity and make the finish more durable. The flattening agents used to create satin and matte soften the finish. Nice piece of furniture, good luck and have fun. Post some pics when you are finished.