After nine years in business, Stellina chef-owner Jamey Tochtrop announced today, Dec. 4, that he will serve his last plate of house-made pasta on Dec. 31.
“Stellina has come a long way from our humble beginning, and it’s my desire to go out at the top of our game,” Tochtrop said in a statement. “Full disclosures of my immediate plans are something I have chosen to keep rather close. Time with my family and loved ones, especially my son Harper, is the biggest reason for this decision. Other goals and new visions have moved to the forefront of my thoughts as well.”
While he did not elaborate on his future plans in the statement, Tochtrop said the kitchen’s burners would not grow cold. The space at 3342 Watson Road will be used for private parties and special events. Chief among these is the continuation of chef Ben Grupe’s dinner series, the next of which takes place Jan. 29 and 30.
“New dining trends will be explored as we look to create the most unique dining experience our city has to offer,” Tochtrop said in the statement. “These exclusive events will be fueled by hyper-local goods with an emphasis on urban farming and self-sustaining produce at the forefront of our venture.”
Grupe said the arrangement allows him to explore new ideas and introduce a ticketed dining system to St. Louis. “It’s a growing trend in the industry, and it’s a way for people to control budgets, labor, food cost and reservations,” Grupe said. “I thought this would be the best avenue to approach to interject this new concept.” The next installment of the dinner series takes place Jan. 29 and 30.
Tochtrop did not immediately return requests for comment.
Editor’s Note: This post was updated at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 4 with comments from Ben Grupe.
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This article appears in December 2015.