Memories flood back as chef Tamara Murphy of Capitol Hill restaurant Terra Plata suffers fatal stroke

Relatives and patrons of Capitol Hill’s “Earth to Table” restaurant Silver Land share stories and memories of the chief Tamara MurphyThose who shared the kitchen with her also have stories to tell.

The restaurant announced it would be closed Sunday and Monday because Murphy suffered a massive stroke and was reported in intensive care surrounded by friends and family in Boise.

“Tamara believes in the power of food to bring people together. Terra Plata is the result of her passion for creating welcoming spaces where everyone can be nourished by food and community,” Terra Plata’s message about Murphy reads. “We know how much Chef Tamara and Terra Plata mean to so many – your love and support means the world to us all.”

In another update, the restaurant said Murphy “wishes others will benefit from her organs and will be on life support for a few days to help with the transplant process, after which she is expected to die peacefully.”

The James Beard Award winner has been a fixture on the city’s dining scene since he helped open Countryside Coffee in 1993. Having become the owner in 1999, its Belltown joint venture Brasa was a popular spot until it succumbed to the economic crisis. Murphy also developed the Elliott Bay Cafe into a success in Pioneer Square before following it to Capitol Hill.

On Capitol Hill, Murphy found her footing as a restaurateur again, but not without a fight. The chef ultimately emerged victorious from a legal tug-of-war with the developers of the project where she planned to open her next restaurant.

End of 2011his Terra Plata made its debut on the shores of the Melrose Market development.

Dishes included roasted squash cappelletti with browned sage butter and hazelnuts, rabbit pâté, served with mustard, pickled onions and sliced ​​bread, and roast pork served with clams, chickpeas, pickled onions, chorizo ​​and chicharrónes.

Murphy and life and business partner Linda Di Lello Morton Terra Plata has become a neighborhood institution and has so far foregone opportunities like expanding to other neighborhoods or the Eastside. Instead, Terra Plata has focused its energies on Melrose Avenue and the restaurant’s popular rooftop patio.

Terra Plata is also a neighborhood and city leader in the restaurant sector.

In July 2020, Murphy and Di Lello Morton of Terra Plata were among the first people CHS turned to to better understand how the neighborhood’s food and beverage businesses planned to survive and emerge from the pandemic.

Di Lello Morton has become a vocal advocate for the industry in Seattle, including serving on the Mayor Bruce Harrell 2021 Transition Team upon taking office.

Murphy has spoken openly about his health issues, including a major stroke. For now, Terra Plata plans to close and return to service later this week.

Neighborhood restaurants and cafes will miss Murphy’s wisdom and advice. “Full-service restaurants aren’t about the food you serve,” she told CHS in 2020, at the height of the industry’s pandemic-related challenges. “It’s about community. It’s about people coming together.”

Terra Plata is located at 1501 Melrose Ave. You can check terraplata.com for updates.

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