Loved ones and customers of Capitol Hill’s “earth to table” restaurant Terra Plata are sharing stories and memories of chef Tamara Murphy. Those who shared a kitchen with her have some tales, too.

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

UPDATE: Murphy passed away Saturday. She was 63. Her restaurant said a celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

“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,” the Terra Plata message about Murphy reads. “We know how much Chef Tamara and Terra Plata have come to mean for so many people – your love and support means the world to all of us.”

In another update, the restaurant said Murphy “wants others to benefit from her organs and will be on life support for a few days to facilitate the transplant process, at which time she is expected to pass peacefully.”

The James Beard Award winner has been part of the city’s dining scene since helping open Café Campagne in 1993. Leaping into ownership in 1999, her Belltown joint Brasa was a popular spot until succumbing to the economic downturn. Murphy also grew the Elliott Bay Cafe into a success in Pioneer Square before following it to Capitol Hill.

On Capitol Hill, Murphy regained her footing as a restaurateur but not without a fight. The chef finally emerged victorious in a legal tussle with the developers of the project where she was planning to open her next venture.

In late 2011, her Terra Plata debuted on the edge of the Melrose Market development.

Dishes included cappelletti roasted squash with browned sage butter and hazelnuts, rabbit påté, served with mustards, pickled onions, and slices of bread and roast pig served with clams, chickpeas, pickled onions, chorizo, and chicharrónes.

Murphy and life and business partner Linda Di Lello Morton have grown Terra Plata into a neighborhood institution and have so far foregone opportunities like expansion to other neighborhoods or the Eastside. Instead, Terra Plata has focused its energies on Melrose Ave and the restaurant’s popular rooftop deck.

Terra Plata has also been a neighborhood and city leader in the restaurant industry.

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

Di Lello Morton has become a busy advocate for the industry in Seattle including serving on Mayor Bruce Harrell’s 2021 transition team as he took office.

Murphy has been open about her health issues including a previous serious stroke. For now, Terra Plata is planning its closure with a return to service later in the week.

The neighborhood’s restaurants and cafes will miss Murphy’s wisdom and guidance. “Full service restaurants are not about the food you serve,” she told CHS in 2020 during the height of the industry’s pandemic struggles. “it’s about the community. It’s about people gathering together.”

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

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