Spoon and Seed gourmet breakfast and lunch in Hyannis closes. Here's what we know so far.
Spoon and Seed, the Hyannis farm-to-table restaurant that took a key role in helping to feed people during the pandemic, has closed for good.
Matthew Tropeano, chef/owner since 2015, made the announcement in a one-page letter on Spoon and Seed's Facebook page.
"It has been a very sad couple of days for me, but I know it is always darkest before the light," Tropeano wrote in the note to all dated April 11.
Tropeano has not responded to Cape Cod Times messages asking about what caused the closure or what might be next for him.
Cape Cod Beer, a frequent collaborator with Tropeano on food events including the SOUPer Bowl, Donut Fest and Meatball Showdown, emailed a comment in response to a Cape Cod Times request.
"Matt was a great supporter of our brewery. He always added the Spoon and Seed touch by bringing different, but DELICIOUS items like his Spudnut (potato) Donuts, Beet & Beef Borscht or Eggplant Meatballs. We could always count on him to add a little flare to our food-themed events!" wrote Leanne Anderson, marketing and events manager for Cape Cod Beer, Inc. in Hyannis.
Classically trained, Tropeano cooked basic food with flare
"We are sad to see Spoon & Seed go but we know we will continue to see Matt out there supporting the local community. We wish him the best of luck!" Anderson wrote.
Raised in an Italian family but classically trained in France, Randolph native Tropeano worked at restaurants in Europe, Boston and New York and then took the executive chef's job at Pain D'Avignon in Hyannis before opening the nearby Spoon and Seed in 2015.
He is especially known as a saucier, recognized for his skill at layering flavors, as anyone who made the braised short ribs recipe he shared with the Cape Cod Times can attest.
A restaurant review of Spoon and Seed gave a taste of the menu and the old worldly touches that made the former Murph's Recession a well-known breakfast-and-lunch gathering spot.
"Such a huge loss to the community. It was a wonderful breakfast spot with great food," wrote Linda Young, when members of the Times' Facebook page, Good Stuff at Cape Cod Restaurants, were invited to share Spoon and Seed memories.
Community recalls pandemic meals
Anne Bockhoff of Barnstable wrote, "I will always remember the Mama Maria's Care Packages Spoon and Seed created to recognize and support community members working during the pandemic. Packages delivered to Police, Fire and Hospital workers must have been very much appreciated during such difficult times. A local small business with such heart and compassion for others will be missed!"
Tropeano responded to the comments on the page, writing, "The feeling is the same as losing a loved one for me. Grieving."
In the open letter on Spoon and Seed's page, he thanked the public for their years of support and expressed appreciation for staff with whom he has worked.
"I am proud of the work that was achieved at this restaurant," Tropeano wrote. "I know it inspired many. Expectations were met and always surpassed. Recipes and cuisine were born, developed and became signatures and favorites."
Gwenn Friss is the editor of CapeWeek and covers entertainment, restaurants and the arts. Contact her at gfriss@capecodonline.com. Follow her or X, formerly Twitter: @dailyrecipeCCT
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Matthew Tropeano closes Spoon and Seed restaurant in Hyannis
