If you grew up anywhere near the Nassau-Queens border, you probably have a "Stella story." Maybe it was the place where your parents had their first date back in the sixties, or perhaps it was the only spot your grandmother trusted to make a lasagna that didn't "taste like a restaurant." Stella Ristorante in Floral Park NY wasn't just a place to grab dinner; for 64 years, it was essentially the community's living room.
It’s gone now.
Honestly, the news hit the neighborhood like a ton of bricks when the Cerrone family announced they were closing the doors for good on New Year’s Eve 2024. Walking past 152 Jericho Turnpike today feels... different. It’s quiet. The red sauce aroma that used to drift onto the sidewalk is a memory, and for a lot of us, it feels like a piece of Floral Park’s soul just packed up and left.
The End of a 64-Year Streak
You don’t see restaurants last six decades anymore. It’s basically unheard of in an industry where most spots fail before their first birthday. Giuseppe and Gina Cerrone opened the place on October 20, 1960. Back then, it was just a tiny pizzeria. But Gina—affectionately known as "Mamma Stella" by anyone who walked in more than twice—had a vision that went way beyond slices.
She was a fixture.
You’d see her there every single day, keeping a hawk-eye on the kitchen. She wasn't just managing; she was making sure the veal was pounded thin enough and the marinara had that exact hits-the-back-of-the-throat brightness. When Giuseppe retired from his construction job, he joined her, and together they turned a local pizza joint into a fine-dining destination.
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Why did they close?
It wasn't because business was bad. Actually, the place was packed until the very last night. Co-owner Enza Tomaselli was pretty open about the reason: it was just time. When you’ve spent your whole life feeding other people’s families, you eventually want to go feed your own. She mentioned wanting to be at her grandkids' ball games. It's a bittersweet trade-off, but after 64 years of 12-hour shifts, who can blame them?
What Made the Food So Weirdly Good?
People talk about "authentic" Italian food all the time, but at Stella, it felt personal. It was "home-cooked fresh," which is a phrase you hear a lot, but rarely actually experience at a scale that can feed a hundred people on a Saturday night.
- The Lasagna: This was the heavy hitter. It wasn't one of those delicate, deconstructed versions you see in Manhattan. It was a massive, cheesy, multi-layered beast that some locals swear was the best on the entire island.
- Stella Scampi: A signature that people would drive from Suffolk County for. It had this specific garlic-butter-lemon balance that nobody else could quite replicate.
- Chicken Romano: One of those "if you know, you know" dishes. Hearty, consistent, and always served in portions that guaranteed you’d be eating it for lunch the next day.
- The Bread Basket: Even the bread was a thing. They’d serve these slim wedges of seasoned pizza dough—a little nod to their 1960s roots—that were dangerously addictive.
I've heard stories of people moving to Florida or the Carolinas and making a "Stella run" the second their plane touched down at JFK. That’s the kind of loyalty you can’t buy with a fancy Instagram marketing campaign. It was built on decades of consistent veal sorrentino and fried zucchini that never came out soggy.
The Vibe: No Frills, Just Class
If you walked into Stella looking for "minimalist chic," you were in the wrong place. The interior was old-school. We’re talking tufted leather banquettes, Tiffany-style lamps, and mirrors positioned so you could see everyone else in the room (and they could see you). It had an elegance that felt lived-in.
It was fancy, but not "don't touch that" fancy.
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You’d see guys in suits next to families with three toddlers. The service was famously smooth, the kind of professional waitstaff career-style service where your water glass was filled before you even realized it was empty. The kitchen was invisible, but the food just... appeared. It was like magic, honestly.
What’s Happening to the Building?
This is the part that’s got the neighborhood talking. Now that the restaurant is empty, the space at 152 Jericho Turnpike is slated for a massive change. There’s a proposal on the table for a major redevelopment project.
We’re talking two five-story buildings.
If it goes through, it’ll bring about 155 apartments and over 200 parking spaces to that stretch between South Tyson and Van Buren. It’s part of a larger push to "revitalize" the area, but for those of us who remember the flower-filled planters outside Stella, it’s a lot to process. The village has already started holding public hearings about things like underground parking. It’s a sign of the times, sure, but it definitely marks the end of the "low-rise" feel that part of the Turnpike had for so long.
The Legacy Lives On (Literally)
If you’re feeling a Stella-sized hole in your heart, there’s a bit of a silver lining. Adriana Milana, the granddaughter of the original founders, opened Stellina Ristorante in Oyster Bay a few years back. The name "Stellina" is a direct tribute to the Floral Park legend. While it’s a smaller, more intimate spot (about 40 seats), the DNA is there. They even use the family recipes to keep that specific Cerrone flavor alive.
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Moving On Without Stella
It’s weird to think about a Floral Park without Stella Ristorante. It was one of those landmarks you used to give directions. "Yeah, go past Stella and make a left." Now, it's a closed storefront waiting for the wrecking ball or a renovation crew.
But the impact is still there.
The restaurant proved that if you treat your customers like family and never cut corners on the ingredients, people will stay with you for half a century. In a world of fast-casual chains and "concept" dining that changes every two years, Stella was a rock.
What you can do now:
If you're missing that specific old-school Italian vibe, your best bet is to head over to Stellina Ristorante in Oyster Bay to see what the next generation is doing with those classic recipes. If you're a Floral Park local, keep an eye on the Village Board meetings regarding the 152 Jericho Turnpike development. These hearings are the only way to have a say in what takes the place of the icon we lost.
Lastly, if you have old photos or menus from the 60s or 70s, consider sharing them with the Floral Park Historical Society. They're working to preserve the history of the businesses that built this town, and Stella is a huge part of that story.