Chef Josh DeChellis sells Juniper Hill in Clinton to Newark restaurant owner
Jenna IntersimoneAcclaimed chef Josh DeChellis came home to Hunterdon County and opened the restaurant Juniper Hill in the Annandale section of Clinton in 2017, just a few miles from where he grew up.
From then on, diners relished in the hyper-local eats sourced from Two Barn Farm in Pittstown, some that DeChellis picked himself in the field with farmer Jon Smith.
But DeChellis’ days hustling from the farm back to the modern yet rustic eatery have come to an end. On May 25, he announced that he sold the restaurant to Tony Martinez, owner of Mompou Tapas Bar & Restaurant and Spanish Tavern, both in Newark.
“It is with very mixed emotions that we announce the transfer of ownership of Juniper Hill,” DeChellis announced on the restaurant's Facebook page. “We are feeling all the emotions, but are very much looking forward to seeing what’s next for us.”
Right now, that means spending more time with his wife and two teenage sons, DeChellis said.
“I want to spend more time with the family. I really miss them,” said DeChellis. “The restaurant took up a lot of my bandwidth that didn’t allow me to spend as much time as I wanted to with my family.”
DeChellis said he feels “extremely sad” to say goodbye to Juniper Hill and the staff, who “are like another family to me so I’ll miss seeing them every day.”
He looks forward to seeing his former staff and customers in town or at the Juniper Hill bar, he said in the post.
Looking back:Juniper Hill in Clinton is Josh DeChellis' farm-to-table homecoming
DeChellis said he was unaware of any changes Martinez plans to make to the 3,000-square-foot open-kitchen restaurant.
Martinez could not be reached for comment.
Juniper Hill’s ever-changing menu features items from local bakers, farmers and fishermen blended with global ingredients, served upon simple wooden tables behind barn doors. Since the space was once a PNC Bank location, the original bank vault serves as a private eating space.
DeChellis has “no immediate plans to make any immediate plans,” he said.
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“The plan is to take a minute, breathe and be present and enjoy life,” he continued. “Right now, I’m about to grab a slice of pizza with my wife and my son.”
Contact: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com
Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, after becoming a blogger-turned-reporter following the creation of her award-winning travel blog. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.