The Scoop: Mad Tomato to close after Valentine’s Day

  Valentine’s Day will be bittersweet this year at Mad Tomato. Chef-owner Vito Racanelli Jr. confirmed the Italian eatery in Clayton is closing doors for good after dinner service on Feb. 14. Racanelli said the sluggish economy and continual construction surrounding his restaurant, which is situated between the St. Louis County buildings on Carondelet Avenue, contributed to his decision. “We have been surrounded by construction since we opened,” he said. “From the renovation of the Clayton Police Department to now, it’s been an uphill battle." Racanelli said he has no immediate plans to open another restaurant, instead spending the next few months with his wife, Amy Racanelli, preparing for the birth of their child. “This is a decision that was made by myself and my wife for the betterment of my family,” he said. “I have no regrets, and I hold no grudges. It’s just time to move on.” Mad Tomato opened doors in May 2011; Sauce reviewed the restaurant later that year.

-photo by Carmen Troesser