Brookside’s Julian restaurant closing in July

After nearly eight years of operations, Julian restaurant is closing in Brookside.

Owner and chef Celina Tio said she decided not to renew her lease and will close the restaurant, at 6227 Brookside Plaza, after a Fourth of July pig roast.

“It’s a great location. I’ve had the support of neighbors and non-neighbors alike, some of the same customers as when I first opened, and I still get new ones,” Tio said.

Julian will be open regular business hours until the closing. But to thank customers, Tio also is planning a series of events at the Brookside restaurant, including special menus and wine dinners, as well as a pig roast on Father’s Day.

She will continue to concentrate on her other businesses, The Belfry, a restaurant and bar in a Crossroads building that she also owns, as well as her consulting business.

Tio opened The Belfry, at 1532 Grand Blvd., in 2014, specializing in craft beer, whiskey and chef-driven comfort food. She wants to offer more private and special events in the space, while also bringing in new tenants for part of the first floor as well as the second floor.

“The Crossroads is just developing so quickly. I’ve always wanted to be down here,” she said, while hosting a private Pappy Van Winkle bourbon dinner at The Belfry on Thursday.

Tio had previously been with The American for seven years, where she won Chef Magazine’s 2005 Chef of the Year award, and the James Beard Foundation’s 2007 Best Chef: Midwest.

After opening Julian in 2009, she competed on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef Masters” as well as Food Network’s “The Next Iron Chef” and “Iron Chef America.”

She appeared as an expert on Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue,” Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern” and Michael Symon’s “Burgers, Brew & ’Que” on the Food Network.

This story was originally published May 18, 2017 at 9:40 PM with the headline "Brookside’s Julian restaurant closing in July."