Chef Steven McMasters’ love for cooking began at an early age in the kitchen alongside his mother and grandmother. It was there that he learned how food could bring people together, create lasting memories, and become a way of caring for others.

 

Steven attended Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky, where he earned his associate’s degree in culinary arts in 2017. He got his first kitchen job right around the time he started school, working at Vincenzo’s, a fine dining Italian restaurant owned by brothers Vincenzo and Agostino Gabriele, that has been a Louisville staple since the 1980s. He later worked for Agostino’s son Carmelo at Sarino. Steven also worked in several of Louisville’s other esteemed restaurants including 610 Magnolia and North of Bourbon. These experiences helped shape Steven not only as a chef, but also as a leader, teacher, and menu developer.

 

Steven defines his cooking as modern American cuisine, drawing from his Southern roots, Italian heritage, and a wide range of global influences. His food is grounded in familiar flavors and traditions but shaped by a modern, creative approach. Rather than being tied to a single tradition, Steven’s cooking reflects the experiences and influences that have shaped him as a chef—creating dishes that are thoughtful and refined while remaining approachable and familiar.

 

Steven is committed to building relationships with local farms, producers, and businesses and sourcing from the Paducah region whenever possible. For him, buying local means working with fresh, quality ingredients while supporting the people behind them and creating a menu that reflects the community Stella’s calls home.

 

Paducah has also become home for Steven and his family. He and his wife, Beth, moved to the area with their two children, Charlotte and Bennett, to be closer to Beth’s family and to put down roots in a community that has become an important part of their lives. Away from the restaurant, Steven enjoys sharing the kitchen with his children and hopes to give them the same kind of memories that first inspired his own love of cooking—time spent together, learning, laughing, and connecting over food.

 

As Executive Chef at Stella’s, Steven brings his experiences, influences, and connection to the community together in a kitchen centered on quality, creativity, and genuine hospitality. Whether developing a seasonal dish, reimagining a Southern classic, or leading his team through dinner service, his goal is simple: create thoughtful, memorable food worth gathering around.

 

For Steven, that goal brings everything full circle - from the childhood kitchen where his passion began to the kitchen he leads today, and from the memories created with his mother and grandmother to the new ones he is creating with Beth, Charlotte, and Bennett here in Paducah.