My first time

 

I have a confession to make, and while the honesty is flowing I’ll admit that I’m a little embarrassed. Last week, after almost a year of writing about food and wine in the Santa Ynez Valley, I visited Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos for, well, the first time in my life.

I started hearing about Mattei’s as soon as I began writing in the valley. “I’ll see you at Mattei’s!” “You going to Mattei’s later?” “Where should we go? I know. How about Mattei’s!” It soon became clear to me that for the Santa Ynez Valley resident the old tavern was the definition of a locals’ hangout.

 

So this brings me to my excuse. What could I possibly say about this place that everyone didn’t already know? I could go on and on about the history of the tavern. You know, how the historic building was originally owned by Felix and Lucy Mattei and how they spent years catering to the railroad travelers that were dumped in Los Olivos, which was originally the southern terminus of the Pacific Coast Railroad. How Mattei’s soon became a hangout for Hollywood notables and upper class travelers from all over California. How the building has endured a few face lifts over the years, but for the most part has maintained its original character. But this is all common knowledge for the valley resident.

 

Of course, I probably could develop an article that tells the story of how Matt and Jeff Nichols took possession of Mattei’s in 2002 after outgrowing their ever popular Brothers’ Restaurant in Solvang. I could track the history of two chefs with over 40 years of combined experience who found their way to the valley over a decade ago and have continually evolved their cuisine to please the local community. But everyone here has already tasted their creations.

Somehow, however, I found my way to Mattei’s anyway. It was almost 8 p.m. and I only recently had made it back to my car after a long day of cycling, swimming and climbing in Red Rock with a friend. We were both in need of good food in a social yet cozy environment, preferably a warm one with a massive fireplace, and of course, it had to be open late, because we were a bit behind schedule. “I know. How about Mattei’s?”

 

The parking lot was overflowing with cars when we arrived just a bit after 8 p.m. on a Saturday night. Not knowing how big Mattei’s actually is, I assumed our chances of getting a table were not very good. So I was quite surprised to be seated almost immediately after walking through the door.

The tavern’s predominately local wine list contained an extensive catalog of the wines that the Central Coast can produce. There were also some well-selected and fairly priced wines available by the glass, including an Andrew Murray ‘05 Syrah, which we both ordered.

As we sat and perused the menu, our server arrived and introduced the specials for the evening. Coriander Crusted Buffalo Ribeye with Polenta and Smoky Red Wine Sauce sold me immediately. It’s rare to find buffalo on a menu that isn’t in the form of a buffalo burger, and my body was crying out for something ultra savory. Perfect. As a self-admitted goat cheese addict, my date couldn’t resist trying the Roasted Chicken Breast Stuffed with Goat Cheese along with Mashed Potatoes and Herb Jus. I was a little disappointed. Not that this seemed like a poor choice, but in my current greedy state, I had hoped that she might order the other special and share a few bites with me. Even though I had to order my buffalo, a Sausage and Seafood Paella sounded very exciting.

 

To help warm our bellies, we split an order of Caramelized Sweet Onion Soup with Melted Gruyere, which was more or less a well-prepared French onion soup. Our generous portions of soup combined with the wonderful bread selection that was brought to our table made for the perfect hunger-tamer and allowed us to relax into Mattei’s cozy atmosphere.

Our entrees arrived without delay and we enjoyed them immensely. Instead of dessert, we opted for more wine by the fireplace in the bar. Reclining into the couch with good company, I had to resist the temptation to siesta, knowing that I still had to find my way home at some point. This ended up being quite easy. I noticed old friends sitting just a few tables away. We exchanged stories of our adventures during the day and laughed ourselves to tears more than once.

I should have known I’d run into someone at Mattei’s.