Mattei’s Tavern, built in 1886 and considered one of the best-preserved stagecoach stops on the entire West Coast, has undergone a remarkable rejuvenation and is now ready for 21st century customers.
Chef Robbie Wilson and his wife and business partner Emily Perry Wilson recently gave me a tour, explaining the changes they made to the Los Olivos landmark with partners Ali and Charles Banks, owners of Terroir Selections.
“The most important thing for us was to preserve the heritage of this place, and everything we do from design to the menu really was to accentuate what we already had in place,” Robbie said. “The hard work has been done for us: the history, the reputation. We feel very fortunate to have this canvas.”
They painstakingly revived the cherished building, respecting history while adding pops of modern décor to increase comfort.
Everything was done or made by local artisans; their neighbor across the street built several wooden tables, and plates were handmade by an artist in Buellton.
All the organic produce comes from the Santa Ynez Valley, too.
“We consciously source every ingredient here,” Robbie said. “Whether it’s thyme or whether it’s a tangerine.”
And another thing’s for sure: The new owners of Mattei’s aren’t lacking in creativity.
Just one look at “Felix Mattei’s Dirty Laundry,” and you know that this place is playful. The $33 salumi platter features a variety of Italian cured meats hanging by clothespins from a miniature clothesline, custom made for Mattei’s.
“I feel like this is a glimpse into Robbie’s brain,” Emily said.
Another whimsical Chef Robbie creation, “Morro Bay’s Greatest Hits,” is a $59 seafood platter that spins a dozen oysters, sweet shrimp, and hamachi on an actual record player for diners to eat lazy Susan-style. There are a half dozen or so vintage turntables hanging in the kitchen.
It’s obvious that Mattei’s is meant to be a cool place to hang out.
“It has to be fun and unpretentious,” Robbie said. “Our food has to be engaging, witty, and delicious.”
This ingenious chef not only has an active imagination, he has chops.
Robbie Wilson, a Texas native, has worked for such celebrity chefs as Thomas Keller at the French Laundry and Nobu Matsuhisa, and at fine dining establishments from France to Aspen and most recently in Nashville, where he operated four restaurants for M Street Entertainment Group.
Robbie’s dinner menu at Mattei’s is divided into two sections: “1886−inspirations from Felix Mattei” and “2013−inspirations from Los Olivos.”
The classic 1886 menu features such starters such as beef tartar, grilled artichoke, and bone marrow. 1886 “mains” include Wagyu skirt steak, campfire trout, pork shank, and wood-fired chicken.
2013 starters include grilled octopus, smoked lamb’s neck, and Hamachi chorizo. Examples of 2013 entrees: halibut, fatty brisket, and Salisbury lamb. Entrees range in price from $21 to $29.
The wine list is impressive, too, featuring the best wines from the valley and mature vintages from the most respected regions around the world.
Mattei’s will also tap into its heritage by serving up vintage cocktails in the Stage Room, the old-fashioned way: with a bartender who wheels a cart over to your comfy chair, making your hand-stirred Pisco Sour and a dozen other drinks—with specially designed ice cubes, I might add.
With several beautiful dining rooms to choose from, a myriad of dining experiences await. Consider the historic Red Room with rich, red banquettes; the Garden Room; or the Wicker Room, which includes “The Table.”
“We will donate a portion of sales from the meal of whoever sits at ‘The Table,’” Emily told me.
Each month, Mattei’s will invest in the community by giving 10 percent of sales from that table to a different organization in Santa Barbara County.
My favorite dining room is the Chef’s Room, with a clear view of the hustle and bustle in the new state-of-the art kitchen, complete with custom grills and rotisseries.
You’ll get to watch Robbie’s kitchen staff, several of whom worked for him in both Aspen and Nashville, allowing him to hit the ground running with this new venture.
In this room also sits the Winemaker Table, reserved for vintners to sit, dine, pop open their wine bottles with no corkage fee, and mingle with patrons.
That’s not all: A cornfield grows in Mattei’s backyard. Robbie plans to fire up the new pizza oven on the courtyard later this summer when the corn is mature, inviting customers to dine alfresco on picnic tables lit up at night. He sets the scene: “Music out there, sit in the cornfield, have a bottle of wine, a pizza.”
Mattei’s is now open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday evenings. Friday through Sunday lunch service begins Aug. 9.
One more thing that caught my eye: The following quote is printed on Mattei’s dinner menu: “All great change in America begins at the dinner table. R.R.”
“R.R.” was no stranger to the Santa Ynez Valley; in fact, he was one of its biggest and certainly most famous cheerleaders, even as the 40th president of the United States and former Santa Barbara County resident: Ronald Reagan.
The marvelous new Mattei’s Tavern is now certainly fit for a president, but it’s designed to appeal to us fun-loving common folk, too.
Sun food and wine columnist Wendy Thies Sell hopes no one airs her dirty laundry 127 years from now. Contact her at [email protected].
