October's Good Dinner venue was Matthew's Kitchen, located in my south-city neighborhood of Southhampton, and why not? I was the host after all! Matthew's Kitchen recently look over the old Del Pietro's location, and I was glad to see the charming brick building stay in use. Matthew's seemed to call my name every time I drove by it - it looked so inviting! Needless to say, I was excited to finally have the opportunity to check it out, and who else better to share in a detailed investigation other than our Good Dinner Club?
By the time my husband & I arrived, daughter in tow, most everyone else was already seated upstairs at a long table nestled in the back of a quiet but large room. Everyone from the hostess, to the wait staff was very warm and welcoming, and seemed genuinely glad we had decided to dine with them. The ambiance was very warm & inviting. We had plenty of room to spread out at our table, and yet were still able to hear conversation well enough from end to end. Of course, we were eating on a weeknight, one night prior to Halloween, and there were few other diners present at the time, so I can only speak from our experience.
Our server aimed to please, and although he was initially a little slow on drink orders (which is somewhat expected with a larger group, and maybe he had to go downstairs to get them), everything quickly progressed at a comfortable pace.
Onto the menu: it was mouthwatering, and full of some unique items you don't generally come across, like Pig Wings, as opposed to chicken wings, which of course my husband had to try out, so we got them as our appetizer and did enjoy them. Matthew's is also distinct in that it's a far cry from normal uppity eatery trends these days boasting all-natural, cage-free, free-range, locally produced, organic, animal friendly terminology. I'm not saying Matthew's food isn't fresh or any of those things (I really don't know), but for example they fry some food and serve it up homestyle, and aren't ashamed to say it. I for one ordered the Shepard's Pie served in a cast-iron skillet. It was good, but I did have some foodie remorse, because their were so many good choices, and when I saw my fellow GDCer served some Shrimp & Grits in the most presenting of fashions, I was downright jealous. Everyone seemed pretty pleased with their selections overall, and in reviews, one noted the baked potato soup and generous serving of short ribs were both delicious.
I concur with the words of another who said "Enjoyable food and overall experience. Was very pleased with my drink, appetizer and dessert, and look forward to trying other dishes I saw served. I will definitely go back, and would gladly recommend to others." I am proud to report that we all seemed to enjoy my restaurant selection. In reviews, Matthew's got unanimously 4 out of 5 spoons for service, 4 & 5 spoons for food, mostly 4 spoons for atmosphere and another unanimous 4 spoons for overall experience. So it's safe to say I give this quaint south city spot a solid 4 spoons, and you should definitely check it out.
Have you been to Matthews? What did you think? Please rate & review below!
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