matt's in the making

Top floor of the Corner Market Building

2007-09-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

The bar at the top of the Market.
For reservations, please call (206) 467-7909

computer guy in jamaica

2007-07-10T18:49:00.001-07:00

july

2007-07-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

hey, everyone --

yes, it's july. yes, we're open. this is the first time i've had to really sit & compose my thoughts enough to write.

first off, we're busy. that's for damn sure. one of my long-time regulars, upon getting turned away the other day, said he was happy that even though we're now 3 times the size (he was off a bit) the wait is still the same. it seems that bigger restaurant = more phone calls, on an exponential level. just like the old days, if you show up at 11:30 without a reservation we're gonna tell you you can get in at 1:15 or so.

second, we're not really all there yet (on many levels) -- we're waiting for shelving that was on order weeks ago but doesn't seem to really exist (my kitchen staff refers to it as the "shelving of mass destruction" -- we've got a cooler that freezes & a freezer that only cools, all brand new of course. the website still said we were closed for almost 2 weeks after we had reopened because tom, my bar guy & computer tech, happenened to be in jamaica on his honeymoon. todd's in india for the whole month.

otherwise -- hey, what the hell -- it's a restaurant again.

we're doing great numbers, we put together a dy-no-mite new staff of fun & cool people & we like each other & we don't really care so much if you enjoy the place or not.

no -- really, we tried as hard as we could to make this place seem as much like matt's as possible & i think we got at least a good deal of it right. if you think you're disoriented when you come in here, take just a moment & consider how it feels to me. i cooked on the line with the guys a couple of nights ago & i can barely keep up with the salads.i'm used to facing north when i work. i've made a full-time job of cleaning & reorganizing the office. you should see how much linen we get every couple of days.

it's good to be back. almost unanimously you people have welcomed our return openly, with friendship & genuine affection & i've missed pretty much all of you --

well, maybe not you, peter --

it's good to be back. thank you.

matt

2007-07-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for the lunch crowd...

WE'RE OPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-06-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

we're open!

for right now, lunch is every day, 11:30 - 2:30

dinner is monday - saturday, 5:00 - 10:00

for reservations, please call 467-7909

see you!

june 18

2007-06-18T15:31:00.002-07:00

ok, here goes --

if things go just right, we're hoping to load this place with food, prep up & make sure we still know what the hell we're doing, go get some wine & booze & open the doors -- it'll mean a couple of practice sessions and a bunch of cleaning & organization, & then perhaps we'll be open some time over the weekend.

i really wish i had better info for you -- we've gotten a couple of inspections under our belt, with about 3 to go, including the health inspection thursday afternoon. the hood is ready, most of the plumbing is connected but we may have to repair part of the gas line, some of the cabinets aren't here & some of the equipment either got delivered incorrectly or wasn't even ordered. so it goes.

we're getting all of our staff together tonight to go over a game plan. we're all ready for you.

matt

today's news

2007-06-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

it's wednesday the 13th -- keep it to yourselves, but we'll be open sometime next week -- say, by friday the 22nd? no shit.

the equipment is all in & being hooked up -- the hood is about 99% complete. our health inspection is scheduled for monday the 18th. after that, we can prep & go.

thanks for watching & waiting -- catffish is about to be had.

i will post again the evening of the 18th.

2007-06-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

look for us soon!

2007-06-13T13:31:00.001-07:00

it's gonna be a kitchen

2007-06-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

chet still thinks we're using butane

2007-06-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

needs more cowbell...

2007-06-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

It's quite the space...

Somethin's cookin'...as they say in Jamaica: "Soon come..."

tuttle ... buttle ...

2007-06-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

june 7

2007-06-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

here's the word --

the hood, as you can see if you scroll down, is here. it's hanging from the ceiling & almost hooked up. we've got our dishmachine in place, the tile work is mostly done & even the speakers are hanging.

we will be open this month -- right now, we've got a pretty good idea of when that'll be but we're gonna keep it to ourselves for a couple more days.

bear with us & keep watching. thanks.

matt

these are lisa's tulips

2007-06-07T14:58:00.001-07:00

meet the producer?

2007-06-07T14:52:00.001-07:00

a hood came in through the window ...

2007-06-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

2007-06-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

in a blue moon .....

2007-06-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

the hood is in!

first thing this morning, under the blue moon, they took out the southwest window & swung it in. five feet by twelve, it wouldn't fit up the stairs. now it gets installed & a hole is cut through the roof & we're a lot closer to being there. as soon as tom helps me with the pictures i'll show you.

speaking of the blue moon, i don't know if you were out last night late but there it was, hanging fat in the sky, with jupiter just above & to the left.

if you get the chance, get hold of a decent telescope & take a look at jupiter -- the best viewing is coming up from now to june 9. jupiter's cool because you can clearly see its moons, all 4 or 5 of them, strung out in a spiral around the planet. watch for a while & you'll be able to follow the motion of whichever one it is that's got the closest orbit, going around. back in the 17th or 18th century some guy developed a system for telling accurate time -- and therefore, longitude -- by charting all of the various positions of the moons for an entire year. i'm not sure how easy it would have been to have tracked those moons from the top of a mast on a ship at sea, but it's for sure it wouldn't do you much good in cloudy weather.

what's the time?

2007-05-31T11:38:00.001-07:00

so this guy is driving down the highway & passes an orchard. he sees this farmer holding up a pig so that it can gobble apples right off the tree. the pig is going crazy eating apples.

"that's the craziest thing i ever saw," the guy tells himself & he pulls over to the side of the road, gets out of the car, & goes up to the farmer.

"hey, i couldn't help noticing what you were doing. does your pig like apples?"

the farmer says, "my pig loves apples."

"well, if you don't mind my saying so, if you took a stick & knocked the apples on the ground instead of lifting the pig up, you would save lots of time."

and the farmer answers, "what's time to a pig?"

-- michael kaminsky, pig perfect

see you soon?

it's gonna be june

2007-05-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

hello. it's gonna be june.

as much as i've tried to be in denial about it, that's the word. late june at that, at best.

there's just too much still to do, and perhaps a couple of things that have to be redone, most notably involving the hood. as you can see from tom's latest photos, the bar top is in. the counter tiles are going in soon, shelving is going up, the dishmachines are here & the hot water tank is installed (it's nice & big -- we like hot water). some time next week the hood will be coming in via the window -- we'll try to get photos.

so there you have it, again. i'm not even going to throw out any dates until we get closer, though i have a couple of ideas. if it's any consolation to you, i usually go without lunch, too.

since i've got a bit of time on my hands, i took a part-time job the other day. if you want to come see me, you can find me cooking in madrona at restaurant cremant, sunday & monday nights (reservations are recommended -- 322-4600). the place is great, the food's really good -- it's great practice for me & it gets my ass off the couch. plus, i live a couple of blocks away -- you can't beat the commute.

there you have it for now -- i'm off to cook catfish sandwiches for the staff of delaurenti. i'll be in touch.

happy 33, chet!

matt

The Bar

2007-05-21T17:19:00.001-07:00

How about a Scotch?

the ides of may

2007-05-15T05:21:00.000-07:00

well, it's now mid-may

unfortunately, we're really nowhere near there yet.

back in late march/early april, when delays had put us seriously behind, it was necessary for our contractors to go onto other job commitments. like pushing a big snowball down a hill (a little spokane lore for you there), this set us back everywhere -- mechanical permits, fabrication of equipment, everything. to make it worse, our head guy on the job had a long-planned vacation -- in south africa -- and as soon as he got back a little over a week ago he went right into the hospital for emergency surgery.

ken's fine, by the way, though a little immobilized and perhaps rather fond of his percoset. as of yesterday he & i have begun to set the wheels back into motion.

so here's the latest, and i should know more at the end of the day:

- mechanical is complete. this means we have permits in hand for the installation of the hood, pending coordination with our landlord, the pda, for the roof penetration. if you were to come in to look at the restaurant right now, you'd see that the entire back kitchen & dish area walls are painted & the fire retardant wall panels are installed. it's all ready for the hood, the back kitchen stainless wall & then all of the hot, cold & plumbing appliances. amazingly, once we can set that date for penetration the whole thing can be done in a matter of a couple of days, from bringing the stuff up the stairs to plugging it in & turning it on.

- the much-talked-about gas line is ready. the market made it past all of the red tape the city could deal & have gotten everything prepared for us -- it's now just pending the installation of the hood & final connections of our plumbing lines.

- the liquor license is in hand. after lost applications in the mail & a good deal of miscommunication, we've achieved the right to "dispense" liquor (i love that word).

- our tile-work has yet to be done. that was to be ken's baby, but he's now unable to do the heavy work so we're farming the job out. we think we've got the guys to do it.

so, once we get our equipment in & connected, there's still a bunch of finish work to be done, lighting installation, stereo hookup, etc. we're looking at some weeks. i wish it weren't so.

on the positive side, we've hired some great people -- i'm looking forward to working with the new team. some new faces, a bunch of familiar ones. the restaurant is looking wonderful -- we actually pulled off a wedding in there last saturday and, although it was lot of work, it came off well. the room's good for a party - tom's a natural at shaking a cocktail.

there you have it. i should know more by the end of the day -- whenever i feel i can give out a new calendar, i will do so. keep thinking good thoughts, watch out for wolfowitz & go get out in the sun.

matt

New Menus!

2007-05-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

Dinner
(Click on menu to view)

Lunch

new hours, new menus

2007-04-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

hey, here's what's new this week --

- we've set our hours for the new place.

having the extra prep space & the lounge gives us better flexibility, so we'll be keeping part of the room open with a smaller menu during the afternoons & later into the evening. we'll also start opening earlier on the weekends with some breakfast-oriented items on the menu as well as our standard lunch stuff. and, we're going to add sundays & monday nights.

here's the schedule:

lunch monday - friday, 11:30 - 2:30 lounge appetizers 3:00 - 5:00

saturday-sunday, 9:00 - 3:00

dinner monday - saturday, 5:00 - 10:00 sunday 4:00 - 7:00

if we schedule special events like wine dinnners, maybe we'll mostly do them on sundays

- we've drafted lunch & dinner menus for opening.

i'm not savvy enough to figure out how to upload them onto this blog, but i've hung copies outside the restaurant & sent copies to tom to post on the website. if you see me out around town, pretty much anywhere but in the sauna, i'm probably carrying a marked-up copy i can show you.

we like it. having more equipment may not be so damn cute as before, but it opens up a lot more menu possibilities. the oyster sandwich comes back, the range of salads & appetizers is bigger & we're reintroducing entrees to the lunch menu. of course we're keeping the catfish & tuna sandwiches (going back to ahi tuna) but now we can also serve a lamb burger from don & joe's meats. we've also decided to make the commitment to serving humanely-treated, hormone-free animals & sustainable fish. i think pigs are pretty cool, but i still like eating them.

so it goes. it's good talking at you -- i kind of feel like a radio dj, hoping someone's out there listening. we've actually been sitting idle for a couple of weeks for various reasons but we should be swinging back into the loop this week -- as soon as i have a newly-estimated timeline, i'll share it. believe me, i am looking forward to seeing you all. well, maybe not you, peter.

enjoy the sun while we've got it.

matt

the big eruption

2007-04-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

hey, ho. so it goes.

you know i'm always looking for a portentous opening date, so how's about ---

mount saint helens day?

(that's may 18, in case you're not from around here)

it works for me on a lot of levels -- a significant date, one we can achieve if we stop running into troubles. also, it'll be the 27th anniversary of the eruption,
& 27 is my favorite number. what more do we need?

we had a wine tasting in the space the other day -- live jazz, made the food over at chez shea, lots of happy people. the tunes sound great in here, the room looks good. now it's just a matter of getting the last of the stuff in & getting all of our builders back on track. I gotta tell you -- i'm pretty tired of my desk by now.
in mid-may we've got a wine dinner scheduled (it's booked)-- a couple of days later my friends amy & jr are getting married in the space, which is going to be pretty cool. after that we gear up, practice making some food & plan our parties. eventually, we open.
the place is looking great, we just need to get the last 25% done.

so that's what i've got for now. hey, ho.

matt

rip -- billy pilgrim 1923-2007 so it goes.

may day! may day!

2007-04-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

OK, how's May Day?

you know, in construction projects like this there's always a hang-up somewhere, & this is no exception. a couple of pieces of vital equipment aren't here -- the hood is still traveling somewhere, the gas lines are yet to be hooked up. we're scraping together the last of our funds so that we can make it all come together. right now, if the gods smile & the pieces fall out of the sky beautifully, we'll be open right around the first of may.

when i was a kid, may day was kind of a big deal. my brother & i would go pick flowers & try to sneak them over to the neighbor's house in the morning, to lay them on their doorstep. i don't know if you were aware that i grew up on a farm, but there's not a whole lot of sneaking up you can do when your driveway's a tenth of a mile long, so i'm sure they always saw us coming.

anyway, keep your eyes open around the start of may, maybe bring me a flower to lay on my doorstep & come see the place firsthand even if it's not quite open, & i hope we're all eating catfish again soon.

hey, ho. matt

Escher would be happy to see these...

2007-03-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

the ides of march

2007-03-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

well, we didn't make the ides of march, as i had said before -- probably not friday the 13th of april, either. i'm running out of portentous dates to choose & may have to just go for something normal, like lisa's birthday or national secretary's day.

ok, so the hood & other equipment aren't getting shipped here as fast as we had thought -- that's all part of building a restaurant, & this is not my first time. we're still finishing design of tabletops & fighting over the barstools. the ceiling has been finished (& it looks fantastic) & the walls are being painted. gas line issues are being resolved & all of that should be getting installed soon. that's the update.

so, what's the deal with the attorney general?

can't any branch of this administration -- justice, perhaps -- be honest for a little while? does anybody out there still believe a word these jokers say to us? i sure as hell don't. exactly where is it they are supporting our troops, if not before, during or after their deployment to the battlefield?

there's my rant for the day. et tu?

so it goes. matt

Sphinx dog...

2007-03-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

march 1

2007-03-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

hello, everyone & welcome to march --

-- snow, freezing temperatures, pile-ups on I-90 & a vote on the viaduct --

i intended to write sooner than this but our computers have been down & i am just now getting back to it, so here we go:

first off --
right now, the april 13 date looks good to us. we based this on equipment delivery times & now are being told stuff could get here more swiftly. if things go somewhat along the plan, we may be able to start playing (& i mean playing) in our new kitchen right around easter weekend, which gives us time to prep & write recipes & throw a couple of parties & get used to the whole new thing.

last time i was on here, i promised to put together an e-mailing, with some randomly chosen invites to the opening parties, so here now is the address to sign up for the e-mail list:
back@mattsinthemarket.com

please drop me a line & i will put you into our system

now, for the real fun --

since i last wrote, the room looks way different & we have made a few very important jumps forward.

- not only is the sub-floor back in, as i think you can see from the most recent photos, but the drywall is up, taped & primed. the painters are in here now, removing all of the old paint from the ceiling & posts (where it never should have been, anyway) getting it all down to the beautiful wood beneath. the ceiling in my old space has to be matched up with the new space -- it is a few shades darker, due to years of smoke & cooking fumes & whatever. once the ceiling is back to where it should be, we seal it with a clear coat as per health department request. next we paint walls & pour the work-area waterproof floor surfaces. also right now, the guys are framing in the support structures for the new counter area. tom said he'd get some more pictures up soon, because it really looks way different in there than it did even yesterday.

- we've resolved a major infrastructure issue with the market.

these are old buildings, with old fixtures & not a lot of architectural documentation, so in setting up our gas line we hit a major snag over codes & ventilation issues & outdated equipment, but i am happy to say that the pda (my landlord) has now stepped up to the plate to take on a serious upgrade so that we can get the gas line we need. these things are never easy, especially when you have to deal with public budgets & preserving the looks of a historical building, but eventually we got there. believe me, even though it's nothing you will ever see when you're here having lunch, it had to be resolved or we wouldn't even be able to reopen. so it goes.

- stefan just turned 40. young pup. it was either today or yesterday or something like that -- this week, anyway. when you see him again, be sure to wish him a happy birthday.

so long for now -- watch for the new photos & send me your e-mail addresses (once again, back@mattsinthemarket.com)

all of a sudden there's a quickening of the pace, & it feels as though we're starting to get somewhere. and it's gonna be really cool.

hope to be seeing you soon,

matt

ps -- if you're looking for a movie recommendation -- "the lives of others" -- best foreign-language film at this year's oscars, & deserving of it. a stark but beautifully human treatment of a very difficult subject. i enjoyed the hell out of it.
mj

drywall

2007-02-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

click on photos...

bar

kitchen

wide-angle view from NW corner of the room

v day

2007-02-14T17:39:00.000-08:00

hey, again everyone --

happy valentine's day!!!

i hope you're having a good, romantic time of it -- i am enjoying not having to plan for your dinner right now.

there are a couple of new things to tell you:

- mom's here. i just picked her up downtown & brought her to the house of my friend mama, of mama lil's peppers, where she'll be staying for a couple of days before we take her back to spokane. we're having beef & barley soup tonight with bread from the crumpet shop -- i made the soup in my new crockpot! pretty glamorous, huh? tomorrow night is my next guest chef appearance at farestart, in their new space, so she gets to come to that, too. lisa's valentine's day present was a text message (ask her about it).

- the floor is almost all put back (the sub-floor, that is) -- we've passed our building inspections & are also putting in the drywall. the speakers are wired in, next week we put in the waterproof floor & get close to painting.

- i have a new time estimate for you -- friday, april 13.

that's actually intended to be realistically conservative, based on estimated arrival time of our hood system (yes, we will have one) & some final permits. we've lost a little ground over plumbing & gas line issues, as well as securing the last of our investment, but we're on our way now. if you were to come look in next week, a lot would be different. the holes in the floor will be gone, the walls will be closed up. next we do the flooring, we paint the room & seal the ceiling, we build in the cabinets & counters, hang the lights, then bring in the hot & cold equipment. after that, we choose some new wines & try some new food & eventually let you in.

- next week we will post an e-mail address where you can sign up for opening parties & the mailing list for our opening date -- keep your eyes open.

OK, soup's on & i'm getting hungry -- it's almost time for jeopardy. see you in a couple of days,

matt

more plumbing (plus tile)

2007-02-10T15:38:00.000-08:00

The kitchen wall

Plumbing behind the bar (and under the floor)

Dining counter tile design

lunch & dinner

2007-02-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

i was asked to do this weeks ago & forgot until now --

if you want to go out to lunch or dinner while i'm down, & you can't come to my place, here are some suggestions. they are in no particular priority, unless otherwise noted:

lunch --

i assume you want downtown, since you would normally walk to my place --

in addition to the standards like le pichet, cafe campagne & etta's, there is also

pan-africa (right below me on first), 94 stewart (that's their address) & andaluca.

the v-i is still the best place around for a beer & a sandwich -- i go there all the time, even when we're open.

the steelhead diner -- it just opened up & i have only been once, but they are open from 11:30 - 10, tuesday - saturday, so go for that very late lunch. say hello to ebo. it's in the former vivanda space, across pine street to the south of campagne.

pizza or a sandwich at delaurenti. the sandwiches at the crumpet shop. and there's a taco truck that pulls up on first avenue, right by deja vu, every weekday at 10:45.

dinner --

downtown, but not limited to it --

ZOE! did i say that clearly enough -- ZOE! 2nd & blanchard. and they're open on monday nights.

la spiga. lark. ethan's new place in belltown, la tavolata. cremant -- also open for lunch now, but way away from downtown. moxie, open at 4 with a dynamite happy hour.

eat well, we'll see you when we're open,

matt

the super bowl

2007-02-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

for those of you who know me, you might think it funny that i would open by talking about the super bowl, but, you know, i've got time on my hands right now & that really was a pretty good game. lisa & i took the dog to the coast for the weekend & watched the game from various bars in & around ocean shores -- mustaches & mullets, i think you get what i mean.

so, progress:

the last time i wrote, we were passing our plumbing inspection. that was 2 weeks ago.

since then, i regret to say, not a lot has happened.

we came up against a difficult building inspection over some floor issues, not of our making, that have been around for 100 years -- we can now start work again tomorrow. these things come up occasionally on a job like this, which is not surprising when you think about how old all of this stuff is, but still it gets in the way.

in the same vein, we may have to fight a battle with the PDA (my landlord) over upgrading the gas lines into the building, three flights down the stairs from my space, because none of it has been up to code for decades & it seems to be my responsibility to fix it -- i'll let you know if it becomes an issue. once we get past these problems, then we can again go forward.

on a more positive note -- yesterday we solved a big design issue. it was really cool -- we just sat down with the contractors & literally cut strips of tile & figured out how they looked together, & BAM! we had designed the look for our counter. for the past seven months i've been describing the new counter as "a random pattern of tiles" or something like that, not having any clear idea in my own head, but yesterday in about 15 minutes we hashed it out & came to an agreement. i really think you'll like it.

alright, that's it. thank you to the P-I -- if you are just seeing this blog for the first time because of that wonderful writeup today, welcome aboard. seattle P-I, I am grateful. it's all about keeping people informed & i appreciate the help.

have a great valentine's day -- my mom's coming to town & i am taking her to the flower & garden show on friday -- say hello if you see us there.

matt

plumbing

2007-01-26T10:54:00.000-08:00

hello again, it's matt

it's friday am, january 26.

we had our plumbing inspection an hour or so ago & came out just fine. another couple of days of finishing up the plumbing & electrical, and then we can start putting things back instead of cutting them away. right now most of the floor is gone, but jim is starting to replace it as i write this. soon we will get the painters in here to seal the ceiling and the concrete walls by the windows. then we can build up.

so -- what else?

if you're looking for a matt's fix but without matt, most of my staff can be found at bizarro, la spiga or moxie. be sure to say hello.

that's all there is for now. i'll be around.

matt

Capturing the chaos

2007-01-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

Click on the photos for larger views

The corner windows......South (above) .......West (below)

COUNTER INTELLIGENCE

january 13

2007-01-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

well, let me tell you -- i have adjusted to my new schedule!

i leave here whatever time i want on friday, turn off my phone & don't turn it back on until sometime monday -- i stick around at home mornings to walk the dog, i come home while it's still light out to make dinner for my wife. i just wish it would snow some more, since i don't really have to be anywhere right now.

this is cool. is this how you guys have been doing it all along, & didn't tell me?

things are happening -- it may be hard to see from these photos, but the plumbing & electrical are well underway. we've been struggling to get some response regarding our gas hookup -- what's here isn't at all up to code & we may have to pay to make it that way, but we're still moving forward. the recent massive power outage hasn't made the utility companies exactly awash in free time to come talk to us about it, but we'll get it settled.

it's really uplifting to me, after a decade of making do with the way things were in the space, to
be actually putting in the correct plumbing & fixtures that should have been here from the start. all the rotted wood is gone, all of the surfaces are now cleanable, sealable & sanitary.

we had an employee meeting yesterday -- there were one or two things to go over, but mainly i was lonely & wanted to see my good friends again, & i think the feeling may have been kind of mutual. everyone was pleased with the look of the space. a lot of the final issues of bar design, decor & layout are coming together, as well. we may even have a few surprises for you.

ok, that's all for now. check out tom's photos -- click on the pictures so you can really see them up close, & keep your fingers crossed for march. february 15 will be our guest chef night at the (also new) farestart - that's a thursday - there may still be some reservation space left if you call soon. if you're downtown & promise not to interfere with the work that's going on, you can always stick your head into the new door, or come around the corner to see me in the office -- that is, if i haven't already gone home for the day.

hi ho,

matt

oh, ps - i haven't forgotten to update you on jeff's sex life like i promised, i just don't think there's been anything to tell.
see ya, mj

a sunny winter afternoon

2007-01-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

The mountains are thiiiiiiiiis big!

the new year

2007-01-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

january 5, 2007

as you can see from tom's photo, the wall has come down -- the wall is missing, the counter is gone, the old floor is being cut away. the mirror is down for now, but it'll get put back up.

yesterday when i came through what will be our new front door i had the strangest feeling walking across the room -- my reflexes tried to stop me from going through open space -- after 10 years of being able to move around only in certain areas, my body was unwilling to let me simply walk right through what used to be the counter or a wall -- like moving the furniture around in a blind guy's house. when you are eventually able to come in & check it out, i believe you'll be happy to see that it's really not going to be a large space at all -- it's still close & intimate. it just gives us the room to have the stuff we need to keep doing what we do. the bar is really cool, too, & so is the general feeling in the room now that you can see out all around.

in case you hadn't noticed, the weather sucks. whenever there's some sunshine & i'm down here with my camera, i'll try to get some better pictures, so you can kind of see what we're seeing.

the construction guys tell me we'll be wiring things & putting in plumbing for about a week or so,
soda-blasting away all the old paint on the bricks & pillars, working to get the old, outmoded gas setup downstairs plumbed in according to code, & then we start building up. lights get hung, counters, bars & cabinets get brought in, then some unlucky guys get to haul the new burners & grill up the stairs so we can get underway.

i still say mid-march. we've hit a couple of snags that are slowing us down, but there was one nice gain that's helping to make it up. so it goes. i'm going home to cook for my wife.

matt

clearing the way

2007-01-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

-two photos stiched together (CLICK on the photo for a LARGER image!)

december 12, & new year's eve

2006-12-12T17:09:00.000-08:00

hello, everyone --

it's now mid-december, high in the holiday season. all of our off-premise caters are over with, we've got a couple of private parties coming up, & there's just over 2 weeks left of business left before it all goes away.

here's what's new:

- there's a hole in the wall!

first thing this morning the guys came in & cut a doorway into the new space, right between table 1 & table 2, next to the mirror (kind of through it, actually).
I was as surprised as my staff. it's there to give us all access to the new year's eve party (details to follow).

- the room is empty!

last week they brought in a couple of really hardworking guys & took all of the rubble down the stairs -- sheetrock, insulation, wine boxes dating back to last september -- all gone. the framing has begun, fleshing out the cocktail lounge area, & I am pleased to say it is a lot smaller-looking than you might think from the blueprints. it will all still be very cozy when we're done.

so far as we know, we're still on track -- it's way too far away for me to make serious predictions, but the good news is that the plumbing situation looks way better than we expected -- that saves us time right there. equipment is being ordered & things are falling into place.

- now, for new year's eve:

until last week, when the rubble went away, we weren't sure we'd be open at all for new year's eve, but that has changed

this year we will be throwing a party, starting at 10 pm in the new space -- live music with a trio headed by chris spencer. no cover, wine & bubbly available on a cash basis for $ 7, beers for $ 3 -- no need to reserve this space, & complimentary bubbly for all at midnight.

in addition,

we are selling advance tickets for food & wine in the original space -- $ 60 each, buffet all night, some special wines & 2 tickets good for drinks next door. to sign up, please e-mail me at nyeve@mattsinthemarket.com

give me your name & phone info & i will get back to you.

Complete NY Eve info at mattsinthemarket.com

that's it for now --

matt

our dog, sam

2006-12-12T12:58:00.000-08:00

2006-12-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

the pile of garbage that used to be there

2006-12-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

me and nacho in mexico

2006-12-12T12:52:00.000-08:00

2006-12-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

2006-12-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

the walls are coming down

2006-12-12T12:45:00.000-08:00

the end of the day

2006-11-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

chef invitado mateo

2006-11-16T10:28:00.000-08:00

Hola --

Here I am in P. Vallarta, been here for 10 days now as guest chef in the Gourmet Festival -- made food, shared recipes, rode on a horse & went scuba diving, spent time with my wife. I am as tanned as you are ever likely to see me. I am including photos of the view from my "office" -- see you all in Seattle tomorrow.

buenos tardes,

mateo

mexico

2006-11-05T18:06:00.000-08:00

it's sunday night, i'm mostly packed for my trip -- i'm going down to puerto vallarta to be a guest chef (!).
i have no idea what i am walking into.

as you can see from the photos, we're beginning to move along.

i'm looking forward to the sun & the beach -- don't worry, i'll cover my legs so no airplanes try to land on me.

keep watching.
adios,

matt

we're coming along

2006-11-04T14:42:00.000-08:00

it's saturday. the water has been coming out of the sky steadily for the last couple of days, but at least it's gotten warmer. in about 48 hours i'll be on a beach in mexico, so here's the word before i go --

the walls are coming down -- dan spent a good deal of the last few days in there with our nutty friend ron and some big metal tools, pulling things down from the walls. more & more the view is shaping up to how it's going to be -- open, sweeping, pretty cool.

we met with the contractors (we like them, by the way) & found out just how much this is likely to cost. that's what caused the look on my face in the photo below. well, so it goes. we're moving forward with it.

the up news is that, since we're skipping the idea of using half of the room for private parties, the rest of the buildout schedule has stepped up -- we'll still close right after the new year, but we may be down for significantly less time than thought before. i'm not yet placing any bets, but i will let you know.

adios for now,

matt

2006-11-04T14:40:00.000-08:00

the work of the WSLCB

2006-11-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

there's a hole in the floor!

2006-11-04T14:37:00.000-08:00

never make decisions without a room full of wine

2006-11-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

the story

2006-11-01T14:11:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone, I'm back --

Sorry this took so long, but we've been running around quite a bit. The place is busy, the weather's cold, the construction effort is plodding along.

I'll go back to the beginning.

In case you haven't heard, Matt's in the Market is expanding. After 2 or 3 changes in plans, we have taken over the beautiful space to our south which used to house a dating service, "Matchmaker in the Market," for the past 20 years. The room is nice, the plan is good, we're making every effort to keep a Matt's in the Market feel to what we build. It's time. When we're done we will have gone from our current 23 seats to somewhere around 55 -- there will be a kitchen (!) and a bar (!) and a wide-open room with 4 wonderful windows & a view that only the dateless have seen for the past couple of decades.

Also, after another 2 or 3 changes in plans, I have taken on a business partner -- that's right, business PARTNER -- I am staying on with Matt's, despite rumours and at least one published account. I hope that's OK.

So first, here's THE PLAN:

- throughout the fall, we are doing as much demo & construction in the new space as possible. There's a lot to do -- stuff has to come down, then go downstairs to get thrown out. We've got to locate power, gas lines, plumbing, all sorts of stuff. If we're good & we're lucky, we may have the room usable for some holiday jazz parties. Be sure to watch this site to hear about the New Year's Eve "It's the End of Matt's As We Know It" party.

- we've been posted for our new liquor license. Some time last week the liquor agent (that's what they call them) came by & posted us. With any luck at all we'll have our new license in place by December. Come on down & look at the piece of paper taped to the door if you want. I guess Luther would have used a nail. Don't worry -- we'll have some good whiskeys & great well drinks & no flavored vodkas. Wine is still our thing.

- january 2, we close the restaurant. Everything must go -- we have to tear out all of the fixtures, all of the rotted wood & non-code equipment, all the bad plumbing. There will be sandblasters, soda blasters, a huge dumpster outside. Then we can rebuild.

I predict we will reopen around the Ides of March. et tu, matte?
If we beat this goal, we'll be sure to tell you here.

So it goes. Keep watching the blog, we'll tell you about what's going on. We're setting up a series of wine dinners on Sundays & Mondays -- the info will be posted soon. Come on down & eat a bunch of catfish before we shut down for a while.

I'm excited -- I think it's gonna be pretty cool. I'm actually happy to work here again.

hi ho,

matt

Intro

2006-10-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, & welcome to my new means of communication.

The main reason I have started this blog is so that, when I see you on the street, I can say, in answer to your questions, "Go look at my blog" instead of spending a half hour telling you about how our new construction is going.

Over the course of the next few months, we will be showing you some photos, updating you about our progress with demolition & then construction, & letting you know when we expect to close, & when we expect to reopen.

And how Jeff's sex life is going.

So it goes. Hi ho.

Matt