Matt's in the Market
Seattle, WA 98101-2066
Phone: (206) 467-7909
04/07/2008 Posted by ThouShall
My partner and I had been wanting to eat here for years and finally we made it to Matt's with a few friends. The service was top-notch throughout the evening which was a pleasant surprise given some of the prior reviews posted here. The wine list was impressive with a decent selection for every budget. I tried a couple of Pinot Noirs and Cab Blends and all were very enjoyable. The food disappointed at times and at other times it was great. The smoked catfish salad was very well balanced and I thought there was a genereous amount of fish. I opted for the muscles and clams for dinner which turned out to be a mistake. I thought an ingredient had been left out because the sauce was incredibly acidic ... to the point that I couldn't eat the dish. Our server was very appropriate and cool and offered to have a new version made with butter and wine. They got the replacement dish out quickly and I'm glad I got to try the shellfish both ways. Turns out that the muscles and clams were so tasty they didn't much of anything to make them shine. My partner had the cod rellenos for an appetizer (great) and the salmon as a main course which was very unimpressive. It was cooked well but totally lacking in flavor. The pea risotto it came with was nice and refreshing but the overall dish was disappointing. One friend had the steak but I was once again surprised at the lack of seasoning. Our other friend got the black cod with muscles special and it was excellent. I was surprised that it was mostly the dishes that are consistently on the menu that were lackluster. Perhaps a bit more attention needs to be paid to these menu staples. With all the great places to go get seafood in Seattle, most likely we'll stick to some old standbys that are a bit more consistent and provide more value for the money. I'm sure we'll come back with out-of-towners every now and again ... for the amazing views, the quintissential "Seattle" vibe and to try some of Matt's new seasonal additions.
Pros: Service, Wine list, Some standout dishes
Cons: Flavor inconsistency
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