If newly opened Eddie’s House truly represents, as intended, what it’s like to eat in chef Eddie Matney’s home, there’s one obvious question: How does he ever get any of his guests to leave?
Love him or hate him — and there are plenty of people in either camp — Matney, one of the lions of the Valley’s culinary scene in the ‘90s, shows he’s still a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen.
His first Old Town Scottsdale restaurant is a casual, comfortable retreat. Aubergine and mustard walls and wasabi green chairs compose a food-themed palette. Chandeliers made from recycled wine barrels hang like giant whisks. Accents range from the home-inspired, such as the shower curtains that provide privacy in the restrooms, to the personal, including Matney’s family tree painted on the wall.
The 80-seat, dimly lit dining room has an intimate but lively feel. The real action, though, takes place at the black granite chef’s counter, where the energetic Matney banters with guests and dishes out food samples as he bounces in and out of the exhibition kitchen.
On this evening, he’s showcasing his dueling tartars appetizer ($14, pictured at left) — spoonfuls of beef with crushed nuts versus spicy tuna on chips — accompanied by a slightly sweet Asian peanut sauce cole slaw. It’s a delicious example of the big, bold flavors the self-taught chef is known for.
The trademark Mediterranean influences on Matney’s eclectic American cuisine (see menu pdf) are on display in salt and pepper chicken wings ($8) marinated in an herb-rich Moroccan charmoula. The must-have starter, though, is the seafood wontons ($8), five cream-filled crisps with a raspberry jalapeño sauce that just as easily could serve as a dessert.
Entrees come in full and half sizes, the latter plenty big for all but the heartiest appetites. (We discover this unintentionally when our server accidentally puts in half-sized orders for two of our entrees — the only glitch in otherwise attentive service.)
A glance around the dining room confirms Matney’s famous bacon-infused meatloaf ($11 for small plate) — more than worth the cholesterol bump — still is quite popular with diners. The “What’s in This? Steak” ($17 for small plate, pictured above), a filet mignon encased in a pillow of flash-fried mashed potatoes, also will be familiar to his longtime fans.
The only dish that doesn’t impress this evening is Eddie’s House Chicken ($21, pictured below), nicknamed “EHC” and served in and alongside a small pot painted to look like a KFC bucket. It’s playful, but underwhelms with its lack of seasoning.
Just three desserts are offered: a chocolate pot de crème, a vanilla bean crème brulee in a phyllo cup and a farina cake with peach syrup. All are tasty, but a tad pricey at $10 apiece.
Overall, though, Eddie’s House is an impressive return to the public spotlight for Matney, who sold his previous restaurant in 2004 and spent last year cooking at a private country club.
With all due respect to author Thomas Wolfe, Matney proves you sometimes can go home again.
FIRST TASTE
Eddie’s House
Where: 7042 E. Indian School Road, Scottsdale (nothwest corner of Indian School and Marshall Way)
Open: 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday.
Prices: Appetizers $7-$14, entrees $15-$28, small plates $10-$18, desserts $10.
Info: (480) 946-1622 or eddieshouseaz.com.
First Taste reviews are based on initial visits to new East Valley restaurants. Full reviews are written after multiple visits, usually over a period of several weeks, after the restaurant has been open at least a couple months.
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