Mattei’s Tavern Restaurant, built in 1886 as a stage coach stop by Felix Mattei, has been purchased by Brian and Shamra Strange, with the restaurant leased by Chef Maili Halme. Halme hopes to open in December. Halme comes from a family with a background in the food industry. She used to run a catering company while her sister and mother operate Solvang Bakery.
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Mattei’s Tavern is an old name, the one in Los Olivos looks and sound pretty classic. I’m not crazy about old names and pedigree, but it would be interesting to check the reopening new one out. I just wonder if the menu is the same
https://restaurantguru.com/Matteis-Tavern-Los-Olivos-California
Solvang Bakery actually has a decent reputation, so the new chef might have something good going on
https://restaurantguru.com/Solvang-Bakery-Solvang
Funny, this almost feels like a restaurant reboot. Movie analogies everywhere nowadays, ain’t it? I just hope this one makes for something unique.
The Chef, Maili Halme is a local who has lived her entire life here- like most of us, she has countless memories made at Matteis. The restaurant will be a blend of then & now- she is asking old timers to come see her at the Tavern- to share their memories of drink & food and wants to recreate the best of what was done then. She has over 2,000 requests for reservations so far! The opening will be celebrated as a OPEN HOUSE, with the SY Carriage Museum bringing wagons to give rides to folks and both passed and stations of appetizers. It is no re-boot, it is a classic spot being brought up to todays standards with a Chef who loves the Santa Ynez Valley- unlike the previous owners who seemed bound and determined to drive any and all memory/historical value into the ground. Viva Mattei’s Tavern!
We would like to sign up for opening night Dec. 2nd
Thrilled that you will be opening soon…..
Keep it simple and true to it’s legacy !!
We would like to attend the Dec. 2nd pre-opening event at Mattie’s Tavern.
Both of us are old time Valley residents, and are really anxious to re-start coming to Mattie’s for dinner on a regular basis.
May we reserve for dinner forSunday 12/3 our anniversary
6:00 for 2. ??
We lived briefly in the Santa Ynez Valley after our marriage in July 1960, before moving to Pasadena in summer 1961, and we went to Mattei’s Tavern occasionally for dinner. We were fortunate to be hosted one evening by Bert Mattei, last of a long line of family inn keepers. He died in August 1961. Ah, history.
Coincidentally, we also lived in Lugano, canton of Ticino in Switzerland 1963-64, not far from Mattei’s home town of Cevio, also in Ticino.
Best of luck in returning Mattei’s to a semblance of its former life and providing local food to the Valley.