The sign outside looks as if it were painted for either a preschool or a late-1960s head shop (funny how those two had similar decor). The exterior is bright greenish yellow. What kind of restaurant is this? Would you guess an ambitious, sophisticated gourmet bistro in a league with Gautreau's, Clancy's, or Brigtsen's? With a wine list to match? It is all those things, its kitchen so adept at rendering both classics and inventions that you either fail to notice the surrounds, or you actually like the scene.
Mat & Naddie's is Uptown's favorite kind of restaurant: a Creole bistro with imaginative (but not too) and delicious (very) food, in a funny old cottage whose interior decor seems almost accidental. All this gives the feeling that you've discovered a great restaurant nobody knows about, and this charms you.
The restaurant evolved from a catering business operated by Michael and Paula Schramel, whose children's names were Nat and Maddie. After evolving by way of kidspeak, the name of the restaurant was born. In the 1990s Steve Schwartz--a sous chef for most of the restaurant's history--bought the Schramels out. He added his own ideas and thereby made the cooking even better, keeping Mat & Naddie's on a long-term upward trend.
It's a 150-year-old cottage built from the boards of flatboat barges that had finished their one and only trips downriver. The main dining room is a long space with wavy floorboards and many windows. Freight trains passing just outside somehow become romantic. They also have an outdoor dining area on a deck lighted partially by Christmas-tree lights.
Make a reservation; the place fills up suddenly and unpredictably. Ask about having a dinner paired with wines. They're better at this than you might imagine, with a terrific list to pick from. Be aware of the funny dinner schedule, in which the place is closed on Wednesday and Sunday.
| Attitude | 2 |
|---|---|
| Environment | 0 |
| Hipness | 2 |
| Local Color | 3 |
| Service | 1 |
| Value | 1 |
| Wine | 2 |
