Matia Kitchen — Restaurant in Orcas Island

Well, we ate here again after saying never again the first time (first review is below) but our friends were visiting and they were very very interested. We considered warning them off..... but......it was their show. The pretentious service was out of proportion to the sky high cost and actual quality of the meal. (850 for four with our $60.00 wine selection) Mains were tepid in temp when they hit the table and grew only cooler as the server gave us the details of the various plants and animals used. I knew better and began eating during this monologue. The drinks were very weak.... The cold raw manila clam we started with was absolutely revolting. My spouse, who like me, is a sea food and sushi lover visibly gagged, thankfully our guests did not notice when a clam's uncleaned guts exploded in our mouths. This dish was one nickel sized mollusk, each. It was, in a word, disgusting. The next pasty cold tempeh-like amuse bouche item was....let's just say, totally unremarkable and uncertain.... and made a curious jarring pair with the icy shore scavenged clams we ate. They brought us thick chunky bread and butter and jam in the middle of the meal?????? as a course or a palate cleanser ..... Uhhhh ok whatever. (this was the most normal and edible course for my spouse which is pretty sad) The mains were fine, even excellent but they were way too cold and salty for a several hundred dollar dinner, that in all honesty, for one diner, would have easily fit on a medium sized dinner plate. Dessert was very, very odd and in my opinion, poorly realized though I did eventually understand what they were going for even though I couldn't really eat it ("differing palates" as the waiter tactfully put it) puhhhlease.

All in all it was an extremely uneven, totally pretentious experience and we are again saying "never again".

Oh and just like last time (when they forgot my main in the kitchen until coffee / dessert / check please time ) they forgot something that we had to remind them of when the bill came.

Get your act together matia

The show stopper though was when the waiter came over with a stack of papers in hand....these were the gift menus for each diner to commemorate our meal.

Can you even believe that level of clueless self regard and pretension?

HERE IS THE FIRST REVIEW

It was fine. Nothing mind blowing, just perfectly fine somewhat experimental provincial fare. Just being honest. Don't kill yourself to get here. I mean, if you can get a reservation, I am sure you will enjoy yourself. But it definitely isn't a must visit. I am not saying there was anything what-so-ever wrong with it or the food because there really wasn't but if you are used to spending 2-3 hundred on dinner for two, this is what you can expect pretty much anywhere. Just being perfectly honest. Atmosphere was your basic completely and entirely sexless and dull zero chemistry PNW sterility which is not the restaurant's fault at all...just saying, this is orcas island for god's sakes it isn't NYC. This is a boring and remote island that some new arrivals decided was supposed to be posh or whatever. It isn't there yet folks. Just want to dial down the hype... we are locals....like we personally knew the mangalista pigs that were on the menu...that sort of small town situation...with a hasty facelift..so..yeah you probably don't need to flip out if you can't get...

When I first read that Matia had to move locations this past winter due to external factors, I was concerned that things wouldn't be the same as before... worried that a different kitchen, a different set of operations, and even a different dining room setup would negatively affect the experience, whether it be the food, the service, the environment, or all of the above.

Those fears were all ill-founded. After a recent visit to Matia's new Prune Alley home, I was relieved to find that Matia's greatest assets -- the staff (whether in front or in back) and their passion for their craft -- were intact. And so it made sense that there was an unmistakable continuity and familiarity to my experience there this time around, despite the new setting of a larger, different space. In fact, it was somehow even more mind-blowingly good.

The menu here is hyper-seasonal, with locally-sourced ingredients from around the Salish Sea. On top of that, what especially sets Matia apart is the respect and thoughtfulness with which Chef Avery and his kitchen staff treat each ingredient, to bring out the full potential of things. Once again I was shocked at how novel flavors and textures could be derived from seemingly simple items. Like lettuce.

On this visit, I went for the newly-available chef's tasting menu, as a way to try as many dishes as possible. Key highlights: Green Garlic Custard Tart: This is a cousin of their famed summer tomato custard tart, and was just too good. King Salmon: Incredibly fresh piece of salmon cooked perfectly (crispied skin up top, tender and moist inside), then paired with oyster mushrooms to create an extraordinary flavor profile in this escabeche. Opting for the wine pairing option, I was treated to a program of carefully-curated local and international wines by beverage director Spencer.

There's so much more to talk about, but 1) this review is probably way too long now; and 2) the menu changes so frequently that any more menu-specific details I give will likely be obsolete within a few weeks anyway. You just have to come try for yourself.

So all that to say: It is worth making a trip out to Orcas Island to visit this establishment, if you are even remotely in the area and am looking to experience Pacific Northwest fare at its finest. Overall, I see Matia's recent move within Eastsound as an evolution and an opportunity, and I am looking forward to following them into this exciting...

My husband and I are dedicated foodies and have been blessed to dine in top ranked restaurants and other fine dining around the world. We were intrigued by a review of Matia Kitchen and wanted to try it. We opted for the Chefs Tasting Counter to celebrate a birthday. WOW! is all I can say. The meal was exquisite in all respects.

Incredibly inventive, very local and fresh ingredients, superlatively tasty, and thankfully not enormous portions in each of 9 courses. Wow - the flavors offered in each dish, without being overly complicated and overdone. Just outstanding. The wine pairings were also mind blowing in their delicious inventiveness. Pairing a wine with a peppery dish is quite difficult and Matia knocked it out of the park repeatedly. We greatly appreciated being offered the opportunity to split a wine pairing so as not to be over-served.

Service from staff was quite attentive without being pretentious or interruptive. Wait staff were clearly top notch, relaxed, friendly. They discussed each of the dishes, the local farms where ingredients were sourced, and each of the wines in detail with each course. So appreciated. They kept an eye on the time, never rushing us but helping us get out the door in time for our ferry. Superlative service. The bartender went out of her way to bring us the name of the vermouth used in our very tasty Manhattan. It was all so enjoyable, relaxed and welcoming. Very VERY well done.

Needless to say we enjoyed ourselves tremendously. Orcas Island is quite fortunate to have this amazing place to dine, have a drink and learn more about local farms and food while enjoying a superlative meal. Definitely...