by David Ball
Staff Writer
The restaurant business is a challenging one, with few staying open past their first year. On Thursday night, Matthew’s restaurant in San Marco wined and dined 300 of its most loyal customers to celebrate 10 years of gourmet cuisine in Jacksonville.
But chef Matthew Medure didn’t spend too much time mingling in the crowd and toasting to his success. Instead, he stood behind a single saute pan and cooked up order after order of escargot with a rich black truffle reduction. Guests didn’t seem to mind.
“Wonderful. A toast to 10 years, Matthew,” one guest said as he fed the snails into his mouth.
“Cheers friend. Here’s to 100 more,” said another.
The escargot was the coup de grace to a food spread that wound through the dining rooms and past the open kitchen. From fresh oysters and shrimp to braised spare ribs to the cascading chocolate waterfall, every offering was a lesson in quality, which Medure said he credits the most to his success.
“Quality. That’s our number one priority — attention to detail and loving to serve people,” said Medure, who first gained notoriety at The Grill Room at The Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island.
“I hoped I would be here this long,” he added. “I came here for the long term, but it’s a tough business — there’s a high failure rate. But the people here have been good to me, and I want to go another 10 years.”
San Marco residents Lewis and Sara Wade have dined at Matthew’s since the doors opened, and they said the restaurant has always been the place to go for congratulations, celebrations or any event that demands the finest dining experience.
“If you have family or people you love visiting and you want to create that special moment where every need is anticipated, this is it,” said Sara Wade. “You don’t ever get this type of food and this type of service anywhere else.”
Matthew’s is open 5:30-10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and is located at 2107 Hendricks Avenue. For reservations or more information, call 396-9922 or visit www.matthewsrestaurant.com.