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By Lisa Kampeter

   It doesn’t happen often. The Dining Divas returned to a location that we’d been to before. But now it is a different restaurant.   This happened before at a restaurant in St. Charles. And there was one in Alton. And now another one we discovered, in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood. Sometimes you wonder if it’s the restaurant or the location that doesn’t work.

We hope it’s neither for Mathew’s Kitchen because we loved it. Located on Hampton where Del Pietro’s previously had been, it was de ja vu when we showed up for dinner that night. Once inside the restaurant, we remembered dining upstairs and enjoying some Woop Woop wine that evening years ago. And we remembered Absent Divas from years gone by. Like the Deep Thoughts Diva. She always had us thinking. And she made us laugh. And the Crafty Diva. Between her travels and her creativity, we envied her freedom and cleverness.

But this night we were to make new memories. We’ll never forget the friendly visit from the chef, also known as the owner. Initially just checking on us to make sure we enjoyed our food, he then returned and was caught up in North County chatter, family businesses banter, and the typical “what high school did you go to” talk.   The Resident Restaurant Diva for once didn’t have much to say…on his first visit. But when he returned, this Talkative Diva had him standing around exchanging stories. You could tell by his demeanor how passionate he was about his restaurant. And for this, the Talkative Diva could relate as her parents had been in the restaurant business for years.

We won’t forget how every one of us passed our plates to get a taste of all the deliciousness. Well, almost every plate. When the Selfish Divas got their dessert that they were sharing, they decided sharing it two ways was more than enough. They were not going to share it with any of the others. It was too good.

Unfortunately, we’re also not going to forget how unfriendly our waitress was. She was quite the contrast to the owner. It was a shame because we really liked our food and the place, and she wasn’t a good representative of how great the restaurant is. She was a downer.

However, she didn’t ruin it for us. We loved that we could actually hear our conversations. The intimate atmosphere was much more relaxing and enjoyable than some of the restaurants we’d visited recently. And as they tout “comfort food with a twist,” we loved the delicious twists. The special for the night, fried chicken, was fantastic. Served with mashed potatoes and green beans, there was something about the seasonings they included in their batter that made their chicken so delicious. Plus, being able to make two meals out of it was an added bonus.

The Play-It-Safe Diva had never had Bacon Wrapped BBQ Meatloaf before, and because it had carrots chopped up and mixed in with the meat, she considered it a healthy option.  The Roast Beef was “fall apart” tender and delicious to the Picky Diva but just okay to the Marathon Diva.

A couple Divas enjoyed salads before their meals, and the only thing wrong with the Chopped Salad was its size. If only it was bigger! The oven roasted tomatoes, bacon, provel cheese, and dressing chopped into bite sized pieces worked wonderfully with the iceberg lettuce that made up the salad. Whatever Mathew’s “twist” was with this salad, it worked!

In honor of Mardi Gras some of the Divas decided to get in the spirit and order some Cajun food. The Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with rice was prepared with just the right amount of kick.   The Adventurous Diva was disappointed with her Jambalaya. It wasn’t any better than how she prepares it at home. If only she’d had the Shrimp and Grits. It was made with the perfect amount of peppers, onions, seasoning, and several good-sized shrimp, making this dish the highlight of all the food this night.

Well, except for the dessert I mentioned earlier. It was so good it deserves to be mentioned again. Unfortunately, the rest of the group wouldn’t know because the Selfish Divas weren’t sharing. It was a layered mint chocolate cake, and it really was a “slice of heaven”.

Although most of us really enjoyed our dinners, next time, we may start with dessert!

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