The New Matador

At the new Casa del Matador on NW 23rd, the vision is
studied, the food is perfected Tex-Mex, and the drinks are boozy and
reasonably priced. Perhaps this is because they have five locations
from Seattle to Portland, which keeps costs down and the menu
consistent. I really don’t know because I’ve never run a restaurant,
but what I do know is that despite it being something of a
chain, I would undoubtedly return.

The ambiance at the Casa del Matador is spectacular, exactly what
you’re looking for on a first date or a Saturday night. The lights are
dim, the windows are hung with heavy drapes, the liquor bottles
sparkle, and there’s a fire pit in the middle of the restaurant. The
two owners who started the original Seattle Matador are heavily
involved in the architecture and design of the restaurants and the
menu, and you can tell: While corporate chains like Outback, Olive
Garden, or even those high-end steakhouses have calculated feng shui,
there’s no personality in the execution. Those restaurants are
comfortable, but they lack the Matador’s pizzazz.

For me to recommend a restaurant it needs an exciting quality: be it
the atmosphere, the service, the inventive bar menu, or the
unforgettable food. The Matador does an exceptional job on all
accounts. My boyfriend and I showed up around 9 pm on a Monday to a
fairly empty dining room—and yet it felt neither hollow nor
abandoned. We sat in a big wooden booth and perused a menu of
margaritas and sangria. If you’re a tequila fan, the Matador has a
gigantic selection, but if you just want a cocktail, all their
margaritas are equally stiff and tart.

For appetizers we started with the blackened ahi tuna with green
apple slaw. The tuna was amazingly delicious, seared on the outside and
raw in the middle and cleverly paired with the salty-sweet slaw.

As another starter we had a small serving of the chipotle baby back
ribs, which were one of the highlights. The measure of a good rib is
equal parts fall-off-the-bone tenderness and deliciousness of sauce.
These ribs scored an A in both departments. The chipotle BBQ was sweet,
smoky, flavorful, and a little spicy without masking the taste of the
beef. Each bite pulled off in a big sloppy swath that made me pray to
Jesus for the power to make such tantalizing ribs at home.

We shared the surf ‘n’ turf and the portabella mushroom fajitas
entrées. The carne asada steak (the turf) was red on the inside
and sharply blackened on the outside. The fresh, but under-seasoned
garlic prawns that came with it were perhaps the Matador’s only
shortcoming. Alongside the surf ‘n’ turf were creamy, home-style mashed
potatoes and buttery sautéed corn and leeks. It was a huge
plate, and certainly worth the price at $20. The fajitas were likewise
tasty and generously portioned. The portabella had crispy grilled edges
and was sautéed with a mélange of vegetables, and served
with tasty guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, black beans, and
tortillas.

After appetizers, drinks, and about five bites of our
entrées, we were stuffed and got the rest of the food to go. But
much like I do after Thanksgiving dinner, I broke into the leftovers an
hour after we got home.