Mattison's Restaurants, Grill, Steakhouse & Catering in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Longboat Key and Bradenton, Wedding Caterer | Bradenton Observer-Riverside Opens Monday

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The BRADENTON Observer

FRIDAY, November 10, 2006

new eats by Kat Wingert | Managing Editor

Mattison's Riverside opens Monday

After a month of renovations, Paul Mattison will officially re-open his new restaurant Nov. 13 at Memorial Pier, formerly known as the Twin Dolphin Marina Grill.

A few months ago, Hugh Miller decided he wanted to get out of the restaurant business. Not wanting to sell the Twin Dolphin Marina Grill, which his family has owned and run since

1976, Miller called someone who was already in the restaurant business, and has a reputation of doing quite well Chef Paul Mattison.

"(Miller) called and told me he wanted to focus on the marina, and the restaurant was taking up too much of his time, "Mattison said. "He asked if I would be interested in taking

it over, and it went from there."

Mattison entered a partnership with the Miller family, comprised of Don Miller, former U.S. Congressman Dan Miller and his son, Hugh Miller, to take over the restaurant. The

Miller family, who leases the land at Memorial Pier from the city, will retain ownership.

On Nov. 13, after one month and $250,000 worth of construction, Mattison will officially unveil the newly renovated restaurant, complete with a new name, Mattison's Riverside.

The restaurant is the latest of Mattison's Mediterranean-style restaurants, and will make his fifth restaurant in the area and his first in Manatee County.

But, just like all of his restaurants, Mattison has taken a hands-on approach in making this one unique from all the others, and has personally worked on everything from picking out carpet to formulating the dishes on the menu.

His involvement is apparent as he hops around inside the unfinished restaurant Tuesday, answering workers' questions and even helping to move a couch to its proper place in the entryway.

"I am kind of like a frustrated architect," Mattison said. "This is a beautiful building built in 1928, so we wanted to complement its Spanish-Mediterranean architecture and work with a nautical theme since it s on the water."

During its month of renovations, the restaurant was only closed for a few days, scheduling the construction during the day and then opening for diners at night, but the in that short time, the space has been completely transformed.

The first and most notable change comes from the entrance, where Mattison knocked down a wall to make the foyer part of the lounge and bar area. As visitors make their way

back to the dining room on the water, they will notice the sushi bar that will seat eight comfortably, also created by Mattison.

This new architectural feature also serves as the cornerstone of the new menu, which will feature a lot of seafood with a Mediterranean-Asian flair.

"Because we're on the water, we focused on seafood in this restaurant," Mattison said. "All our restaurants have a Mediterranean flair, but in this one, we're incorporating Asian influences, which is very popular. The sushi bar made me lean toward this idea."

Mattison worked closely with Ron Genta, his creative director, to exchange the bright blue, aqua and purple colors formerly associated with the Twin Dolphin, for warmer, more neutral tones.

To soften the walls, Genta put a faux finish on top of the painted portions and divided the walls by putting natural cecil fabric on the bottom half of them.

Virtually everything inside (and outside) of the restaurant has been upgraded, reupholstered and restyled. On the patio, granite tabletops replace plastic tables and chairs, and a large firepit serves as a focal point for the space, along with a completely renovated bar.

Inside the restaurant, milky-colored travertine tile mixes with the bolder accents of dark granite countertops and natural-toned contemporary patterns on the upholstery of booths and chairs.

Lining an area outside where Mattison plans to build a deck, copper gas tiki torches will beckon people on the other side of the river to come over, and inside, fun pendant lights hanging over the bar welcome patrons to come have a drink.

At more than 10,000 square feet, with the capacity to seat more than 500 people total, it is by far Mattison's largest restaurant.

"I love big restaurants because you can do so much," Mattison said. "Some restaurateurs are intimidated with such a large space because there are challenges to making it intimate, but I love them."

As he talks, he is once again interrupted by more questions and plans for the day. It is a non-stop grind he participates in daily.

"I don't mind because I love it," Mattison said. "I absolutely love this business."

Upstairs, there is a ballroom that seats 200 people, but Mattison said he is still trying to find a way to change the closed space of the staircase leading up to it.

"I can see this all being open one day to really make it a grand entrance coming up these stairs," Mattison said, working the problem out in his head as he talks. "That's just one thing I haven t figured out yet."

Creative Director Ron Genta with Chef Paul Mattison.
Photos by Kat Wingert