Matt's Blackboard Restaurant & Catering

565 Rounsville Road
Plumbs Corner
Rochester, MA 02770
508-763-8544

Given that Matt’s Blackboard, open since last November, is the only full-service restaurant in this rural town of rolling farmland, it might be easy to understand why it’s a pretty busy place.

But even that won’t sustain a restaurant if the food’s not good. That’s not a problem here, where the food is abundant, local - and very good. It is the brainchild of New Bedford native Matt Gurney, who learned to cook in area restaurants “from some of the best,” he said, including at the former Mattapoisett Inn, which was owned by his aunt, and Turk’s Restaurant and The Nest Diner, both also in Mattapoisett, where Gurney now lives.

Monday nights at Matt’s Blackboard in summer and early fall are great if you like old cars and accompanying period music. Gurney said those are the nights his menu resembles diner fare, befitting the nostalgia as classic old cars fill the restaurant parking lot, at the Plumbs Corner plaza on Route 105.

“The rest of the week, the menu is more extensive. I go to the New Bedford waterfront on Wednesdays and Thursdays and bring in things like fresh tuna and swordfish,” he said.

The gimmick of the place, if you want to call it that, is its blackboard “specials” on various walls of the wide-open eatery that seats 70 in booths, free-standing tables, and a spacious granite countertop overlooking the kitchen. The specials change daily, depending on what Gurney has picked up in local markets. This time of year, fresh vegetables figure huge, most notably Rochester corn, famous for its hearty sweetness, usually bought at Cervelli Farm just up the road.

The Monday night we visited, we started out with scallop and corn fritters ($8), moist, thick, and loaded with scallop chunks and that fabulously sweet corn, served with a tangy lemon aioli. We also snacked on some spicy buffalo fingers ($8) that made a warm night seem a little warmer still.

One appealing blackboard item we didn’t try was the cookout special, which our server Chrissie said is a very popular summer item, a choice of two hot dogs or a burger with potato salad, corn off the cob, and coleslaw ($8). Gurney said another favorite is his seafood ravioli, stuffed with shrimp and scallops and served in a shrimp-and-butter tomato sauce ($18), which tops out the high end of a decidedly non-pricey menu.

We had to have some comfort food, and nothing’s more comfy than meatloaf ($9), a giant slab of ground beef with a massive dollop of mashed potatoes with a well of gravy, served with sautéed zucchini and onions.

Our party of four also had the lemon-broiled sole with salad ($11), a generous, flaky portion of fish with fresh vegetables, and we were wild about the wild mushroom ravioli with chicken, shrimp, and vegetables in a light white-wine sauce ($15), a dish so huge you’re almost guaranteed not to finish it.

Taking full advantage of the seasonal bounty, we had a fresh summer vegetable sauté over pasta ($10) loaded with artichoke hearts, mushroom, tomato, and roasted red pepper.

It didn’t seem humanly possible to fit in dessert, but we felt compelled to try the homemade blueberry cobbler ($5) and custard ($3), which were a fitting and filling ending to the evening.

They do a brisk lunch business here as well, Gurney said, with the choices and prices largely mimicking the dinner menu, but with the ever-present blackboard specials changing daily. Breakfast is served on Saturdays and Sundays only, with such unusual blackboard entries as prime rib, two eggs, and home fries ($11) or more usual early-morning fare such as omelets, French toast, and pancakes.

Matt’s Blackboard is located in a former pizza restaurant, and carrying on that tradition, the new eatery is noted for its pizza, locals say. The white variety calls for a thin crust brushed with olive oil and garlic and topped with whatever you’d like; the red version uses the same thin crust but with tomato sauce as its base. One interesting pie, either red or white, looked to be the pulled pork, roasted corn, scallions, and peppers ($13).

Without liquor (they serve beer and wine here), the final tally was $72.94 not including tip, a modest price for generously apportioned - and most important - tasty food. Matt’s Blackboard Restaurant may be a bit out of the way for some, but it’s well worth the trip.

Rochester is not exactly teeming with restaurants, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up in quality with the recent debut of Matt's Blackboard at Plumb Corner Marketplace.

Matt Gurney, with a resume that includes years at the Mattapoisett Inn, Turk's, Rochester Bakery and the Nest Diner, took over the location formerly occupied by Towne Pizza. And while you can still order pizza, there's a whole lot to tempt diners at this restaurant devoted to an interesting array of fresh specials, some locally sourced.

We stepped through the door about 6:20 p.m. on Friday evening, and had a short wait at the bar with a glass of wine (pinot grigio for Loring, merlot for me, $4.75 each). The house label is not identified on the menu, but the beers, ranging from Bud Light on tap ($2.50) to Guinness in the bottle ($4.75) are.

The decor has a contemporary feel, with walls painted in red clay and yellow, decorated with giant forks and spoons and an intriguing collage. Pendant lamps sporting fabric shades looked like they came from IKEA. I was especially taken with the canvas section dividers that are trimmed with large buttons.

Throughout our stay, we received very friendly, accommodating service from Sandy, the hostess, and Michelle, our server.

We started our dinner by sharing an order of cheddar-bacon potato skins ($5.95), an indulgence I hadn't enjoyed in quite a while. Matt's was an excellent version, featuring nice crisp shells, gooey cheese and a generous dose of well-cooked bacon shards. Sour cream was served in a plastic cup on the side. Generous portions became a recurring theme through the dinner.

My clam chowder connoisseur called the restaurant's version ($3.50/cup, $4.50/bowl) average, and said he liked the fact that it wasn't overly thickened.

As you'd expect on a Friday during Lent, many orders of fish and chips passed by our table, and they looked admirable. But Loring had made his pick from the blackboard, and he loved his baked haddock Casino ($14.95). The large piece of flaky fillet was topped with moist, flavorful stuffing studded with crumbled bacon and teamed with a lemon wedge. With it, he had a nice baked potato, its skin flecked with kosher salt, and delectable butternut squash, which I sampled. It was seasoned just to my liking (which is to say, not with sweet pie spices).

My bourbon steak tips ($14.95) looked appealing, but unfortunately were very rare, not the medium I'd requested. So Sandy whisked them back to the kitchen for further cooking.

The half-dozen chunks of tasty beef came back cooked more to my taste, but with less-well-done french fries than the original plate. I wasn't crazy about the smoky sauce on the tender tips; however, the side of wonderful, just-like-Mom's fresh coleslaw was compensation. I probably would have been satisfied with the lunch portion ($10.95), but the smaller size is not available during the evening.

Matt's Blackboard offers hearty sandwiches, barbecued ribs, chicken and pulled pork, and homey entrees like meatloaf ($8.95) and Guinness roast pork ($9.95) on the regular menu, but as Sandy said, the blackboard specials are where the excitement is found.

On Friday, that list included mesclun greens salad with fresh tuna salad ($8.95); sauteed bay scallops (from Marion) with white wine butter sauce, rice and butternut squash ($17.95); panko and scallion crusted tuna with hoisin ginger glaze and jasmine rice ($12.95); and rosemary and garlic grilled pork tenderloin with red wine and caramelized shallots ($13.95).

The dessert list at Matt's was short but tempting: chocolate fudge cake, double chocolate cheesecake, Grape-Nut pudding and fresh Key lime tart. We shared the last two, and both were very satisfying and sized right, trimmed with rosettes of whipped cream ($3.95 for pudding, $4.95 for tart). Loring complemented his dessert with a freshly brewed cup of decaf ($1.95).

Our bill arrived, and we found it was lacking the chowder and an entree. Once corrected, the tab for our delicious dinner, not counting wine and tip, came to $53.20.

I'm sure residents of Rochester and neighboring towns are delighted to have Matt Gurney's cuisine, both home-style and innovative, close at hand. It's a 12-mile ride for us, but we'll be back.

You can find directions on the restaurant's Web site. We just headed north on North Street in Mattapoisett, and took a right at the end onto New Bedford Road. The shopping plaza is about 1.5 miles ahead on the left.

Matt's Blackboard is a casual food/pizza restaurant in Rochester. The pizza's are all wonderful, think crust, with many unusual toppings (like the homemade pulled pork, carmelized onions, etc.)

They are open for breakfast on weekends, and I am told by several people that the homemade corned beef hash is spectacular.

We went for diinner and had a daily special of grilled flounder with a topping of tomatoes and artichoke hearts in pesto. It was excellent. They serve a warm loaf of bread with the meal which was nice.

They have a beer and wine license, but this isn't the place to go for wine. They have four types by the glass, but no bottles.

The atmosphere is very casual - many families, couples of different ages and single people at a counter.

Matt has extensive experience in the tri-town area, having cooked at the Mattapoisett Inn and Turks. He has created a place with a varied menu - from fried mac and cheese appetizers to fancy entrees - and succeeded.

Its definitely worth a stop.

"Awesome Place!!! Everyone is very friendly, service great!! Food is excellent, fresh, homemade hash is out of this world! Fish and chips are fantastic! "

"My husband and I had dinner at Matt's on February 13th. This was our first dining experience at Matt's. Both our meals were exceptional. Our waitress Michelle was pleasant and a great waitress. We can't wait to go back and yes the chocolate cake was the best."

"WENT FOR DINNER THE FIRST TIME AND HAD FRIED SCALLOPS....TASTY, JUICY AND TENDER
FOR BREAKFAST.....THE OMELETS ARE FABULOUS. WILL MAKE THIS A REGULAR"

"Great food, reasonable prices, awesome service!!

The pizzas are great, the seafood is fresh, and some of the best burgers around.

The specials are great, far more upscale and well presented than the price would indicate.

Try the Chocolate Cake!!

Chris Reagle

Thu Apr 23, 2009

One of the best scallop dishes I had recently was at the fairly new Matt’s Blackboard in Rochester’s Plumb Corner on Route 105. Matt’s Blackboard is located in the former location of Towne Pizza. Chef/Owner Matt Gurney, the former chef at The Nest in Mattapoisett, offers great “off the blackboard” specials everyday at his restaurant. Beside the food, you’ll love the warm décor and open and friendly atmosphere. And don’t tell them I let you know, but you can usually catch some of your favorite town officials lunching there towards the latter part of the week.