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565 Rounsville
Road |
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565 Rounsville
Road |
What people are saying about Matt's Blackboard....
8/7/2011
It is a nice small town
restaurant with great food at great prices. I especially liked the fried mac
and cheese and my brother was nuts over the pulled pork quesadillas. I will
return here whenever I am in Rochester.
March 10, 2011
Last week had the pan-fried
lobster ravioli and I almost died!! It was unbelievable!! Going back today for
lunch....I love Matt's Blackboard, so good!!
Aug 7, 2011
The thin crust pizza is
delicious!
Jul 27, 2011
All I have had here is the pizza
and it awesome!! Thin crust, grilled. Yummy!!
Apr 2, 2011
Love, love, love this place. The
food is always fresh and the service is fantastic. Great food from the pizza to
the burgers to the seafood and prime rib. Appetizers, entree, and deserts are
always fabulous and the staff is friendly and attentive. A wonderful place
hidden in a beautiful quiet little town.
Aug 24, 2010
Great Food and Service! We just
had lunch at Matt's Blackboard. The food was fresh, plentiful and delicious.
Service was friendly and attentive. I had broiled fish, a mixed greens salad
and real mashed potato - all good - not to salty. Cooked just right. My sister
had the pasta. She had enough to take home for a second meal. Now I'll tell you
about the fabulous desert: a rich blueberry cobbler with three heathy scoops of
vanilla ice cream and a big dollop of real whipped cream on top. Nothing but
praises for this meal and great service.
Apr 18, 2010
loved it. food was fresh and
tasty. their veggies were some of the best I had anywhere Chris G. , Matt.
Aug 24, 2010
We just
had lunch at Matt's Blackboard. The food was fresh, plentiful and delicious.
Service was friendly and attentive. I had broiled fish, a mixed greens salad
and real mashed potato - all good - not to salty. Cooked just right. My sister
had the pasta. She had enough to take home for a second meal. Now I'll tell you
about the fabulous desert: a rich blueberry cobbler with three heathy scoops of
vanilla ice cream and a big dollop of real whipped cream on top. Nothing but
praises for this meal and great service.
May 28,
2010
So Matt
just catered our wedding for 130 people and it was fantastic. He was easy to
work with, actually LISTENED to our menu requests, and the food was fresh and
delicious. Awesome wedding cake too - everyone said how moist and tasty it was
(and beautiful too)! And it did NOT cost an arm and a leg. Thanks Matt!!!!
★★★★☆ Matt's Blackboard Rstrnt is
great for catering and dining.
Katie H. |
I thought
this place would be "okay" since there is not much competition in
Rochester. I was wrong. Their pizza is good and my friend even used their place
for catering her graduation party.
9/6/09 Boston.com
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.
3/19/09 New Bedford
Standard Times
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.
6/6/09
Rocco N.
Fall River, MA
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.
02/17/2009
Awesome
place!!
Pros:
Good, fresh food.
Cons:
Nothing to complain about!
"Awesome
Place!!! Everyone is very friendly, service great!! Food is excellent, fresh,
homemade hash is out of this world! Fish and chips are fantastic! "
02/16/2009
Great
Restaurant
"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."
02/09/2009
GREAT
RESTAURANT
Pros: THE
STAFF IS VERY FRIENDLY, PRICES GOOD
Cons: IT
IS NOT CLOSER TO WHERE I LIVE
"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"
01/19/2009
Fantastic!!!
Pros:
great staff, good food, beautiful place.
Cons: its
not next to my house.
"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.