Matt Denny's Ale House Restaurant

Matt Denny's has been many different restaurants to me over the years. It was a place I could visit with my grandmothers more than a decade ago. (You know, when they didn't want to go to Red Lobster.) It was a place my brother and I could always grab a quick lunch. It was where my friends and I could watch Lakers games and drink beers in the bar. It was where I took a date for Cinco de Mayo one year. It was where some co-workers and I would sometimes go for after-work dinners. These days I don't visit as much, but every once in a while Elizabeth and I go and enjoy the patio on hot days. 

Two days ago I was charged with coming up with a restaurant at which to eat lunch with my mom and two of her friends, two women whom I have known literally my entire life. I suggested Matt Denny's, knowing their big menu is usually able to accommodate most people.

There was a pretty good crowd in the restaurant but we were able to grab one of the oversized booths. Matt Denny's is kind of a dark restaurant - not too dark by any means, but too dark for my pictures to come out great in the low light. And I wasn't going to use the flash, so the pics aren't the best you will ever see on this blog.

Matt Denny's has always had a very good beer selection - it used to be pretty much the only place around where I could consistently get Sierra Nevada Summerfest - but on this occasion I only wanted iced tea.

My mom ordered the beef dip sandwich with a side of fresh fruit. She has gotten this before and always enjoyed it, and this time was no different.

Both of my mom's friends ordered the tostada salad: lettuce, chicken, corn, tomatoes, avocados, black beans, cheese, green onions and tortilla strips. That sounds absolutely horrible to me but both ladies really enjoyed it. (One of them was visiting from the Faroe Islands and said that it was almost impossible for her to get fresh vegetables there, so she was eating as many salads and veggies on this trip as she could.)

I ordered my favorite item off the menu: the smoked turkey sandwich, with a side of fries. Back when I used to visit Matt Denny's very frequently, I would sometimes experiment with other items. Almost everything is good (except the Caesar salad, which, oddly, is probably the worst I have ever had) but I still kept coming back to this sandwich. It is fantastic: freshly smoked juicy turkey meat that almost melts in the mouth. Served on the side are red onions, pickles, and a delicious hot barbecue sauce. I add all of them to the sandwich.

I don't visit Matt Denny's all that much anymore, but that has nothing to do with the place and everything to do with me: I don't live as close, I almost never choose restaurants these days based on their beer selection, and I certainly don't enjoy watching the Lakers games like I used to. But every time I return, I remember why I used to love going there so much.