M'tucci's - Where it all Started
/As we approach Independence Day we would like to wish you a happy and safe holiday and to remind you that we are closed on the 4th.
In July we will celebrate our 10-year Anniversary. More to come on the events in the next couple of issues of La Gazzetta. In case you missed the story of how it came together, here it is for your enjoyment:
After nearly seven years as a health care consultant in Manhattan, Jeff Spiegel had an epiphany.
“Riding in a cab in mid-town Manhattan I saw a guy walking down Madison Avenue, hunched over, with an overcoat and a briefcase in hand . . . and I took a start and thought holy s**t, that’s me. It’s not what I had in mind. I turned around and went home and called my brother (his business partner) and said I’m done.”
That epiphany in 1982 put Jeff and Katie Gardner, his wife and partner, on the path that would eventually lead to Albuquerque and to M’tucci’s. A friend suggested they start a restaurant in NYC, because “we like to cook”, (usually a terrible reason for getting into the restaurant business). So, Jeff said sure, sounds like a good idea.
They planned for a year, walking the streets of Manhattan to understand the restaurant business, visiting good locations and commercial properties, then meeting the CEO of a public company that owned restaurants. They talked about doing a project together. While the deal didn’t happen, the CEO became an amazing mentor, guiding them to their initial restaurant space, providing the tools to get started, and even lent a bookkeeper to them.
In 1983 they opened Margaritas on the Upper East Side, serving the city’s first Mexican food in New York City that wasn’t “garbage” (Jeff’s description). They held a cooking competition for prospective chefs and hired Christine Keff (who went on to win a James Beard award for her Seattle restaurant, Flying Fish) who had never cooked Mexican food. Jeff and Katie both agreed that her food was fabulous.
Katie said they didn’t advertise, but they had the great idea of giving away margaritas for the first three nights and, of course, they were packed. Jeff said every restaurant they have ever opened since has always been packed. More restaurants followed, because as Katie says, “Jeff likes to start things. He likes the whole process of planning.”
After 23 years of operating 11 restaurants in Manhattan, they decided it was time for a change, so they sold their restaurants and moved back to Albuquerque, Jeff’s hometown, and worked on different projects until 2013. They said that they didn’t go out to restaurants that much, but when they did, the service was uniformly cold and impersonal. Jeff was working as a consultant for local economic development and realized that he could create 60 jobs just by opening a restaurant. That’s economic development!
“We knew exactly what we wanted to do,” Jeff said. As with all of their previous places in NYC, at M’tucci’s Italian they surrounded themselves with good people. “We’ve always had good people.”
Dave Herndon, writer, magazine editor and a former bartender at Margaritas said, “The real secret sauce has always been that they create a hospitable, loose, fun atmosphere where people can be themselves and feel at home. The vibe starts with Jeff and Katie’s fun loving personalities, which informs their staffing—they have highly tuned people instincts. They pick the right people, and the wrong ones get weeded out really fast. Customers are treated as friends and become regulars. Everybody wins.”
“When Katie and I decided to reprise our restaurant experience in NM after 23 years in the restaurant business in NYC, I knew I wanted a chef partner,” Jeff said. “So I placed an ad in Craigslist.”
“As has always been our practice, I invited the top three candidates to join me at our home to cook. At the end of those three days, and after countless hours of conversations with John Haas, I pulled the trigger, hired him, and told him that he’d be a partner when the time was right to do the documents. It was the best partner decision I ever made. John cares about others, is a forgiving perfectionist and an excellent leader.”
“When I told Jeff ‘if I wouldn’t have been a chef, I would have been an accountant’, I think he thought, ‘I’ve found my chef’”, John said.
M’tucci’s company president john haas with executive pastry chef brianna dennis
In the time leading up to finding a location, they had discussions about the character of M’tucci’s. Would it be fine dining with white tablecloths? From day one, they decided that was not the kind of restaurant they would open.
“I think people want value and interesting ingredients. Our whole thing was big flavor, being non-pretentious, very approachable and to let the food speak for itself. We wanted the type of place where people could eat a couple of times of week, instead of only for special occasions.”
After ten years and with four M’tucci’s locations operating, what motivates John to continue to work long hours?
“I feel like I’ve been given a gift. Jeff gave me a chance and invested in me, and there is not a day that I don’t try to repay that gift. Part of (repaying that gift) is creating opportunities for other people, to give them the chance to grow and to prove how good they can be,” he replied.
. . . . to be continued.
Readers of La Gazzetta are getting an early look at our 10th Anniversary Pairing Dinner and a chance to book their table. Space is limited.
M’tucci’s 2021 Barbera is Here!
Tasting Notes: This wine has lifted aromas of sweet spice, raspberry and plum. The palate shows deeper flavors of black cherry compote and ripe red raspberry, with sweet spice coming through on the finish. It is medium in body, bright and lively on the palate. The spice component and penetrating fruit make it an ideal pairing for any dish on the menu with a lot of flavor. M’tucci’s 2021 Barbera can stand up to red pasta sauce, red meat, and pork belly, but with a brightness that makes it a bit more versatile than most big red wines.
88% Barbera from the Columbia Valley
12% Merlot from the Bosque Farms, New Mexico
Weekend Specials
M’tucci’s Italian
Ravioli - Orange & Ricotta Filling, Pancetta, Pickled Fennel, Caramelized Onion, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Fennel Cream Sauce, Pecorino, Micro Greens Orange Zest $27
24 oz. T-Bone - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Lemon, Balsamic Reduction $42
Pan-Seared Black Cod - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Grilled Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $33
Braise - Sackett Farms Pork Belly - Pineapple Rosemary Braise, Creamy Risotto, Agave Braised Parsnips, Pickled Red Onions, Diced Haricot Vert, Pineapple Red Pepper Relish $29
Weekend Cocktail
The Amalfi Coast - House Cherry-Infused VARA Gin, Cherry Simple Syrup, Fresh Lemon Juice, float of M’tucci’s Sparkling Wine
M’tucci’s Moderno
8 oz Hand Cut Picaña - Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Broccolini, Salsa Verde $33
Pan-Seared California Halibut - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Broccolini, Roasted Artichoke, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce, Prosciutto Powder $31
Beef Tips & Tortellini - Cajun-Seasoned Beef Tips, Grape Tomatoes, Rosa Sauce, Cheese Tortellini and Gorgonzola $21
Weekend Cocktail
A Monkey’s Paradise - Howler Head Whiskey, Sunora Piñaa Bachanora, Orgeat Syrup, Coconut Cream, Pineapple Juice, Whipped Cream & Orange Zest
M’tucci’s Twenty-Five
Pappardelle Lamb Ragù - Milk Braised Lamb, Pecorino, House Made Pappardelle, Pecorino $21
Pan-Seared California Halibut - Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Braised Greens, Artichoke Hearts, Lemon Beurre Blanc Sauce $31
14 oz Hand Cut Ribeye - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Charred Broccolini, Smoked Blackberry Bone Marrow Compound Butter $42
Weekend Cocktail
Berry Bramble - Bombay Sapphire Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Creme de Cassis
M’tucci’s Bar Roma
Pollo Picante Ravioli - Braised Chicken Thighs, Roasted Peppedew Pepper Ragù, Cremini Mushrooms, Fresh Herbs, Smoked Parsely Oil, Shaved Parmesan $27
Pan-Seared Grouper - Garlic Whipped Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Roasted Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $34
Weekend Cocktail
Royal Leis - Empress Gin, Pineapple Mango Syrup, Orgeat Syrup, Fresh Lemon Juice, Peychaud Bitters, Fresh Jalapeño Slice
Live Music for June & July
M’tucci’s Bar Roma - Wed 6:30-8:30
7/5 TBD
7/12 Delaney Davis (feature)
7/19 Lani Nash
7/26 Shane Wallin
M’tucci’s Twenty-Five - Thursday 6:30-8:30 * Friday 7:30-9:30
6/30 Alex Long
7/6 RJ Perez
7/7 Javier Ortega
7/13 Eryn Bent
7/14 Delaney Davis (feature)
7/20 Matt Jones
7/21 Alex Long
7/27 Chessa Peak
7/28 Cali Shaw
M’tucci’s Moderno - Thursday 6:30-830 *Friday 7:30-9:30
6/30 Chris Dracup
7/6 Matt Jones
7/7 Justin Nuñez
7/13 Delaney Davis ( feature )
7/14 RJ Perez
7/20 Jacob Chavez
7/21 Matt Jones
7/27 RJ Perez
7/28 Lani Nash
Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!
