Falling for Ukiah’s New Fish Find Hook, Line, and Sinker

by Holly Madrigal

Fresh caught lobster in decidedly inland Ukiah, California? Yes, please! Piles of the rich, opal-hued lobster top a buttery brioche bun with crunchy lettuce and a touch of aioli to complete the lobster roll. A mountain of shoestring fries somehow squeeze on the plate. Crustaceans are on my mind as I sit in the sunshine on the happening patio at Left Coast Seafood. Friends stop to say hi, but I can’t talk with my mouth full of my first ever (what can I say, I grew up in Willits) lobster roll.

“We fly that in fresh from Canada” says owner Matt Talbert. “Most everything we buy comes from the Left or West Coast. Our primary focus is our backyard of Ukiah, then Mendocino, and California. We want to support local and family businesses first. The seafood is made up of Pacific or Left Coast catch coming from mostly local fishing partners and stretching as far as Mexico to Canada,” he adds. Crab cakes, fried calamari, and a cioppino that will fill your soul as much as your belly are regulars on the menu.

“One of my best friends from Chicago, someone I have known since around the age of 8 and phenomenal chef, convinced me to move out to California in 2010. Every time he called to chat, he would say, ‘When are you coming out to the Left Coast?’ And so, the name was born for the restaurant.” The road to opening in the midst of a once in a lifetime pandemic was a heroic effort, supported by family and friends who lobbied Matt and his partner Magdalena (formerly McAvoy) to move back to where she grew up.

Back in January 2019, Matt and Magdalena were up from the Bay Area to visit her family. “We are at my father-in-law’s house when his friend and neighbor, Tom Liden, pops over. Tom is a huge advocate for anything Ukiah. He knows I’ve been in the restaurant business pretty much all my life and at a high level the last 10 plus years. He proceeds to tell me of a restaurant for sale in town. He says, ‘You should buy it and move up here to be closer to family.’”

The world had a very different outlook back then. They didn’t know it at the time, but within a year his wife would give birth to their third child, Miles. “Fast forward to Fourth of July weekend 2019. Magdalena and I are walking around downtown Ukiah and we walk past the restaurant space at 110 W Standley, the one Tom had been talking about. We spend the entire two-hour car ride home that night talking about what we would do in that space.” Matt remembers, “We spent the next five weeks putting together a business plan while I was working full time as the General Manager of Scoma’s, one of the largest single family-owned seafood restaurants in the country, with a new baby on the way and two other kids that want my undivided attention at home.”

The pair engaged an experienced culinary team: Executive Chef Julian Sandoval, Culinary Director Adina Leone, and Assistant General Manager and Bar Director Adam Rollo. “These are friends and family I have known most or all of my life that I love, respect, trust, and could not do without.”

One of Magdalena’s very good friends, Tawny Bailey, set them up with another great local figure in the community, Ian Powell. “We had a great instant connection. He is the genuine article and an absolute sweetheart of a human. He has deep roots in this community, with nothing but its best interests at heart. It was immediately apparent that he would be a phenomenal partner to share in this venture,” adds Matt. “We go into contract, then into escrow, then Covid hits! Bam! Now what? So, here we are, it’s the middle of March 2020, the pandemic closes everything.”

This pandemic has challenged everyone, but the hospitality industry has been some of hardest hit. Local businesses had literally poured everything they had into making a wonderful culinary destination, only to have an already high-risk business venture in complete free fall. “Through all this I found peace. I had the love of my family and the support of my partner, Magdalena. I slowed everything down and stopped and listened to the current of the universe. I felt connected to an energetic understanding that we were going to be okay and felt the direction of travel our lives were headed. I spoke to my team—“The Avengers,” as I like to call them, that I’d been assembling to run the restaurant with me—and to my investors and partners, and let them know we were going forward as planned. That this was the right decision, and we were moving to the right place at the right time to open this restaurant. Long story short, this is exactly what we did.”

Against all odds, surrounded by friends and family, they pulled off the unthinkable and opened a restaurant right in the middle of a pandemic. “Since we opened our doors on December 1, 2020, I still pinch and poke myself every day. I feel so grateful to have been able to curate my lifelong vision and dream of opening a restaurant.” Matt beams, adding, “This is such an amazing community of loving and kind people who care deeply about protecting and supporting their small businesses. The perfect example of this is, in our first two month in business, smack-dab in the middle of this pandemic, we had local non-seafood fans stopping by the restaurant to buy something to give to someone else, just to support our new business.“

I can attest that the menu includes something for everyone. Consider the housemade mushroom ravioli. The savory filled pasta is smothered in fresh cherry tomatoes and basil. Matt recommends the Surf and Turf as well, though I was at my capacity for this visit. It has a full lobster tail with slow roasted ribs bathed in a red wine reduction. The decadence of that meal would please a king. I took note because I have friends that do not love seafood but enjoy an excellent meal. The short ribs paired with truffle mashed potatoes would fit the bill for those without sealegs.

Left Coast has also joined a neighborhood that often competes for the Excellence in Beverage category. Cultivo next door is known for their local beers on tap, and at the end of the block, Patrona mixes up some amazing drinks. Left Coast joins the party by crafting a menu of specialty cocktails that makes my mouth water. The El Jefe has roasted poblano-infused Herradero tequila, cactus-hibiscus agave, and fresh lime juice. The Sungrown Smash balances Angel’s Envy Rye Whiskey with a house made ginger honey shrub, mint, grilled persimmons, and fresh apple cider. All the options seem ideal for a hot summer afternoon!

“What a journey it’s been to get here,” says Matt. “I’m so excited for the rest of the adventure and for the world to come back into a place where we all feel connected to each other again.” As the summer nights get longer, be sure to grab a table under the stars and sip a cocktail as you dig into your fresh caught Fish ‘n’ Chips. If you close your eyes, maybe you can imagine the sound of the waves.

Left Coast Seafood & Marketplace
110 W Standley St, Ukiah
(707) 380-8392 | LeftCoastSeafoodCa.com
Summer hours: Tues–Thurs 11am – 8pm, Sat 4pm–9pm