Matthew Riley is a California native, born in Long Beach. He moved with his family to California City in the Mojave dessert where he grew up with 10 brothers and sisters. Even as a child Matthew was cooking and baking. At school he would auction off the cookies he made to the highest bidder.  He started working in kitchens when he was 12 and at 17 he attended the famed Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. As a graduate he returned to California working in such prestigious restaurants as Rex in LA (named one of the top 5 restaurants in the US.

 He moved around helping friends to start their own restaurants and came to the central coast in 1996. He recognized the potential of this growing wine area and wanted to pair his food, so he went to work with local restaurateur Pat Crawford when she owned Busi’s on the Park in Paso Robles. When she sold her business they formed a successful catering business that he still operates today while he set up his new restaurant Matthew’s at the Airport in the newly built terminal at the Paso Robles airport.  After 3.5 years he is now offering his “Wine country Cuisine” in his restaurant, Matthew’s, at 1215 Spring Street in downtown Paso Robles.