Episode 47 🍔🔥⛷️ Kevin Malone — The Local Kid Behind the Grill at Mattie’s Tavern
Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos · Released May 12, 2026 · Santa Ynez Valley, California
About this conversation
This week on Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos, Keith sits down with one of the most interesting guys quietly shaping the Santa Ynez Valley food scene… Executive Chef Kevin Malone of Mattei's Tavern.
But this episode isn’t just about food.
It’s about passion.
About obsession.
About the kind of people who go all in on everything they touch.
Before Kevin was running one of the most beloved kitchens in the Valley, he was a ski bum riding a Greyhound bus from Massachusetts to Mammoth chasing the dream of becoming a professional skier. He built terrain parks. Drove snowcats. Sent himself off jumps big enough to make normal people question reality. Then somewhere along the way… life pivoted.
Now he’s the guy rebuilding the soul of Mattie’s Tavern.
Keith and Kevin dive deep into:
- Why Mattie’s Tavern feels like the “living room of the Valley”
- The impossible balancing act of luxury hospitality and local authenticity
- Burgers, bars, fireside booths, and community ownership
- Snowcats, ski culture, and moving across the country chasing passion
- Swapping an engine in a 1981 Rabbit pickup truck in one week… then immediately driving it 1,000 miles in a rally
- The pirate-ship culture of restaurant kitchens
- Why local restaurants matter more than ever
- What happens when a chef truly loves the place he cooks for
More than anything, this episode is about craftsmanship.
The kind that happens when somebody doesn’t just work somewhere…
they belong there.
If you’ve been wondering whether Mattie’s Tavern “feels like the old days again”… this episode explains exactly why people are saying that. And if you love this Valley, love food, love community, or just love hearing passionate people talk about what they do — this one’s for you.
Grab a burger. Sit by the fire. Stay awhile.
🎙️ Hosted by Keith Saarloos
📍 Broadcasting from the Santa Ynez Valley
📻 Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos on KRAZy Country 105.9
And remember…
Pick up litter.
Support local.
Spend your money in the hood.
From Keith’s original Valley archive
The following material is preserved from the original episode post. Existing transcript text is an archive copy and may contain transcription errors.
Episode 47 – Kevin Malone: Mattie’s Tavern, Local Food, Fast Cars, Big Jumps, and Feeding the Santa Ynez Valley
In Episode 47 of Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos, Keith sits down with Kevin Malone, Executive Chef of Mattie’s Tavern at The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, an Auberge Resorts Collection property located in the heart of California’s Santa Ynez Valley. Kevin oversees every aspect of the culinary experience at Mattie’s Tavern, including the restaurant, tavern menu, banquets, weddings, room service, pool dining, coffee service, and guest experiences across one of the most iconic hospitality properties in Los Olivos. Keith and Kevin discuss the history of Mattie’s Tavern and why so many locals consider it the living room of the Santa Ynez Valley. From longtime residents gathering around the fireplace to visitors discovering the valley for the first time, Mattie’s has long served as a gathering place where food, hospitality, and community come together. The conversation explores Kevin’s journey from western Massachusetts to Mammoth Mountain, where he spent years skiing, building terrain parks, driving snow cats, and chasing adventure. Eventually, cooking became more than a job—it became a craft. After working in restaurants throughout Los Angeles and Malibu, Kevin found his way to Mattie’s Tavern, where he transformed from a talented cook into a chef and ultimately returned years later to lead the kitchen. Keith and Kevin also discuss the challenge of balancing the expectations of locals with those of luxury travelers visiting an Auberge resort. Together they explore menu development, community ownership, hospitality, customer experience, and why great restaurants become part of the identity of a town. Outside the kitchen, Kevin shares stories about rebuilding vintage Volkswagens, driving 1,000-mile rally events across California, restoring a Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck in just two weeks, and his lifelong tendency to go all-in on everything he pursues. More than a conversation about food, this episode is about craftsmanship, hard work, community pride, and the people who quietly help make the Santa Ynez Valley one of the most special places in California. Kevin Malone represents the kind of local leadership that keeps historic places relevant, welcoming, and connected to the people who call the valley home.
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Summery
Episode Title:
Kevin Malone: Mattie’s Tavern, Local Food, Fast Cars, Big Jumps, and Feeding the Santa Ynez ValleyIn this episode of Chopping It Up, Keith Saarloos sits down with Kevin Malone, Executive Chef of Mattie’s Tavern in Los Olivos, California, to talk about food, community, craft, and what it means to bring a beloved Santa Ynez Valley institution back to life. Kevin oversees the kitchen at Mattie’s Tavern, including the restaurant, bar, banquets, weddings, coffee shop, room service, pool service, and every plate that leaves the kitchen at one of the Valley’s most iconic gathering places.
Keith and Kevin talk about the history of Mattie’s Tavern, why locals feel ownership over the restaurant, and how the bar has long served as the living room of the Santa Ynez Valley. The conversation explores how Kevin helped restore the soul of Mattie’s by honoring its past while bringing a sharper culinary focus to the menu, from the burger and fried chicken sandwich to steak frites, salads, comfort food, and elevated tavern classics.
But Kevin’s story goes far beyond the kitchen. He talks about growing up in Massachusetts, moving across the country on a Greyhound bus to chase skiing in Mammoth, building terrain parks, working in snow cats, cooking in Malibu and Los Angeles, and eventually finding his way back to Mattie’s. Keith and Kevin also dive into Kevin’s love of 1980s and 1990s Volkswagens and Audis, including the story of rebuilding a Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck engine after work and immediately driving it on a 1,000-mile rally through California back roads.
More than a conversation with a chef, this episode is about hunger in every form. Hunger to get better. Hunger to build something with your hands. Hunger to serve your community well. Hunger to bring pride back to a place people love. Kevin Malone represents the kind of independent, hardworking, all-in local character that makes the Santa Ynez Valley special. Whether you know him from Mattie’s Tavern, the kitchen, the bar, the burger, the rally roads, the ski hill, or the community, this episode is a reminder that great towns are built by people who care deeply about what they make and who they make it for.
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Topics Covered
Topics Covered
• Kevin Malone, Executive Chef at Mattie’s Tavern
• Mattie’s Tavern in Los Olivos, California
• The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern and Auberge Resorts
• Why Mattie’s Tavern is the living room of the Santa Ynez Valley
• Local restaurants and community gathering places
• Bringing back the soul and identity of Mattie’s Tavern
• Creating a menu for both locals and luxury hotel guests
• Burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, steak frites, salads, and tavern classics
• Why locals feel ownership over historic restaurants
• Kevin’s first time working at Mattie’s in 2014 and 2015
• Whole animal butchery, local ingredients, and scratch cooking
• Returning to Mattie’s in 2023
• Becoming Executive Chef of Mattie’s Tavern
• Santa Ynez Valley food culture
• The importance of chefs walking the dining room
• Growing up in western Massachusetts
• Moving to Mammoth on a Greyhound bus
• Professional skiing and terrain park culture
• Working in snow cats and building ski jumps
• Cooking in Malibu and Los Angeles
• Learning the difference between being a good cook and becoming a chef
• Kevin’s love of 1980s and 1990s Audis and Volkswagens
• Rebuilding a Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck engine
• Driving a 1,000-mile California rally
• Parkfield, Cayucos, and Central Coast back roads
• Being a husband, father of twins, chef, skier, and car builder
• Craftsmanship, independence, hard work, and Valley pride
• Supporting local restaurants, wineries, grocery stores, coffee shops, and independent radio -
FAQ
FAQ
Who is Kevin Malone?
Kevin Malone is the Executive Chef at Mattie’s Tavern in Los Olivos, California. He oversees the kitchen, restaurant, bar menu, banquets, weddings, coffee shop, room service, pool service, and culinary operations at one of the Santa Ynez Valley’s most historic gathering places.Where does Kevin Malone work?
Kevin Malone is the Executive Chef at Mattie’s Tavern, part of The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, an Auberge Resorts Collection property in Los Olivos, California.What is Mattie’s Tavern known for?
Mattie’s Tavern is known as one of the great historic gathering places in the Santa Ynez Valley. Locals know it for its bar, fireplace, tavern food, community atmosphere, and long-standing role as a social center of Los Olivos.Why does Keith Saarloos call Mattie’s Tavern the living room of the Valley?
Keith describes Mattie’s Tavern as the living room of the Santa Ynez Valley because it has long been a place where locals gather, visitors become regulars, bartenders remember your drink, and the community feels at home.What food does Kevin Malone serve at Mattie’s Tavern?
Kevin’s menu focuses on elevated tavern classics, including the burger, fried chicken sandwich, steak frites, salads, comfort food, and dishes that balance local familiarity with the standards of a luxury hotel restaurant.How did Kevin Malone become Executive Chef at Mattie’s Tavern?
Kevin first worked at Mattie’s around 2014 and 2015, later cooked in other restaurants, and returned to Mattie’s in 2023. After working as Chef de Cuisine, he became Executive Chef and helped restore the restaurant’s local identity and culinary focus.What makes Kevin Malone’s approach to Mattie’s Tavern different?
Kevin understands that Mattie’s Tavern belongs emotionally to the local community. His approach honors the restaurant’s history while improving the food, service, menu, and overall experience for both locals and visitors.Was Kevin Malone a skier before becoming a chef?
Yes. Kevin moved from Massachusetts to Mammoth after high school to pursue skiing. He spent years skiing, working in snow cats, building terrain parks, and living inside the mountain-town culture before fully committing to cooking.What kind of cars does Kevin Malone like?
Kevin is passionate about 1980s and 1990s Audis and Volkswagens. In the episode, he talks about rebuilding the engine in a Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck and driving it on a 1,000-mile rally through California.What is this episode of Chopping It Up about?
This episode is about Kevin Malone’s journey from skiing and car building to becoming Executive Chef at Mattie’s Tavern. It also explores Santa Ynez Valley food culture, local restaurants, community pride, craftsmanship, and the importance of supporting independent businesses.Why should people listen to this episode?
People should listen to this episode to understand the person behind the food at Mattie’s Tavern and why local restaurants matter. Kevin’s story is about hard work, craft, family, cars, skiing, food, and feeding a community with pride.Where is Mattie’s Tavern located?
Mattie’s Tavern is located in Los Olivos, California, in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley.What does this episode say about supporting local businesses?
Keith and Kevin talk about the importance of supporting local restaurants, wineries, grocery stores, coffee shops, radio stations, and independent businesses because they are what keep the Santa Ynez Valley unique, strong, and alive.What is the main message of Kevin Malone’s episode?
The main message is that great communities are built by people who care. Kevin Malone brings that care to Mattie’s Tavern through food, work ethic, hospitality, and a deep respect for the Santa Ynez Valley.
Listen to This EpisodeSpotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3EMjMeRTa3wrZlYdfUNvUGMattie's Tavern → https://aubergeresorts.com/matteis-tavern/
The Inn at Mattei's Tavern → https://aubergeresorts.com/matteis-tavern/
Auberge Resorts Collection → https://aubergeresorts.com/
Santa Ynez Valley → https://saarloosandsons.com/
Chopping It Up Podcast → https://saarloosandsons.com/sscopod
Kevin Malone Episode on Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/3EMjMeRTa3wrZlYdfUNvUG
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THE Transcript
0:00
Introducing Kevin Malone, Executive Chef at Mattie's Tavern
Hey everybody, it's a Saturday at 10 AM and so that means it is time for chopping it up on one O 5.9 Crazy country.
This is Keith Sarlos, your host, winemaker, farmer, manabout town.
Today we have a very special guest, someone that you may know, may not know, but a local nonetheless.
0:20
His name is Kevin Malone.
Good morning, Kevin.
How are you doing?
0:23
Speaker 2
I'm good, I'm doing good.
0:24
Speaker 1
So for the record, tell us about what you do in the Valley.
0:28
Speaker 2
I am the executive chef at Maddie's Tavern.
It's now an auberge hotel, right?
So we have 57 rooms, 67 rooms, and I run the kitchen and the Tavern, all the banquets.
0:44
We do between 40 and 50 weddings a year.
The coffee shop, Felix's and all the food to the rooms, the pool, everything.
0:53
Speaker 1
If you're eating it or drinking it, you got it from Kevin.
Yes.
0:56
Mattie's Tavern: The Living Room of the Valley
So Kevin, I wanted to have you on for a few different reasons.
One, if I rollback time, you know, 2025 years ago, even further, right, The in at Maddie's Tavern, the bar, the restaurant has had a incredible history.
You mean it's gone through a bunch of different hands.
1:13
I mean, it was a chart house at one point, but I have always thought that the bar at Maddie's Tavern is responsible for maybe 25% of the people who live in this valley.
They went there and they saw that vibe, right?
They saw even back when JC was running it, even to today, right?
1:31
You go it, you would go in there and you go there two times and then they're remembering your drink.
You know, it was a it was a gathering place.
It is the living room of the Valley.
Because as I like to think about it, you know, you need two things in a community to succeed.
1:47
You need a really great coffee shop and you need a really great pub.
And Maddie's Tavern for me has always been that in a few different ways.
Specifically the bar, because I remember going in there when it was dark and everything else and and the fire was rolling and there was even smoke in the room and the whole deal, right?
2:05
Speaker 2
Yeah, there's still smoke in the.
2:06
Speaker 1
Room.
There's still smoke in the room and we've had Logan on here talking about kind of old days at Maddie's.
But one of the things I wanted to do was kind of bring you up front from back, behind the behind the grill, you know, behind the the the pit and bring you out on front St. because you and I have become friends over the years.
2:23
And I have seen your rise from and, and jump in at any point from just working at Maddie's to being AI.
What I would like to consider a local that is the executive chef, Yeah.
2:37
Kevin Malone's Unexpected Path to Mattie's Tavern
How did you start?
What was your journey there?
2:40
Speaker 2
When I first started at Maddie's, I was working in LA kind of at a restaurant that for lack of a better explanation, I was kind of like too, too good to be at.
2:56
And I had a friend who had left who was working with me at that restaurant.
He left and started working at this crazy restaurant in LA called Inc.
And he he sent me an ad for a cooking, I don't remember if the ad was for like a sous chef or a line cook job.
3:14
And just like the description in the ad made Maddie sound so cool.
It sounded like culinary summer camp.
So I responded to the ad, came up and stayed in cabin one, which is now Oak.
Stayed there for a couple days and worked in the kitchen.
3:30
And I went from being like working in a place where I was the the only guy with the brain to being the worst one in the kitchen.
And immediately I was like, this is the spot I need to be.
So tried to surround myself with guys who are way better than me and.
3:44
Speaker 1
How many years ago was this?
3:46
Speaker 2
That was in 2015 I believe. 14 or 15 pre COVID?
Pre COVID when Charles Banks and Robbie Wilson owned the place and then.
4:01
Speaker 1
Which was an interesting era for the Maddie's.
4:03
Speaker 2
Tavern, yeah, I mean, it was I I like to describe it as we were a little too early for the valley.
Like the food was incredible.
The stuff we were doing in the kitchen was so cool and like, everything from scratch, everything local.
4:18
We were like butchering whole animals.
And the kitchen was brand new at the time.
And I just, I like, fell in love with the place.
It was so, so cool.
And I was there with Logan and me and Logan we're like quick friends and got really tight.
And yeah, it was just a little too early.
4:35
Everybody thought we were to LA.
But now, now all the restaurants are a lot similar to what we were doing then.
4:42
Speaker 1
Well, you know, skating where the puck is going is always different.
You know, if you're if you're true early, you're a martyr.
And if you're right on time, then all of a sudden you're like, hey, this is exactly what I want, right?
Yeah, totally.
You've done a lot of really interesting stuff there that I mean, specifically the burger and the like.
4:59
Crafting Mattie's Menu: Balancing Luxury and Local Authenticity
I'm, I'm a big bar guy, right?
It's like I love bars just in general.
And your burger is fantastic, man.
You have, as Logan says, you have a black belt in burgers.
5:09
Speaker 2
Yeah, I heard that that was pretty.
5:10
Speaker 1
Cool.
That's a pretty great line.
So tell us a little bit about the menu you got going on there.
5:14
Speaker 2
Right in the bar specifically, like that's, that's what I wanted.
I wanted to like hit all the the classic things that people look for when they go into a bar.
Chicken sandwich, a burger, you know, I got the steak frites back on there now, couple salads, but just, you know, that that heavy comfort stuff and just kind of do it really, really well.
5:34
Yeah, we were sort of missing that for a while when I first came back.
I came back in 2023 and Rhoda was there and she was doing really good considering like we're opening a restaurant and a hotel.
And when you're new at Maddie's, it's really hard to understand the the ownership that everyone in the Valley has for that place.
5:57
Speaker 1
I am so glad you brought that up because I think that's one of the things that is almost endemic of what Maddie's is like when I kind of brought up like how many people live in the valley just because of that living room setting or that pub setting or the bar setting at Maddie's, right?
6:14
They feel like they own it.
And, you know, even back when when they changed it a bunch and, and changed the bar and people like, immediately it felt like people were like, well, I'm not going there anymore.
And they just like cut it off a list.
But I thought what you guys have done so great over there and that whole team of like, really great people, you know, was you brought the old bar back and then all of a sudden it, it felt like going home.
6:35
Yeah.
6:36
Speaker 2
I I think that's, that's something that was a little missed when a Berish first came, you know, like they, it's this high luxury resort.
And the cool thing about Auberge is a lot of the properties are these like pre-existing old places and they kind of let them be themselves.
6:54
But having been closed for a while and, you know, going from Charles to Bryan and, and not really having too much going on in between the the like identity, culinary identity of the place was sort of missing.
So that was a, a big goal of mine when I took over last year was to get that back and find our, our lane and.
7:15
Speaker 1
That's exactly why you're here today because I think you've done an Absolutely Fabulous job of bringing back that ownership of like the community ownership back to a restaurant where they come in, they go, oh, this feels like the way it used to.
And you go in and bartenders kind of remember your drink and you'd like, you know, knew exactly the way you want it.
7:34
And it's like, oh, this, this is better than eating at home.
And I just wanted to commend you for that.
Well, thank you for seeing it.
I mean, and that's the part of you that I want to talk about even more 'cause I think one of the least interesting things about you is the fact that you're the head chef at Maddie's.
7:50
But I think you guys have done a great job as being a community location.
I mean, I didn't know much about Orbearish resorts.
That's not usually where me I personally stay, you know, just.
7:59
Speaker 2
As Me neither, yeah.
8:01
Speaker 1
But I've had the opportunity to go to a few 'cause when it became an orbearish, I went to a friend's wedding in Colorado and there was a a hotel that it's I'm.
8:12
Speaker 2
Going to blow it the Telluride one.
8:14
Speaker 1
No, the Aspen one.
8:15
Speaker 2
OK.
That's Jerome.
Jerome.
8:16
Speaker 1
And that's where Hunter S Thompson, you know, had his bar or that he would go to that bar every single day.
And when you go in there, you're like, oh, this feels more like a part of the community than it is a standard hotel where they build a hotel and it just looks like that hotel.
8:32
Totally.
Does that make sense?
Yeah, I've.
8:34
Speaker 2
I've worked for a few different hotel brands, like I, I worked at Rosewood in San Martin up by Gilroy and I worked at Four Seasons in Montecito and like, they're all great.
But that was one of the things that like, keeps me at Auberge is that like, we get to be our own little unique place where you're not just like a cookie cutter.
8:54
Oh, this is an Auberge.
8:56
Speaker 1
You know, and Hampton Inn looks like a Hampton Inn.
8:58
Speaker 2
Yeah, exactly.
And and you know, obviously I have like a really strong connection with Maddie's.
So it just turned out to be an auberge.
I only came back to the valley to be at Maddie's so.
9:08
Speaker 1
Did you really?
9:09
Speaker 2
Yes.
9:10
Speaker 1
So you chose that.
9:11
Speaker 2
Yes, I did.
9:13
Speaker 1
Well, then I think the ownership aspect of like you taking that over and going, no, I want to come back to this place because I could say this off to the side and nobody was listening.
So it's just me and you, which was, you know, the the pride that you do take in that place.
9:29
Like you kind of opened the door there a second ago, but you're like, no, I want to be the head chef at this restaurant.
And as someone who loves the restaurant and loves this community, that's exactly what you want from anybody.
It's like, no, no, no, this feels like my hometown and I want to be the head chef in my hometown.
9:47
And I think that's one of the things that you personify that it maybe you haven't been to Maddie's in a while.
Maybe definitely give it another shot and go get a burger, get a fried chicken sandwich, you know, go in the bar and feel it out again, 'cause I think you brought back that old feeling from 20 years ago with a little bit of a uptick in culinary and, and, and exploration and it feels like home.
10:12
And I think you've done a great job.
10:13
Speaker 2
Of that well, thank you.
That's that's where I, I want it to be.
I, I mean, obviously we have expectations being an auberish that are, you know, a little, a little higher than your local neighborhood bar and it's a really fine line to dance.
10:29
And that's what I'm constantly trying to do, figure out how I can have it be comfortable for people like you and, you know, other locals, but at the same time, like, keep that person who's spending a lot of money to be there all weekend, keep them happy and feel like they're getting value out of it.
10:43
Speaker 1
I think that's a really tough line to cross and you you do it really well where local feels welcome and somebody who's pretending to be local for the weekend.
I think it's a good way to because I.
10:53
Speaker 2
Fresh hat from Jed Liquors.
Fresh out rolling in, I don't.
10:57
Speaker 1
Know you could.
You could spot them a while away.
10:59
From Professional Skier to Rally Car Mechanic: Kevin's Diverse Passions
You're like, hey, it's on backwards, let's transition a little bit because like I said, you are an incredibly interesting person.
So professional skier at one point, is this correct?
11:10
Speaker 2
Yeah, my life revolved around skiing for a long time.
11:14
Speaker 1
Tell me stories man, because I have seen videos of you if you look, I mean if you look you up online right now on YouTube, there are videos of you backflipping highways, is that correct?
11:25
Speaker 2
Maybe I don't.
I don't look at them often, but there's some stuff floating around from the old.
11:30
Speaker 1
Days you were legit man.
11:31
Speaker 2
Yeah, I Yeah.
So right after high school, I.
11:35
Speaker 1
Where'd you go to high?
11:36
Speaker 2
School by then I went to high school in Massachusetts.
OK, So I grew up in western Massachusetts in a small town a lot like, you know, Los Alamos or Los Olivos, where I live now.
And I all as much as like, you know, you grow up in a small town in high school and stuff, you're like, man, I wish I was around more people.
11:53
And you know you want to, you want to go do something more interesting.
11:56
Speaker 1
Nobody wants to be where they are.
Yeah, totally.
11:58
Speaker 2
So as soon as high school was over, I I was really, really, really into skiing.
Like I I got into it around 1998, nineteen 99 and it just like I got the bug and fell in love with it and mammoth was like the place to be if you were hit and jumped on skis like that was the coolest place to be.
12:19
So it is the.
12:20
Speaker 1
Bleeding edge it still is.
12:21
Speaker 2
Yeah, it's the best.
So I I moved to Mammoth on a Greyhound bus, left Massachusetts on a Greyhound bus, took me 5 days with one of my best friends and I got crazy stories from the bus, but that would take all day.
And then we, yeah, we, we got to Reno, had some friends of friends pick us up and.
12:41
And then I ended up living there for about 12 or 13 years.
Really.
Yeah.
12:45
Speaker 1
Where'd you work in Rena?
Where'd you work in Mammoth?
12:48
Speaker 2
I cooked a little bit when I first got there.
Like cooking in me was a love hate thing for a long time.
My dad cooked and he he was always working three jobs when I was a kid and wasn't able to be around much.
But I picked it up from him.
So it was like he told me when I was a kid.
13:04
He's like, you'll never, you'll never be hungry if you're working in the kitchen and you'll, you know, you'll always have a job if you know how to cook.
So it was always the fall back gig.
So right when I got to Mammoth, I got a job as a janitor, which was pretty cool.
I didn't work until 4:00 at in the afternoon every day.
13:21
So I got to ski every single day and then quickly got out of that and got into the restaurants and was cooking a little bit.
But I wanted to be in a snow cat.
I thought that was the coolest thing there was.
It still is, yeah.
13:35
Speaker 1
It's heavy machinery is awesome.
It was cool.
Come on.
Yeah.
13:38
Speaker 2
So eventually I got myself into a snow cat and did that for a couple seasons working fleet, which is where you're just grooming the trails.
And then after two or three seasons I started building park.
So then I was working in the park, building jumps and setting up rails and stuff and.
13:54
Speaker 1
Were you running the dragon?
13:55
Speaker 2
No, no dragon.
OK, I was.
That's a deep.
13:57
Speaker 1
Cut for everybody's listing.
13:59
Speaker 2
To be totally honest, I was not super good in the Snow Cat but the boys liked having me around 'cause I hit all the jumps where none of them.
14:06
Speaker 1
You were building them for yourself.
14:07
Speaker 2
Yeah, none of them really did.
So the guys building the big jumps would ask me to come hop in the cat and tell them what I thought.
And yeah, so that was, that was cool.
That enabled me to keep skiing.
And yeah, I did that for a long, long time.
It was awesome.
14:22
Speaker 1
OK, so skiing we're going to get we're I'm going to, we're going to put this all together.
This is going to be a good story.
Another passion of yours is cars.
14:31
Speaker 2
Yep, so.
14:32
Speaker 1
Let's hear about it, because I know you just got back from something super awesome.
Tell me the whole.
14:36
Speaker 2
Story Yeah, I just went on a a three day rally in Parkfield.
What?
14:41
Speaker 1
Kind of cars specifically.
14:42
Speaker 2
I like 80s and 90s Audis and Volkswagens.
So I have a 1990 Golf GTI and a 1981 Rabbit pickup truck and I took the pickup truck on this rally and about two weeks before the rally started I found out my motor was blown in the truck.
15:03
So I was in a little bit of a time crunch the the GTI was definitely not going to be ready and as crazy as it sounds, it was easier for me to put in.
15:12
Speaker 1
A motor.
So all project cars, yeah.
15:14
Speaker 2
OK, they're it's it's a 30 or 40 year olds.
15:17
Speaker 1
Car.
No, no, it's always a project.
I know.
I'm just painting the picture for everybody who's listening at home.
15:21
Speaker 2
So yeah, I went and got a picked up a motor that a buddy had sitting in his garage for about a decade and every night after work started working on that motor and kind of halfway rebuilt it.
I didn't tear it open, but I replaced the all the maintenance stuff, cleaned it up, made it fresh, took all the good parts off my old one, put it on the new one, pulled the old one out of the car, put the new one in the car, And I got it ready at around noon on Wednesday and then left for the rally at 10 in the morning on Thursday.
15:55
Speaker 1
So OK, two things.
What time do you get off work?
15:58
Speaker 2
Between 9:30 and 10:00 at night, so.
16:02
Speaker 1
What time?
So what time in the morning were you working on this?
16:04
Speaker 2
We're doing like, I go home, do the little couch, chat with the missus every night and then hop in the garage.
Yeah, talking about the kids.
And then pretty much between 10:00 and 2:00 in the morning.
I was working on the car for two weeks to get it ready.
16:19
Speaker 1
OK, so you finished this thing.
How long was this rally?
16:23
Speaker 2
Probably about 1000 miles.
16:25
Speaker 1
1000 miles.
So you you wait, wait, wait.
You motor swapped your truck, finished it on a Wednesday.
Thursday started a rally for 1000 miles.
Yeah, in a Volkswagen.
16:38
Speaker 2
Rabbit pickup.
16:39
Speaker 1
Truck Rabbit pickup truck How many cars were on the rally?
16:42
Speaker 2
I think about 60 or 70.
16:45
Speaker 1
Pretty big rally though.
Yeah, cool.
We see, I mean, the cool part about being in the Valley, you can there's a lot of rallies that are coming through and all of a sudden you'll see like like 50 Datsuns or you'll see like, but when it's.
16:56
Speaker 2
Always 9 elevens.
There's just 1,000,009.
16:58
Speaker 1
Elevens 1,000,009 Elevens.
I always love the running of the bulls when all of a sudden you're sitting on 154 and, you know, mowing or something like that.
And then all of a sudden like 50 lambos just RIP through.
Yep.
And then I'm like, Oh my gosh, when Cash was a little kid, I we, we were sitting there and I think it was Pelican or quail.
17:16
Speaker 2
When all for the quail.
17:17
Speaker 1
For the quail.
So when everybody's driving up to Monterey and we were sitting on the corner and all these incredible supercars come by, right?
And then I'm not going to say his name, but this guy drove, drove by in a flatbed and was kind of in, in between all of them.
17:32
And I looked at Cash and I said, you want me to show you the guy who's got the most money in that line?
And he goes, yeah.
And I said it's the flatbed truck.
And he's like, really?
I'm like, 100%, man, just so you know, just so you know.
And he's like, oh, really?
I'm like, yeah, I go once for show, once for go.
I said the flatbeds for go.
17:48
Speaker 2
It's cool to see him driving.
It's those cars, you know, a lot of those guys just keep him in a heated garage and don't drive.
17:54
Speaker 1
I mean, if you die with a low odometer, you know you lost.
Yeah, that's the truth.
So where did the rally go?
18:00
Speaker 2
So it was in Parkfield.
We started in Cayucas and then drove out to Parkfield day one and stayed there.
So it was like a camping rally.
So we camped out at Parkfield Cafe.
If anybody doesn't know where Parkfield is, it's like 45 minutes east of Is it Santa Margarita up there just north of Paso?
18:20
Yeah.
And it's in the middle of nowhere.
There's like a population of 18.
It's this one family owns like 250,000 acres and it's super super.
18:27
Speaker 1
It's kind of like going to Gary.
Yeah, Yeah.
Like where's Gary?
Yeah, there he is.
18:32
Speaker 2
Very similar, yeah.
And then we just camped out there and just ripped back roads for three days and came back every night and hung out.
18:40
Speaker 1
That's fantastic.
18:41
Speaker 2
Yeah, it was super cool.
18:42
Speaker 1
OK, so.
18:44
Speaker 2
And car did great.
I had a couple things wiggle loose, you know, bolts it I needed to retorque but.
18:50
Speaker 1
If you can swap an engine in a in a week after work I'm I think you'll be fine.
18:55
Speaker 2
Yeah, it was all good.
Everything was good right at home.
18:58
Speaker 1
Skiing, cars.
19:00
Kevin Malone's 'All-In' Philosophy and Reclaiming Mattie's Soul
Anything else we should know about you?
What else are you passionate about?
I mean, your pet.
That's the.
I think that would be a great theme for you.
I mean, it's like the you don't do anything halfway.
Yeah, I.
19:10
Speaker 2
Go all in.
Usually you go all.
I like something.
19:12
Speaker 1
And and a perfectionist.
19:14
Speaker 2
I mean I have my kids, I love my kids.
I have twins, boy, girl twins that are about to be 4.
So between them, the car work and the wife, I don't even have much time for skiing anymore.
It's a pretty full life.
Yeah, pretty full.
19:28
Speaker 1
But I'd never see you without a smile on your face, so that's pretty good.
19:31
Speaker 2
Yeah, you just catch me on the good.
19:33
Speaker 1
Day.
That's true.
You put it on?
Yeah.
19:36
Speaker 2
I do try my best to get out and say hi to everybody in the.
19:38
Speaker 1
Restaurant so which I also think is a very, very smart move if you live in this valley.
Restaurants have been made and lost on the chef walking out and going.
How you doing?
Yeah, you know, it's like, oh, the chef knows who I am.
I'm coming back to this place, right.
19:54
Totally.
It is a that's a five star move as far as anybody.
19:57
Speaker 2
Goes.
I learned that from Drew Terp.
19:59
Speaker 1
Really.
20:00
Speaker 2
You know, I used to work with at Maddie's and then was the opening chef at Pico in Los Alamos.
That's that's something I learned from him.
He always made sure to go out and say hi to everybody.
20:10
Speaker 1
You are a local boy through and through, man.
So let me go back to food a little bit.
You brought up a a very nice humble brag, which I really appreciate.
You're like, I was too good for this restaurant, you know?
When did you catch the bug and how did you grab hold of you and what was your kind of process and and your progression?
20:29
Speaker 2
There was, it's a little wonky.
Like there was a point when I was in Mammoth and I wasn't really skiing anymore, but I was still there.
I wasn't really sure what I was doing.
Snow cats were cool, but I was never going to be like real life successful being in the snow cat.
20:45
Like I said, I wasn't very good at it, but it it was cool to kill the time and I didn't want to be one of those guys who was fifty with no knees, you know, renting an overpriced crappy apartment in Mammoth.
And I didn't want to be that guy.
And then my dad actually passed away on the East Coast.
21:01
Sorry to hear that.
And I.
21:02
Speaker 1
It's a it's a terrible club.
21:04
Speaker 2
Yeah, it's, you know, everybody, everybody's got to do it.
It's part of life.
You know, it is a terrible club.
So I was a little, I was a little shaken up when that happened.
I didn't really know what to do.
So I decided to just try to try out the cooking thing, see if I liked it.
21:19
And I moved to LA and ended up in this little, little restaurant in Malibu that isn't there anymore.
It was in Point Dune.
It was called Duck Dive.
21:27
Speaker 1
I actually know that restaurant, yeah.
21:29
Speaker 2
And there was a a good crew of guys in the kitchen, and we all just got really tight.
And I met one kid in there, Anthony Stagnaro, who's now actually the executive chef of another auberish property in Napa.
But we became really tight.
And just every day off we'd go cook and we'd practice what we wanted to do 'cause we were cooking other people's food.
21:50
Yeah.
And then, yeah, I just started to get good at it and hammered down and realized that this was like my my Ave. to be successful at something 'cause I was at that point 3031 and, you know, knew the clock was ticking.
22:07
So I I decided.
22:08
Speaker 1
You got dreams, got goals.
22:09
Speaker 2
Yeah, decided to just hammer down.
And then Maddie's is where it kind of all real, really changed.
I went from being a good cook to being a chef with the guys that were in that kitchen then.
22:21
Speaker 1
You know, you brought up kind of the, you know, Anthony Bourdain, God rest him, the kitchen confidential book that he read wrote great book, great book.
And one of the things I really enjoyed about that book when I read it a long, long time ago, which was, you know, the, the whole thought process of the kitchen is, is a pirate ship, right?
22:45
And it is people will either be lifers or it'll be just a job or you will feel the tools in your hand or this is what I took away from the book, right?
You feel the tools in your hand and say, I can, this is a weapon I can do something with.
And when you see passionate people find food, making that jump because I think one of the things about this valley just in general is if you're getting a bad meal in this valley, you're.
23:11
Speaker 2
You're.
23:12
Speaker 1
Blowing it, you know, between the brothers over at, at at Red Barn Clark up at full of life, you know, Pico, the the Barlacoa.
I mean, we have, we live in a town of or out, you know, we live in a town of 1000 people and there's two Michelin stars, which is a pretty unbelievable, right?
23:37
Every single restaurant in this valley, people are bringing a game, like a game, a game if even if at the top level.
And as you go through the people who are passionate about it really connect people.
And I think one of the themes of this show is community.
23:52
And community I think is so incredibly important where if you grow up in a place and you love your community, you give back.
And I see from your point of view and a lot of the other chefs that you know, Leonardo was awesome at it and still is where you'd like, Hey, how you doing?
24:08
You know, come to the table.
What are you doing?
Seeing what's happening everywhere around this industrial elites.
I mean, I'm just saying the things that are coming to mind.
But it was like you go in and when you sat down, somebody was like, I, I am going to wow you.
Like that's my job.
24:24
I I'm not you didn't come in for average.
You're not leaving with average.
We're going to we're going to bring the heat.
And I love the fact that Maddie's as a ownership of like a community, right?
And what you have done in the last How many years have you been head chef now?
24:42
Speaker 2
Just over a year, just since I took over.
Yeah, I've been back since September 2023, but I was chef to cuisine then and I took over as exec chef like last February 2025.
24:55
Speaker 1
And and I'm not disparaging anybody whatsoever, but when you got your hand on the wheel, something absolutely changed.
I mean, food wise, service wise, the level of expectation, the service, even to a certain level, the wouldn't how quickly food comes out, how good it is, how fresh it is, the ingredients that you're using, all of it.
25:18
I mean, just from me to you beginning to say this on the air honestly is like, oh wow, we, we've got one of us behind the behind the grill.
And I just wanted to say thank you for that.
25:28
Speaker 2
Because, well, thank you.
25:29
Speaker 1
I I hope, I hope, you know, that it is absolutely felt, or at least felt by me, right.
And I see the I see the effort that's going into it.
And it feels great to have a local kid, you know, kid, sorry, but like have one of us behind the back there, you know, making it for the community.
25:49
And I, I just wanted to say I really appreciated it.
Yeah.
Thank you.
What was that journey like for you?
25:54
Speaker 2
Well, as far as at Maddie's the second round here I.
25:58
Speaker 1
I mean, I, I know you gotta listen, I, I, I appreciate you gotta wear the corporate hat on this one, but.
26:05
Speaker 2
Well, I had actually been speaking to, like, as soon as Logan reached out to me and told me, you know, Auberge is coming in there and you should try and get a job, you should try and come back 'cause he, him and I talked a lot and he knew, he knew I always wanted to be at Maddie's and I wasn't gonna come back up here and work anywhere else.
26:23
Like no disrespect to any other restaurant, I just knew that I wanted to be in charge of Maddie.
26:28
Speaker 1
'S Hey, some people just want to wear a Yankees cap now I get it, I get.
26:31
Speaker 2
It I don't, I don't get the Yankees, but I know.
26:35
Speaker 1
I just recently became a Boston Red Sox fan because I know a guy who's pitching on the Red Sox, and I'm like, am I going to buy a Boston Red Sox hat?
Yeah, I'm in.
OK.
26:43
Speaker 2
All right, let's go.
So yeah, I came back.
I had been speaking to Rhoda before they had even opened, like when they just broke ground, you know, and I was doing my little burger thing that I was doing in LA and I was, that wasn't really for me.
27:00
And I was about to have the kids.
So I, I knew it was going to be time to come back up to the valley soon.
And then for whatever reason, it didn't really work out right then.
And then when I really did like exit my burger business, I was thinking about going to work with my friend Anthony at Stanley Ranch in Napa.
27:19
And he let me know that Rhoda was probably looking for chefs cuisine.
So I reached out to her and she said absolutely.
I came up to the tasting, got the job and came in and it was, you know, a business of that size.
27:35
There's always kinks to work out.
So I kind of felt like we were right when I got there. her and I were just trying to change the tires while the car was moving, you know, trying to figure it out, figure it out.
And meanwhile, I'm, I know that she's probably going to leave relatively soon.
27:50
It really wears you out opening a place like that.
It's hard Miles.
And she didn't have like a, a connection to the valley like I do.
So I was planning on filling in that spot when she left, but she left a little quicker than any of us had planned on.
28:05
So another guy came in from Napa and he was like dead set on doing everything the way he wanted to do it.
So I kind of got back burnered a little bit and just watched Tim not kill it.
28:21
I I guess would be the nice way to say it.
And yeah, we, we definitely had a little back and forth, me and that guy, but I knew he had an expiration date.
So even though I got pretty close to leaving a couple times in that period, I just wrote it out.
28:37
And then then he left and I had a meeting like, Hey, how do you feel about this?
And I was like, I'm already done.
I have a menu ready.
Like I was ready to go.
So did that.
I had to do a big tasting for her owners, some of the some of the big guys at the company and I think I made 160 something plates that night that were up from my new menu while we were running dinner service of our current menu.
29:07
So it was, yeah, it was a little chaotic.
I did have a buddy who came down from the Napa property that helped me out and he was like, I'm going to cook everything.
You're you're not going to have to cook.
You just go in the room and talk.
And then we got to hot courses and he was like, I need some help.
29:24
And we were, we were in it, but it was pretty cool.
Yeah, I kind of knocked it out of the park for the tasting.
And then and then we were rolling.
29:34
Supporting Local: Craftsmanship, Community, and Being Valley Strong
You know, everybody, this, this whole conversation that what we had today was, is I think it could be summed up by, you know, Kevin Malone is hungry and you're hungry for everything.
I mean, I've, I've known you a little while.
I've got to watch you work.
29:50
It doesn't seem, it seems like everything you do, you go all in.
I mean, moving across the country to, to pursue skiing, right.
And then doing what you got to do to, to succeed, You know, moving on from there to learning.
I mean, just anybody can swap out a car motor, just start there.
30:07
It means you know how know what to do with your hands and then get the job done.
And I am so happy that we have a place that we as a community love.
And back there in the kitchen is somebody who's working hard to feed his community.
30:25
And I just wanted to have you on just to kind of throw some flowers at you and, and put you in front of everybody and, and let, let everybody know, hey, back there, there's a local kid and he's going to do, do right by you.
So.
30:36
Speaker 2
Well, thank you.
30:37
Speaker 1
Thank you.
Appreciate it.
No, man, I I'm a I'm a big fan.
I'm cheering for you.
I hope you're here for.
I hope.
I hope your kids graduate from San Diego High School.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, I, I love the fact that no matter where you go in this valley, you can be fed, but it takes a very special place to feel connected to.
30:55
And if you're listening to this and you haven't been to Maddie's in a while, I would suggest, highly suggest that you go in, you get a burger and a beer, sit by the fire, put your feet up a little bit, stretch out and feel like you've been welcomed home.
31:10
And I think that's exactly what you're doing with every plate that you're pushing out there right now is you are absolutely welcoming a community back home and you're the right guy behind the grill, man.
Well, thank you.
I just wanted to say thank you very much.
I wanted to throw some flowers at you and.
31:25
Speaker 2
I appreciate it.
31:26
Speaker 1
Thank you everybody come come see you.
Hey everybody, this has been Keith Sarlos and you have been listening to chopping it up on one O 5.9 crazy country, one of the last independent radio stations in California.
Then I I can't say that more and more and more.
31:44
I've got to say it all the time, because in a world where corporatization and homogeny and aiming for the lowest common denominator seems to be happening more and more and more, you get to live in a valley where people really care about what they're doing.
32:02
They care about their craft, they care about their community, and they want to do right by it.
So if you see some litter out there, make sure you pick it up and put it into a trash can and spend a little bit time in the restaurant, spend a little bit time in the local grocery stores and coffee shops and wineries.
32:17
Support the locals.
I can't say that enough.
We live in a community.
Spend your money in the hood that support the radio advertisers here on Crazy Country.
Because without independent businesses, without independent people, without independent radio stations, everybody else gets to gets to decide what you listen to, what you eat and what you do.
32:41
And I think staying independent and staying Valley strong is something that we should all shoot for to leave a better environment for our kids and let them know that places like this still exists.
So Kevin, thanks for coming in today.
You've been listening to Crazy Country One O 5.9 back to your regularly scheduled programming.
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Saarloos + Sons archive host Keith Saarloos. Context photograph; not a portrait of the guest or a photograph of this recording.
