Leave The Cooking To Beaver Creek

The owners of Beaver Creek Smokehouse don't mind the heat. That's good as they open up the kitchen of the newest restaurant on Main Street.

Beaver Creek Smokehouse opened its doors last week and will celebrate its official grand opening Tuesday at 5 p.m. in an invitation-only affair. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4 p.m.

Darrin Matthews and Rob Zavatero have both worked with Bay Area restaurants, but it's the thrill of the grill that brought them together. Beaver Creek's owners are veterans of local barbecue competitions and now they're bringing their recipes to Martinez. The menu at Beaver Creek looks like the entry list for a barbecue contest, with St. Louis ribs, pork shoulder, brisket and all the traditional fixings.

Between the two of them, Matthews and Zavatero have compiled an impressive resume, working at One Market Plaza, Lark Creek Cafe, The Vintage House, Moraga Country Club and Wente Winery.

Matthews is already a familiar face on Main Street, where he operates a loan company.

Beaver Creek Smokehouse takes over the spot formerly occupied by Smokey D's barbecue restaurant on 601 Main St.