Chef Bernard Matz: The Café at Books and Books

Premier Guide Miami's Marie-Junie Pierre sits down with Chef Bernard Matz outside his breezy Lincoln Road café — the beloved fusion of bookstore and restaurant he co-created with Mitchell Kaplan — to talk culinary roots, self-taught mastery, and what it really takes to succeed in the kitchen.. Premier Guide Miami sat down to find out what that means — and what comes next.

Chef Bernard Matz has worked in the culinary industry for over 20 years. Having opened some of South Beach's finest restaurants — including Wet Paint Café, co-owned with renowned TV chef Douglas Rodriguez — he has continued to delight South Florida residents with his remarkable culinary skills. In 2004, Chef Bernard and bookstore owner Mitchell Kaplan decided to fuse their individual passions by opening a bookstore-café where readers can enjoy a delicious meal alongside a good book. Premier Guide Miami's Marie-Junie Pierre met with Chef Bernard outside the breezy outdoor café on Lincoln Road.

PGM: What inspired you and Mr. Kaplan to name this eatery "The Café at Books and Books"?

BM: I remember kicking around different names with Mitchell and we really didn't have anything better, so we decided to just call it the Café at Books and Books. The bookstore had been here for many years and the café was right next to it. Mitchell had seen seven different reincarnations in five years, where some operators would try to impede on his business. The landlord offered him the café and we decided to go along with the name of the bookstore.

PGM: How has the fusion between the café and the bookstore worked out?

BM: 99% of our customers actually do not come for the books and are not really involved in the book process. We are really a fully fledged restaurant. We would love to have a place where people can sit and drink coffee all afternoon, but unfortunately we have to turn the tables in order to meet our overhead.

PGM: Tell me a little bit about your background. How did you enter the culinary industry?

BM: I opened Wet Paint Café in 1986 — that was my first restaurant venture. A lot of people knew about it. The chef, Douglas Rodriguez, went on to become a famous chef. It was one of the first cafés on South Beach, and it opened at a time when the rent was really cheap and nobody was really out here.

PGM: Did you attend a culinary institute or are you self-taught?

BM: I briefly attended a culinary institute in 1996 but I think my culinary skills are a result of experience amassed in the field. I definitely consider myself to be a self-taught chef.

PGM: Did you always want to be a chef growing up?

BM: I knew innately that I was going to be a chef but I never wanted to be one. I worked with chefs for many years but never worked as a chef. It took me 25 years to actually do it. I would only cook at home because cooking at home was an art — but I considered cooking at a restaurant to be a job.

PGM: How did you and Mitchell Kaplan meet?

BM: I met Mitchell during the signing of my book, Bernie's Kitchen. He had known me from when I worked at Wet Paint Café. When I met him, I wasn't really looking to get back into the restaurant business, but Mitchell gave me the opportunity to make this place my own and to treat my customers like my guests. Although we originally started with 30 seats, we now have about 140.

PGM: What are your future goals in this industry?

BM: I would love to oversee a chain of cafés at Books & Books all over the country. I would also like to develop a chain of fast food Cuban restaurants.

PGM: What words of wisdom do you have for people who would like to pursue a career in the culinary field?

BM: There is nothing like real hands-on experience in this business. There are too many factors that just cannot be taught in school. School is a great background if one can afford to put in the time, but if someone really wants to succeed, hands-on experience — like a part-time job in a restaurant — is not only helpful. It is vital in understanding the real work involved in this field.

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