Chef • Restaurateur • Arizona Culinary Pioneer
Chef Eddie Matney was one of the restaurant professionals featured prominently on AZeats.com during its early years. His connection with AZeats began in 1999, when he became one of the company’s earliest chef‑clients. That year also marked a milestone for AZeats.com: Eddie’s restaurant website became the first AZeats project to use a Flash landing‑page movie featuring the chef’s actual voice, a cutting‑edge feature at the time. This page preserves some of the early AZeats material connected with Eddie and will continue to grow as additional photographs, articles, and historical documents are recovered.
This preserved animated intro — originally created in Flash and now archived as an MP4 featuring Eddie’s actual voice and caricature — provides a perfect lead‑in to the story of his influence on Arizona’s dining scene.
Turn up your volume and click the image below to watch.
Long before he became one of Arizona’s most recognized chefs and television personalities, Eddie Matney was already building a reputation for creative cuisine and memorable dining experiences. After arriving in Arizona in 1986, he opened a series of successful restaurants that showcased his innovative approach to contemporary American cuisine, eventually earning numerous culinary awards and widespread recognition throughout the Valley.
Eddie’s connection with AZeats began in 1999, when he became one of the company’s earliest chef‑clients. His restaurant website marked a milestone for AZeats.com: it was one the first AZeats projects to feature a Flash landing‑page movie using Eddie’s actual voice, a cutting‑edge feature at the time. The collaboration reflected Eddie’s forward‑thinking approach to hospitality and AZeats’ commitment to helping chefs build a digital presence long before social media became standard.
As AZeats expanded its portfolio of restaurant websites, Eddie Matney became one of the company’s most influential clients. His online presence was designed to mirror the creativity and personality guests experienced in his restaurants. Rather than serving simply as an online menu, the site introduced visitors to Eddie himself — his philosophy, his recipes, his humor, and the dining experience that made him a favorite among Arizona food enthusiasts.
Today, this preserved material represents an important period in both the evolution of AZeats and the growth of Arizona’s restaurant industry on the Internet. At a time when many restaurants were only beginning to recognize the value of having a professional online presence, AZeats worked closely with chefs and restaurateurs like Eddie Matney to create websites that captured the character of their establishments while inviting new guests through their doors.
AZeats.com created and maintained a website for Eddie's House, giving the restaurant an online presence at a time when having a website was still relatively new for local restaurants. One of AZeats.com’s most detailed chef‑driven projects was the website created for Eddie’s House, designed to reflect the restaurant’s personality and Eddie’s creative style.
AZeats.com also featured restaurant reviews through its Table Talk series.
Eddie's restaurant was among the restaurants documented in this early online dining content.
In the early 2000s, long before fast‑casual dining became the norm, Arizona’s own Chef Eddie Matney took a bold leap into something new. Wild Noodles — remembered by many as “World Noodles” — was Eddie’s playful attempt to bring global flavors to a quick, affordable noodle concept. It was bright, fun, and full of the chef’s signature creativity.
Wild Noodles served up bowls inspired by Asia, the Mediterranean, and classic American comfort food. Every dish felt like a little passport stamp, crafted with Eddie’s big personality and love for bold flavors. At its peak, the franchise grew to around 20 locations nationwide, making it one of Arizona’s most ambitious chef‑driven fast‑casual ventures of its time.
The franchise eventually closed, but its legacy remains. Wild Noodles was ahead of the curve — a reminder of when Arizona chefs were experimenting, innovating, and dreaming big. And for many longtime Valley diners, it’s a nostalgic memory of colorful bowls, quick service, and Eddie Matney’s unmistakable culinary imagination.
