Douglas Mathieux’s vision for Rigolo Café is that each dish and every guest experience captures the essence of his experience growing up in France, and the culture of French food and dining.
Born to a French father and American mother, Mathieux’s upbringing in France was split in two – one part in the deep countryside outside of Lyon, and the other part in the chic Etoile neighborhood of Paris.
Growing up in the village of Bourg-Argental, France, Mathieux was raised on foods grown on his family’s vast property – fresh preserves and jams made from hand-picked fruits and berries; homemade yogurts; crème fraiche skimmed from the top of the milk by hand; as well as great fresh meals and soups made from the garden’s daily pickings. In French tradition, daily trips to the market always included fresh baguettes and assorted pastries, including Doug’s childhood favorites, les palmiers and pains au chocolat.
Not unlike many Europeans, Mathieux’s summers were spent on the Mediterranean in quaint Ste Maxime with his large French family where they would dine al fresco on fresh fish, marinated olives, herbes de provence, and even the specialty dessert of nearby St. Tropez – tarte tropézienne.
During these family vacations, much of the family time revolved around big family meals where several generations of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, would gather and spend hours eating, drinking, and engaging in friendly debate. As a result, Mathieux developed a deep appreciation for family and fresh, home-cooked meals.
His later years in Paris introduced him to a vibrant café culture. People of all backgrounds pack into the sidewalk cafes the city is well known for, and enjoy a café-style meal, a simple coffee or a glass of wine, while meeting up with friends or enjoying live music.
Not a trained chef or baker, Mathieux is a businessman with a hearty appetite for success. After earning an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Thunderbird, Mathieux headed to Brazil where he learned the ropes of business management at one of South America’s largest Coca-Cola factories. Doug also honed his management skills at Apple Inc. before jumping into the restaurant world. He is fluent in French, English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Mathieux is married with two young daughters Alexa and Melania, both of whom also speak French and Spanish, in addition to English. His favorite dish at Rigolo is the Stone Oven-Roasted Maine Lobster.
Rigolo Café’s recipe for success is due in large part to the food savvy of one of SF’s rising culinary talents, Executive Chef and Partner Jeff Gambardella.
Since Rigolo swung open its doors in 2004, Gambardella has been instrumental with the evolution of Rigolo’s popular menu and well-run kitchen. He has personally created many of the menu’s signature items, including its Famous Mac-n-Cheese (a local favorite that was featured in 7×7 Magazine) and the original French Baker’s Pastry Crust Pizzas.
As an East Coast transplant, Gambardella first developed his skills for French cooking at Vermont’s prestigious New England Culinary Institute, where he trained and apprenticed under NECI founder and Master Chef Michel Le Borgne.
Gambardella went on to further develop his techniques at Boston’s renowned Olive’s Restaurant, working and training alongside Todd English and Executive Pastry Chef Paige Retus.
Around the turn of the century, Gambardella packed his tools and headed west to San Francisco, inspired by the fresh organic produce and local ingredients of Northern California. In SF, he got his feet wet working in the kitchen of Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio before joining the Rigolo team.
Gambardella’s French Baker’s Pastry Crust Pizzas have been featured on the cover of San Francisco Magazine, and have obtained near celebrity status around the Bay Area. Gambardella’s personal favorite is the often-requested Smoked Salmon Pizza. On his days off, he hits the golf links with friends, and enjoys checking out the local dining scene with his wife Donya.
Laura Mathieux oversees Rigolo’s PR and marketing programs. Prior to Rigolo, she conducted marketing campaigns and restaurant openings for notable SF restaurants including: Cortez; Peruvian favorite Fresca; and French baker Pascal Rigo’s chain of La Boulange stores. She has also led marketing programs for green food brands including Earth’s Best Baby Food and Brown Cow Yogurt.
With two young children, Mathieux understands well the challenge of dining out with a family, and was therefore instrumental in creating Rigolo’s child-friendly concept and healthy kids menu.
She is a native Texan but was raised internationally in southeast Asia, and has been in the San Francisco Bay Area for 15 years. Married to Douglas Mathieux, she is mother of their two daughters, both of whom they are raising as dual citizens of the US and France.
Thanks to numerous trips exploring the French countryside and a collegiate degree in French, Mathieux speaks the language fluently. She enjoys travelling to the south of France with her family every summer.
Mathieux’s favorite meal at Rigolo is the popular Niçoise salad and an order of Pommes Frites, with a glass of chilled, authentic French rosé.
