Gusto [ Restaurant Profile ] Homerun at Ed’s Mudville Grill January 2007

by Jacqueline Irwin
Images by Russell Byrne

Take a scenic drive on Marsh Creek Road over Mount Diablo and enjoy delicious burgers, salads, wraps, and more at Ed’s Mudville Grill in the charming town of Clayton.

This is the ideal time of the year to take a leisurely weekend drive on scenic Marsh Creek Road up and over the shoulder of Mount Diablo. The hillsides have become green with life and the creek runs full again after the long hot days of summer. The mountain takes on a beauty unique to this season.

Marsh Creek Road ends in Clayton where Mount Diablo is in-your-face spectacular. Take a left on Center Street and at 6200 you’ll find the delightful Ed’s Mudville Grill.

In the poem “Casey at the Bat,” the “mighty Casey” struck out leading the Mudville Nine team to inglorious defeat. But the poem also inspired Ed Moresi to create a premier family restaurant.

Ed grew up in Clayton. He began working in the restaurant business at age 16 after his father told him it was time to get a job. He walked across the street to speak to his neighbor, Skip, who was in the beginning stages of opening a restaurant and was promptly hired as one of the first employees of Skipolini’s Pizza Garden. He helped Skip build the first restaurant from the ground up.

Ed says that working for Skip was a tremendous experience and one that he misses every day. Skip taught him how to work smart and how to run a restaurant effectively. Ed considers Skip a second father, one whose mentorship he highly values. He found the whole experience of working for him to be a rewarding one.

Ed earned a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. After graduation he returned to Clayton and continued to work at Skipolini’s Pizza Garden for the next 12 years until opening his own restaurant in 1994. He is married and has raised two sons in Clayton.

At first glance Ed’s Mudville Grill looks like a sports bar, but it’s so much more than that. Ed’s is a place where you can enjoy sports memorabilia, soak in some good music, and eat a great meal. During warm days, outdoor patio seating under large shady trees is always a treat.

Ed’s specializes in juicy hamburgers, satisfying sandwiches, refreshing salads, and ice cold drinks including over 20 beers on tap.

Start out a meal with Pre Game Meal appetizers featuring yummy snacks such as fried zucchini, bocce balls, buffalo wings, and more.

Lunch at Ed’s includes a variety of burgers such as The Mighty Casey made with a full pound of ground chuck served with mayonnaise and grilled onions. For an equally large alternative try the Double Play Burger featuring double patties, double cheese, and double bacon.

Ed’s also serves delicious sandwiches such as the San Diego Chicken Sandwich made with a Cajun-spiced chicken breast, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and spicy mayonnaise served on grilled garlic, parmesan, and jack and cheddar cheese bread.

For other unique entrées try Ed’s wraps. My favorite is the Casey’s Field of Greens Wrap. Cajun-spiced chicken is tossed with romaine lettuce, roasted red peppers, roasted corn, fresh parmesean and ranch dressing, and wrapped in a flour tortilla.

Ed’s serves ribs that are made using Lorenzo’s famous slow-cooked Baby Back Pork Ribs and are served with Mudville chili, cheese and onions, and cole slaw.

The restaurant creates specials for each day of the week. Examples of daily specials include prime rib on Saturday, chicken fried steak on Sunday, and beef lasagna served on Tuesday. One of Ed’s favorite dishes is the Friday cioppino special, which he crafts following his Nonna’s recipe and serves with garlic bread.

The Little Sluggers menu caters to children’s appetites and parents’ pocketbooks.

The menu is constantly evolving. Ed’s runs specials and the hits that do well eventually are put on the regular menu.

Ed’s serves desserts that are, all by themselves, worth the 25 minute drive. For example, try Casey’s Mud Pie featuring layers of Oreo cookie crumbs, mocha and chocolate ice cream, and topped with chocolate syrup and whip cream.

The menu also offers fudge brownie a la mode as well as Crisp a la mode, which features spiced apples with a crunchy granola topping and served with vanilla ice cream and whip cream.

These dessert choices are the perfect way to round off a meal or to share with friends and family as an afternoon or evening treat.

Ed Moresi continually sets new goals for himself. He is proud of his business and enjoys seeing the gratified looks on people’s faces while they dine in his restaurant. Ed is proud to give his customers good food at a good value.

The Mighty Casey may have struck out leading the Mudville Nine to defeat, but Moresi has hit a home run with his Mudville Grill. °

Ed’s Mudville Grill is located at
6200 Center Street, Clayton, CA