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FOOD & DRINK
SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 26, 2021
Food & Drink
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New chef adds to Merkin Vineyards’ buzz BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer
S
teve Zimmerman has pretty much seen it all in the 40-plus years he has worked in the food industry. He has worked in several restaurants and hotels span and helped create several concepts within them. But when he arrived at Merkin Vineyards in Old Town, he found the perfect space to display his culinary creativity. “He’s the perfect culinary artist for our vision,” said Merkin Vineyards owner Maynard James Keenan. Zimmerman did take some persuasion, however. “We had worked together in the past and when I took over this place, my kitchen wasn’t up to speed for a chef like him,” said Merkin General Manager Jim Cunningham “With the remodel, we had enough tools to lure him over here.” What really won the chef over was the addition of a Morello Forni cupola dome wood-�ired oven imported from Italy. “The oven was really a game changer because it opened up a lot of doors,” Zimmerman said. “It allowed us to use more cast iron and make a more rustic cuisine.” “When I �irst got here, we were basically cooking on two induction burners and a turbo chef – a countertop convection oven,” Zimmerman said with a laugh. “We were putting out some amazing food for that type of equipment, but this has given us more freedom…We now have a whole pasta program, which we couldn’t do before because we didn’t have the space or the equipment to do it correctly.” He has also welcomed the opportunity to cook with fresh ingredients imported almost daily from local farms and Keenan’s own greenhouses, gardens and orchards.
Chef Steve Zimmerman, left, and Merkin Vineyards General Manager Jim Cunningham show off the mercantile area inside the restaurant. (Pablo Robles/Progress Photographer)
“Our dishes feature ingredients grown in our Northern Arizona greenhouses, gardens, and orchards, and we supplement with produce sourced from local Arizona growers,” said Keenan. “Merkin Vineyards farm-to-table, vine-to-glass concept is the cornerstone of our success, and it’s a concept we intend to continue developing.” This provides Zimmerman with a strong sense of con�idence. “We know where it comes from and who made it,” he said. “We get our meats butchered and sent the next day and our vegetables are picked that morning and brought to us the same afternoon.” “We don’t have much freezer or refrigerator space, so we don’t freeze a lot of items,” he said. “When items come in, they must be utilized and turned, which forces chefs like me to have to be creative and come up with ways to use these products.
That is what I do every day.” He also turns heads with his dessert options like his rotating skillet cobbler, topped with a giant scoop of Merkin’s gelati. “For me, it’s something comforting and hot out of the oven with our gelati and vegetables tying it all together,” said Zimmerman. The dish rotates the fruit seasonally along with whatever gelati Zimmerman feels would pair well. “We utilize our stone fruit trees with apples, pears, apricots and peaches and as fruit comes in season, we change up the dish,” Said Cunningham. The cobbler isn’t the only menu item that comes in a skillet. “The skillet is an element that works well in the wood �ire because it can handle high heat,” said Zimmerman. “In the oven, we’re running anywhere from
600 to 800-degree ovens and we have to have equipment that can �it in there.” Serving dishes in a hot skillet also �its with the restaurant’s main goal. “Our big philosophy is ‘plates to be shared’ and we want people to share their wines and their food,” Zimmerman said. “The cast irons are just a way that allows customers to do that.” There is another goal of Merkin’s that Zimmerman executes well. “We really try to speak about Arizona and that’s what this restaurant speaks to more than anything,” he said. “Between the wine being made here and our food being made from ingredients grown here, we’re really about being a true Arizona food restaurant.” As the season turns to fall, customers can expect to see some changes coming to the menu at Merkin Vineyards. “Seasonality for us is a daily thing,” said Cunningham. “We reap our menu three to four times a week and over a few weeks there’s a lot of change, which is due to whatever we have coming in fresh.” Fall will likely bring in a new �lavor of comforting food. “The fall to me becomes heartier and homey foods,” Zimmerman said. “We cut back on the berries and go more towards mushrooms.” While having to constantly make new dishes may sound like a daunting task, Zimmerman loves the opportunities he is presented with when he is in his kitchen. “For me, this is a passion and Merkin is an avenue for me to express,” he said. “To be able to come in and cook is not work for me.” “It’s a great environment and we get a lot of freedom to play around with the menu,” Cunningham added. Information: merkinoldtownscottsdale.com
