Chef Chat

Redefining Fine Dining

At the Tulsa Zoo and the Gathering Place, chef Cameron Werry is all about bringing people together.

There are two restaurants, two cafés, twelve concession stands and three event centers at the Tulsa Zoo. Each day, Cameron Werry is responsible for every meal served at each of these venues, and there’s thousands of them. Not to mention the event centers ... which sometimes host parties for as many as twelve thousand guests.

“But,” he says, “I’m very hands-on, so on any given day you’ll probably nd me somewhere ipping burgers or frying potatoes.” Today, a bright afternoon in spring, you can nd him in the tiny kitchen behind the Komodo Canteen, a food stand right near a facade that evokes a thousand year old Southeast Asian ruin, behind which you can see tigers cavort. (Don’t worry, they’re fenced in.) ere Cameron is, dredging chicken tenders in our mixed with his own spice blend, then throwing it in the bubbling fryer. e chicken is then slathered in your choice of sauces. e Asian blend features savory Korean gochujiang sauce, as well as pickled carrots, onions and cucumbers. ose go on the plate with

Chef Cameron Werry off ers a bevy of diff erent a mound dishes at the Tulsa Zoo – of potato from pizzas to melts and chips, also even banana cream pie. Photo by Stephanie made in

Phillips that tiny kitchen. ONLINE “Ooh, what

SEE RECIPES is that?” asks an

FOR BREAD excited customer.

PUDDING AND A “ at’s the good

BLACKBERRY BRIE stu ,” Cameron

MELT AT OKMAG. replies. And it is.

COM/WERRY Not ne dining, you might say. “But what is ne dining?” Cameron asks. After all, Cameron and his crew use the nest fresh local ingredients, make things from scratch, and put in time and care. What is ne dining if not that?

And he should know.

“My dad owned restaurants, and I’ve been washing dishes and making pizza since the age of seven. I grew up in the hospitality business. I’ve worked in upscale restaurants [Chalkboard], country clubs [Hillcrest] and boutique hotels. I grew up in Ban , but I’m proud to be a Tulsan. I’ve been here 13 years, I’m a family man, father of two. My roots are in California and Canada, but I never found a home ‘til I got to Tulsa.”

Every dining spot at the zoo has a di erent concept, and you can have a fantastic day trying every one of them. But unless your doctor has told you gorge, you probably don’t exactly need Werry as your tour guide ... the food is just too tempting.

At Rajan’s, you can feast on such delights as the grilled cheese pizza melt sandwich, featuring sourdough bread from Farrell’s Bakery, homemade pizza sauce and a 12 cheese blend including mozzarella, Provolone, Gouda and Parmesan.

“What’s a trip to the Zoo without funnel fries?” asks Cameron, bringing over a huge plate of sugary goodness. Lion’s Lookout has wa es made to order (with homemade wa e batter). at banana cream pie wa e is irresistible, and just as you’re halfway through, here comes Cameron with a huge pizza. Yes, the main café bakes pizzas. And everything they serve is made where possible from Oklahoma products. Cameron sources from Farrell, Ne Brewery and Scissortail, to name a few.

“And,” he says, “we have a 16-year-old kid I met at a wedding show baking our cookies and brownies.”

Cameron also oversees the food at the Gathering Place. ere, the restaurants were closed for two years and his rst goal was simply to get them open. e Patio now features sandwiches such as pulled pork with mac and cheese.

“ ere’s a huge smoker there,” he says. Now that that’s done, he can improve them.

“When I rst heard about the Gathering Place being built,” says Cameron, “I knew I had to be a part of it. at park is what Tulsa is all about, what food is all about: to bring people together. It is about ceremony and moments. You sit at a table with friends or family, you enjoy the meal. You have conversation, you enjoy the day. at’s what it’s all about.” BRIAN SCHWARTZ