cuisine
CHEF CONVERSATIONS In the kitchen with Brian Sherman of Eddie Merlot’s BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ PHOTO BY DEBBY WOLVOS
SO SCOTTSDALE! |
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Under the direction of Chef Brian Sherman, Eddie Merlot’s is a premium North Scottsdale steakhouse with exclusive cuts of meat from top ranches worldwide, as well as flown-in-daily seafood, an impressive happy hour, and an extensive wine and cocktail menu. TELL US ABOUT YOUR UNIQUE CULINARY BREAK. While I got my start in smaller kitchens during my time in culinary school, I got my big break when I was chosen as the executive chef on the Delta King, a 1927 paddle wheeler with a hotel, multiple restaurants and bars, and nine banquet rooms on board. WAS WORKING ON THE WATER A CHALLENGE? The hardest part, actually, was not the constant motion of the river but, instead, the seven-foot ceilings, a standard of the 1920s. My issue – I am six-foot-four in bare feet. BEFORE EDDIE MERLOT’S YOU WORKED WITH A PRETTY BIG BRAND IN THE CULINARY WORLD? I did. I joined Eddie Merlot’s after two decades on and off with Morton’s The Steakhouse, serving as executive chef and an eventual member of the culinary leadership team that helped to expand the brand into Miami; Washington, D.C.; Portland; Seattle; Scottsdale and more. WHY THE MOVE TO EDDIE MERLOT’S? I am having the culinary time of my life here! We have a wagyu bone-in New York strip that’s exclusive to our brand and has never been offered in the U.S. that boasts a marble score of six. To put this into perspective, most prime-grade cuts have a score closer to three. We have another exclusive offering from Australia that has ranked as high as a nine, and it even beat Kobe beef at the most recent World Steak Competition in Japan. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO COOK AT HOME? Chili – and I don’t just throw some beans and hamburger meat into a pot then call it a day. I love to smoke both steak and sausage first, then chop them up and fold them into a simmering pot of beans, spices and a few other secret ingredients. It’s still my mom’s favorite. Eddie Merlot’s, 23207 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale; 480.699.0480; www.eddiemerlots.com.
| FEBRUARY 2017
1/24/17 4:03 PM