FireRock Country Club Hires New Executive Chef

Exclusive Golf Course Community in Fountain Hills to Undergo Culinary Enhancement

(Scottsdale, Ariz.) – FireRock Country Club, the upscale, private golf course community in Fountain Hills recently announced the hiring of a new Executive Chef to its exclusive property.

Leading the way for new and exciting culinary experiences at FireRock CC will be Graham Zanow, former Executive Chef at Tuckaway Country Club in Franklin, Wisconsin where for the past two years he was responsible for implementing a la carte menus for the members and oversaw and coordinated all banquets and holiday events.

“I want to strive to make FireRock Country Club the best it has ever been. It’s very appealing to work for a Club that wants the best food and is willing to make the investment for their members,” said Zanow. “I’m a huge over-achiever and the members at FireRock will soon experience my whimsical cuisine.”

Away from Tuckaway Country Club, Zanow was the Personal Chef for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, providing daily catering services for the professional basketball team at their personal homes and responsible for handling meals for the entire Bucks organization several times a month.

“You really appreciate the appetites and nutritional concerns of professional athletes and my time spent with the Bucks players and their athletic trainers made me truly appreciate the care, concern and appreciation all people should have when it comes to food,” said Zanow, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He also was a private Chef for Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson of the Golden State Warriors.

Prior to his time in Wisconsin, Zanow was Executive Chef for Napa Valley Country Club in California. It was while he was in Napa that Zanow introduced many local and sustainable ingredients to his members and handled the care, handling and preparation of all whole fish and meats in-house to insure the highest quality possible. While in Napa, Zanow was Chef and Owner of Graham’s Catering for six years handling elite dinner parties and banquets for some of the area’s most prestigious clients. He also catered the season finale on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” series.

“Graham is an exceptional Chef and we are very fortunate to have someone of his caliber and experience join our wonderful staff at FireRock Country Club,“ said Denis Matte, general manager at FireRock Country Club. “I’m supremely confident that our members and their guests will be simply delighted with his meal selections and preparations. He is a marvelous addition to our FireRock family.”

For a few years, Zanow worked as a Fish Butcher for The French Laundry in Yountville, California under the direction of world renowned Chef Thomas Keller.

“The kitchen at the French Laundry was without question one of the greatest experiences of my career and enabled me to work with some of the most elite ingredients from around the world and develop unique sauces that are in many of my dishes today,” added Zanow.

Zanow learned many of his culinary techniques while as an intern for Roy Yamaguchi and his world famous Roy’s restaurant in Maui, Hawaii.

“It was while I was at Roy’s that I experienced the most “epic” fresh fish I have ever seen,” added Zanow. “I thrived in the high pace of Roy’s that served on average 400 meals a day and taught me numerous cooking techniques and flavor combinations that I still use to this day. Some of my signature creations are jumbo shrimp sautéed in organic coconut oil with quinoa fried rice and tamarind cashew sauce. Another is my crabmeat crusted sea bass with saffron risotto. We are debuting a sushi fridge in the dining room where I will be displaying my steaks, fresh fish and wild game. This is what cooking is all about – celebrating the best ingredients,” said Zanow, who steadfastly maintains an immaculate kitchen and strongly encourages all of his staff members to follow his lead. “Clean is the most important word in all of cooking.”

For more information on FireRock Country Club, visit www.firerockcc.com or call (480) 836-8100.