Sometimes, the entertainment of the evening is in the meal itself, as is the case when you dine at Maple & Ash in Scottsdale. Relinquish control and let executive chef Cody Finch direct the dinner theater, one act, or dish, at a time.
Prologue: Hand Over the Script
For a dinner that begins with the menu phrase, “I Don’t Give a F*@K,” an impressive number of people seem to care what happens next. At Maple & Ash, that name belongs to a four-course, chef-selected tasting menu, the Scottsdale steakhouse’s recommended first-visit experience. Here, Finch and his team make the choices, leaving diners free to find out where the evening is headed.
Four courses is the official billing, although several dishes share the table at each stage. Anyone expecting just four plates has misunderstood the true size of the cast.
“There’s an element of surprise to it, and there’s also generosity,” Finch said. We noticed.
An exceptionally smooth bean purée topped with olive tapenade makes a promising introduction alongside vegetables and chips. Then an oyster gets a shot of beautifully herbaceous vodka to complement its brininess, though the drink that earned a repeat order at our table was the nonalcoholic berry and Earl Grey cocktail. Some side characters simply steal the show for a moment.
Act I: A Very Saucy Romance
The Fire Roasted Seafood Tower makes its entrance hot from the hearth, with crab and prawns sharing a skillet with oysters and clams. Everything is well seasoned, and the garlic butter and chili oil make parting with the pan almost painful.
Fortunately, the seafood has an encore. After most of it has been eaten, a server adds pasta and mixes it into the remaining sauce right at the table, giving everyone another reason to keep a fork handy. Parting, in this case, can wait.
Act II: Enter the Ribeye
At a steakhouse, beef can reasonably expect main character timing. The smoky, tender ribeye, finished with a sauce at the table, is well qualified for the part, and Finch is clear about where much of its method comes from.
“For me, it starts with the fire,” said Finch. “Cooking over live wood fire gives us a level of flavor and character that you just can’t replicate on a traditional grill.”
His steak program includes a dry-aged bone-in ribeye and a 45-day dry-aged tomahawk, with wagyu from the United States, Australia, and Japan. He pointed to the work on either side of the cooking, including tempering the beef beforehand and knowing when to pull it from the fire to rest.
For diners who want to take his enthusiasm for fire quite literally, there’s the Eisenhower, a 40-ounce porterhouse cooked directly in the coals.
“There’s something very primal about it,” he said. “You’re taking this beautiful piece of beef and putting it right into the fire.”
Act III: Divided Loyalties
Anyone arriving at a steakhouse prepared to swear allegiance to beef may want to allow for a dalliance. The salmon, with a well-developed crust, beurre blanc, and roe, is every bit as compelling as the ribeye.
The more unlikely rival is the wedge salad. A thick slice of bacon, blue cheese, and smoky dressing make it memorable enough to compete with a separate dish of lobster pasta finished with creamy lobster bisque. That is a lot to ask of a salad, and this one holds its own.
The mashed potatoes get the texture right, silky and creamy, while asparagus topped with herbs, including torn mint, deserves applause even in this crowded company. By now, choosing a favorite is threatening to become the evening’s most difficult decision.
Behind the Scenes
Keeping this much food in motion takes some coordination. Server Krista and her colleagues work together smoothly, and the visible kitchen gives us a view of a team in tandem.
Finch’s interest in kitchens began while his siblings and cousins were playing outside during family gatherings. He preferred to stay with his grandparents and watch them cook. His career eventually brought him back to his hometown of Phoenix, where he worked at The Henry and Olive & Ivy before his current role.
Today, he said, one of the most rewarding parts of the job is watching younger cooks gain confidence and eventually begin teaching the people working beneath them.
“It’s about building a kitchen and a culture that can execute at a high level every single night,” he said.
The freedom to stop thinking so hard about dinner depends on quite a few people thinking about it for you. The IDGAF menu exists because a talented crew gives enough of them for everyone.
Finale: All’s Well That Ends With Butter Cake
The butter cake has an excellent crust, which complicates any plans to make dessert a token bite. On our visit, a pavlova topped with kiwi and strawberries was served for a guest avoiding gluten, giving that diner a finish of their own.
Finch said he hoped diners would “probably leave a little fuller than you planned,” and dessert plays its part lavishly. On this particular stage, leaving full counts as a happy ending.
Maple & Ash is among the restaurants participating in DiningOut’s RARE Steak Championship at Salt River Fields on November 12. For diners getting acquainted before the competition, Finch’s recommendation is a good place to start. Hand over the script and let the kitchen choose dinner.
Epilogue: Sip a Nightcap for a Cause
October brings Second Chances, a specialty cocktail of Grey Goose vodka, homemade fig vermouth, spiced pear, cran-apple, and citrus. For each one sold during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Maple & Ash donates $2 to Check for a Lump, a Phoenix nonprofit that provides free mammograms and breast health education, along with community support resources.
Visit Maple & Ash Monday through Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m.; and Sunday for brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. 7135 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 130, Scottsdale, mapleandash.com
