Zach Garcia, a self-proclaimed avid eater and unabashed “food nerd,” is about to go where few amateurs have gone before.
On Sunday, Aug. 30, the Gilbert resident (pictured above) will take over the kitchen of Zappone’s Italian Bistro and prepare six of his favorite dishes for a restaurant full of diners.
The evening is being called “Ego Dinner: A few of my favorite things by Zach Garcia.” All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley.
Ten years ago, Garcia moved to Gilbert from Wisconsin, where his food-and-beverage industry experience was limited to a teenage job at Taco Bell and, later, ownership of a bar.
Today, he’s the co-owner of Chromis Technology, which specializes in telecommunications equipment. But his real passion is food, particularly the local food scene. He dines out frequently.
“A few months back, my wife, Lynn, signed us up to cook the dinner portion of a neighborhood progressive dinner that her mom’s group was hosting,” says Garcia, who will turn 39 next month. “We cooked a single course for 40 people in my home. I was terrified.
“Long story short, it went off without a hitch. I thought to myself, ‘Why not challenge yourself to do what you did in your backyard but this time in a restaurant setting?’”
The question of which restaurant was a no-brainer for Garcia.
“Our entire family loves the food at Zappone’s,” he says. “The first time I went was about two weeks after they opened when my son was born at the neighboring hospital.
“I knew that once they worked out the initial kinks they had a winning concept that would work for the neighborhood and the city of Gilbert.
“And that’s important to me. Not only are they a local place but they’re also my neighbors – we live across the street from them – so why wouldn’t I support my neighbors and my town?”
Bistro owners jump on board
Sal and Dina Zappone (pictured below), the owners of the small, three-year-old eatery on the northwest corner of Higley and Baseline, loved the idea.
“They were excited about the idea from the get-go,” Garcia says. “And not only have they been supportive but they’ve been extremely helpful in getting things organized. I literally could not make this happen without them.”
The Zappones and their staff will be working alongside Garcia.
“I’ve been to several dinners where Chef Sal has gotten to cook in a different style and he is an amazingly talented guy,” Garcia says. “Not many people know that he has a background in French cooking and has worked for some very celebrated names in the industry.
“So I love that he and his team get to stretch their wings for a night and put out something other than straight-forward Italian food.”
The highlight of the dinner will be an entree with highly coveted Mangalitsa pork, which Garcia was able to source locally from a new Gilbert-based company, AZ Fine Swine.
“I’m not sure what cut I’m going to get, so that dish is still to be determined,” he says.
The rest of the menu:
- Course 1: Bourbon bacon rillettes with Zappone’s house-made bread and pickled grapes
- Course 2: Mixed greens with salami, sun-dried tomatoes, Cotija, tomatoes, roasted pistachio with lemon and white wine vinaigrette
- Course 3: Cauliflower soup with breadcrumb gratin and lemon olive oil
- Course 4: Corn ravioli with basil and ricotta over parmesan cream sauce
- Course 5: Mangalitsa pork entree TBD
- Course 6: Peach shortcake with house-made whipped cream
Make your reservation soon
The 6 p.m. dinner is $50. Almost half of the 50 seats have been taken, so if you want to go you should secure your seat here.
For the next five weeks, Garcia is paying attention to every detail.
“I have a vision for how I want the event to go, and (Dina, who runs the front of house) has been working really hard to help make that a reality.
“For instance, I asked for the ability to customize a playlist of music for each course. She’s making it happen.
“And, more importantly, they’re just as excited as I am about creating a community around food in our town, and for that I’m really glad they were approachable about the idea.”
