When Greg and Beth McPhee opened The Anchorage restaurant in the Village of West Greenville in 2017, their focus was on showcasing the best products of local farmers and artisans in an ever-changing, vegetable-forward menu.
The couple has since moved to the West Coast, and for the last three years, Steve Zurkey has presided over the restaurant’s kitchen. Here, he carries on the founders’ mission, letting ingredients from area farms speak to him as each season changes.
Q&A with The Anchorage Executive Chef
TOWN: You’ve been executive chef at The Anchorage for three years now. How’s it going?
Steve Zurkey: The Anchorage is a chef’s dream. It’s the job I always wanted as a young chef because you have carte blanche in terms of creative control. We change the menu [in some way] every day, and we write the menu backwards, around what’s fresh and available.
How did you hear about The Anchorage when you moved to Greenville?
It’s a funny story, actually. My fiancé is great at picking out restaurants that we would like to eat at, so in each city we were scouting to move to, she picked out a place she thought we would enjoy. The first time we drove to Greenville, The Anchorage was the GPS coordinate that was our landmark to arrive in the city. So, the very first time I set foot in Greenville was right in front of this restaurant. That was a year and a half before I became the chef here, so it was a weird homecoming of sorts.
Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, did you ever take a shine to cooking?
I had an interest in cooking from a very young age. I used to follow my grandmother Zurkey around in the kitchen. I’d have these creative ideas—that I’d probably laugh at now—and I’d tell her what I wanted to make and she’d make it come to reality.
Are there any particular local ingredients you use at the restaurant that evoke strong memories for you?
I have fond memories of hunting waterfowl and rabbit with my father. So, I love showcasing duck from Timberock at Hopkins Farm [in Simpsonville] and Noonday Farm [in Landrum] as well as Blue Ridge rabbit meat. Those are things that elicit very specific memories for me.
What do you like to do when you’re not behind a stove?
We love going hiking, whether it’s going up to my little secret spot near Lake Jocassee or hiking Pisgah National Forest or any of the state parks. We like to sneak off for a weekend to do off-grid camping. I love getting outside whenever time allows.
In the time you’ve been at The Anchorage, how have you put your own stamp on the restaurant?
I just try to be me. I try not to change things that don’t need to be changed. I very much respect what The Anchorage is; I don’t need to change its core. My cooking style focuses on contrasts. I love contrasting flavors, textures, colors. When I can stimulate somebody’s palate to have them think about what they’re experiencing, I consider that a win.
The Anchorage, 586 Perry Ave., Greenville, theanchoragerestaurant.com
