Restaurant chef de cuisine John Fraser oversees Lincoln Steakhouse & Bar at JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa. He’s been with the resort since November 2022, after a move from San Francisco where he owned a barbecue restaurant. Fraser is currently working on Lincoln’s spring menu that will feature “fun offerings” with seasonal produce like melons, tomatoes and corn. We recently discussed his plans for the fourth annual Dish Fest on Sunday, March 9.
What will you be serving at Dish Fest?
We are going to showcase our steak tartare. There are a couple of different things that make it unique to Lincoln Steakhouse. Most people mix everything together and serve it on a plate with toast. [In the restaurant] we serve it on top of a piece of roasted bone marrow. We also cure duck eggs in salt, sugar and spices and dehydrate them. Then, we grate the egg over the top to give the tartare a very nice, umami flavor. At Dish Fest we won’t be able to serve it on bone marrow, but we are going to mix some bone marrow in and serve on grilled bread.
Do you find that most people already eat steak tartare or are they trying it for the first time?
I think it’s a bit of both. Some people shy away from it, but even so, we have people come into the restaurant who say, “I don’t really do raw,” and we ask them to taste and they say, “Wow, that’s really unique.” We butcher all of our own steaks in house, for the most part, and we use all the trim for the steak tartare. There’s New York, a bit of ribeye, some Wagyu filet and Wagyu ribeye. We try to utilize everything. It’s a nice blend of meat.
What do you like most about pop-up festivals like Dish Fest?
Last year, I had a lot of positive feedback and a lot of new people came to the restaurant afterward. I’m not only showcasing something that’s unique, one of our signature dishes at the restaurant, but also interacting with guests and letting them know that Lincoln Steakhouse exists. We’re a hidden gem.
What sets your restaurant apart from other steakhouses?
We have a view of Camelback Mountain and an outside patio. It’s gorgeous and the care that we put into the food here, I really hold that close to my chest. I want people to seek this place out, not just as a resort restaurant, but as one of the best steakhouses in the Valley, if not the best.
