Meet German-born and Swiss-trained Chef Marion Maur

INSIDE+OUT is pleased to introduce Hudson Valley Chef Marion Maur. We first met Chef Maur at her restaurant, Marion’s Country Kitchen, in 2003, a 65-seat restaurant in Woodstock, New York. Her menu was perfectly curated with dishes that combined her German roots with American classics…we relished the eclectic, delicious meals served at this beloved Woodstock hotspot. Marion splits her time between the Hudson Valley and New York City and serves as the operating partner of Pappardella, an iconic Italian restaurant in NYC. Let’s get to know Marion Maur as she shares her journey to becoming a chef, the best place for foodies to travel, and the highlight of her career…so far!

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INSIDE+OUT: Where are you originally from, and how did you wind up in the Hudson Valley?

Marion Maur: I was born and raised in the beautiful Rheinland in Germany. Adam and I had just started dating in 2000 in NYC. We were coming up to visit his parents, who had retired in Woodstock and loved the free-spirited and bohemian vibes a lot. Adam presented me with this amazing cabin overlooking the reservoir one day and we decided to buy it. Best decision ever, hands down.

You ran Marion’s Country Kitchen in Woodstock, NY, from 2002 to 2007. Tell us about your journey.

Ha, this was a very impulsive decision. I was burnt, having worked the fast lane in hospitality in The City. The owners of the Woodstock Lodge had asked me many times if I wanted to take over their restaurant and bar and I always declined. Well, that fateful day I called, they were ecstatic. I quit my job and two weeks later, we opened Marion’s Country Kitchen.

My inlaws and friends painted like the wind, stapled and created my aesthetics. At the same time, I realized that I would not find a chef and would have to create and execute the menu myself. I had no experience as a professional chef, and it was the craziest learning curve of my life. Assembling my favorite dishes from travels around Europe, I test-cooked with my savior, best friend, mentor and super successful Executive Chef Alex Feher. We opened to critical success and had an amazing 5-year run. A life-changing experience. And yes, you never know what the future holds in the beautiful Hudson Valley!

You’re currently an operating partner in NYC’s Pappardelle Restaurant. Tell us about that, and are you involved in creating their menu?

Pappardelle is an iconic Italian restaurant. I joined the partnership when our daughter Sophie was one year old. I needed to work for my sanity. Last year, we celebrated our 40th Anniversary, indicating how embedded we are in our beloved Upper West Side neighborhood. Besides leading the front of the house, I create recipes, train cooks and test new and old recipes with our kitchen crew. While not cooking on the line anymore, I am very involved in quality, cost, consistency and communication needs between the front and the back of the house.

Tell us about some of the menus you create. What would you say are your signature dishes?

Pappardella is a classic Italian restaurant with signature dishes that are so loved that they must always remain. Pappardella Buttera or fungi e tartufo, whole branzino and all of our parmigianas. Just before COVID-19, we launched a communal dinner series. I pick a region, a winemaker and create a 4-course prix fixe. The last one this year was all about the Liguria region in Italy. The idea is to meet new people from the neighborhood, learn a bit about the area of Italy, try some new obscure or famous wines and food traditions and interact with each other. It gives our guests and me different opportunities to connect and meet wine geeks and our kitchen team. It’s been a great success and we are planning our next one.

In your opinion, what makes a dish great and do you have a process when creating new dishes?

A great dish for me is seemingly very simple but thought out. I like textures in food and tension. Crunchy and soft, sour and sweet, spicy and soothing. For example, a piece of local flounder seared quickly and at high temperatures, with a generous spritz of lemon, served with tomato raisin jam and some serrano ham chips for salt and crispiness; then, finally, a side of raw shaved fennel.

You recently partnered with INSIDE+OUT Upstate NY to host an intimate dinner gathering. What was the experience like for you as the chef of the event? What inspired your menu?

The experience felt effortless, bringing all our experiences, wishes and goals together. We have hosted many dinners for years, bringing people together at our house. The conversations and new discoveries that these dinners bring are my reward. When Terry Dagrosa and Jenny Wonderling presented me with their wonderful idea of an “Ask Me Anything Dinner,” I felt this would be an extension and an opportunity for growth. I had just returned from Basque Country in Spain and wanted to express that in the menu, reflecting the local produce. It was that last bit of summer and the beginning of fall. Very rich still with ripe tomatoes and peppers with the season going into squashes and green leafy vegetables. All aspects of the dinner turned out so well. As always, for me, the human connection, the openness to share yourself with strangers, was the most rewarding. I look forward to more.

Give us a favorite seasonal ingredient you love to incorporate for each season: spring, summer, fall, winter.

In the spring, I love ramps. It’s one of those divine, simple local discoveries I didn’t know about before coming to Woodstock. Pickled ramps, ramp pesto, grilled over everything, jammed with lemon rind and garlic, becoming a spreadable gremolata.

During the summer, tomatoes every day. They might be my all-time favorite. Simply slice it, marinate it with a little dash of salt, add burrata and crusty bread with olive oil, and the world is in order for me. I make gallons of tomato sauce and cook with them through the winter.

Fall, wow, that’s difficult. Apples! The smell and taste of the first new apples are so intoxicating to me. I go to orchards and farmers’ markets, taste new breeds and go to my classics. They taste great as a compote with a local pork chop, potato pancakes, and my mom’s best apple cake recipe.

Winter is for braises. In general, I prefer clean, lightly sauced dishes, but bring on the gravy in the winter. Lamb goulash with spaetzle please.

Where did you study to become a chef, and do you have any words of advice for up-and-coming chefs when it comes to working in the Hudson Valley?

I learned to cook at age six when my mom bought me a cookbook and a little stool so I could actually reach the stove. While studying hotel business in Switzerland, one of the semesters was cooking classic French cuisine for the students living there. I had to apply myself with discipline and patience to learn the basics. The science part, the knife skills. When I opened Marion’s Country Kitchen, all that discipline and work ethic paid off.

My advice to upcoming chefs is to collaborate as much as possible with local farmers and bring your guest in contact with the source. It tastes better and gives a lasting experience; it also brings guests into your kitchen and goes out on the floor! I have the happiest memories from those interactions, and I made lifelong friends.

Are you working on anything new that you’d like to share?

After years of strategizing, I wrote an outline for a cookbook/memoir this year. Many people are intimidated by the scope of hosting a big party: the theme, the decorations, the menu, the drinks, and who to invite. How to do this all and still have a good time often gets lost in the stress of success. In my idea for my book, I recall events that I planned and executed (e.g., my own big ass wedding, my daughter’s birthday, our July 4th bbq, etc.). Then, in the book, I break it all down and we proceed to cook those meals together.

“I want to share the joy and fulfillment of bringing people together around the table. “Unity within Community,” as corny as that sounds. The next step is to find a collaborator to write the first draft. Anybody?”

What’s the first dish you learned to make really well?

Pancakes! In Germany, pancakes are a savory meal served with mushroom gravy or salad and crispy bacon. Not just sweet. My mom makes the best and she taught me well.

What music do you like to listen to when you cook?

It is a diverse rotation of dance-pop like Bruno Mars, jazzy Ella Fitzgerald, and, of course, the ’80s to give away my age.

How do you spend your time when you’re not in the restaurant?

I am a bit obsessed. I come home from the restaurant and start cooking. The kitchen is my happy place, where I think, meditate and reflect. I love roaming the area, hiking trails around Woodstock, practicing yoga, and hanging out with my friends upstate.

Name three things you always have in your fridge/pantry.

Bubbles, Castelvetrano olives and good canned fish.

Where, in your opinion, is the best place to travel for a foodie vacation?

I have yet to visit many places….but Italy! The seafood in Puglia, the many different pastas of each region, walking Rome with an ice cream cone. It might be a cliche, but it is authentic.

If you had not become a chef, which profession would you have chosen?

Making movies.

What is your current state of mind?

I am looking forward to spring.

What are you most proud of when it comes to your career as a Chef?

Becoming chef at Marion’s Country Kitchen! It was such a steep learning curve; it was hard but rewarding. Nothing comes close.

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Photos courtesy of Marion Maur and by Chase Pierson
Connect with Marion Maur @marionscountrykitchen
Read About our Ask Me Anything Dinner with Chef Maur

Read all of Inside+Out’s MEET THE CHEF SERIES

Chef Efren Hernandez | Casa Susanna at Camptown Catskills | Leeds NY
Chef Doris Choi | Silvia | Woodstock NY
Chef Francesco Buitoni | GioBatta Alimentari | Tivoli NY
Chef Jesse Frederick | Butterfield Restaurant at Hasbrouck House | Stone Ridge NY
Chef Tony Moustakes | City Winery Hudson Valley | Montgomery NY
Chef Clare Hussain | Runa | New Paltz NY
Chef Jamie Parry | Swoon | Hudson NY
Chef Corwin Kave | Deer Mountain Inn | Tannerville NY
Chef Kevin Katz | Red Onion Bar & Restaurant | Saugerties NY
Chef Christoper Weathered | Mill & Main | Kerhonkson NY
Chef Cheryl Paff + Chef Juan Tzitzimititila | Black-Eyed Suzie’s | Kingston NY
Chef Elizabeth Steckel and Dirk Schalle | The Gunk Haus | Highland NY
Chef Wyatt Jaster | The Pines | Mount Tremper NY
Chef Richard Erickson | Blue Mountain Bistro & Bistro To Go | Kingston NY

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