Like a Cezanne painting, every table at ZImmi’s is covered with the simple pleasure of life: a good, hearty plate of food, and a delicious glass of wine.
Ottavia Geola
Peek through the window’s at Zimmi’s in the West Village–better still, snag a table–and you’d swear Cezanne’s iconic still life paintings have come to life. A humble table of fresh food and wine is all it takes there to create a moment in time diners will want to remember and savor long after the meal is over. And what Paul Cezanne captured so beautifully with composition and paint on canvas–the intersection of all that is simple yet exquisite in Provence–Chef Maxime Pradié and his partners, Jenni Guizio and Cory Holt, do with their Southern French fare on Bedford Street. As the restaurant nears its one-year anniversary this December, the team celebrates who they’ve become as they gear up for the next new venture ahead.
The still-life comparison is not much of a stretch as the very name of Zimmi’s stems from 20th century artist Marie Zimmerman. Restaurant co-owner, Jenni Guizio (formerly of Union Square Hospitality Group) run’s the artist’s estate in Pennsylvania, Zimmerman’s Farm, and so was inspired to use it when coming up with a name for the restaurant. Influences from Zimmerman’s jewelry and metalwork amidst the Arts and Crafts movement in which she created are reflected in some of the restaurant’s decor. Similarly, elements of the movement, like utility, simplicity, and locally-sourced materials, are all clear signatures on Chef Pradié’s menu as well.
With each bite, Zimmi’s guests quickly become privy to Pradié’s deep dive into his past. From the time he was a child, he traveled back and forth from the states to the South of France, to the region where his father grew up. Having lost his father when he was a baby, however, Pradié spent many of his summers in Arcachon, in his aunt’s or grandmother’s kitchen.
Co-owners, Chef Maxime Pradié and Jenni Guizio in front of Zimmi’s at the corner of Bedford and Commerce Streets in the West Village in Manhattan. Pradié was the chef de cuisine at Lodi in Rockefeller Center and a sous chef at Flora Bar in Brooklyn.
Katherine Goguen
Later, he began making sense of his father’s world, learning more about his own culinary foray as a chef in New York during the 1970s– in the Village, as a matter of fact–with Les Trois Petits Cochons, better known as Three Little Pigs. Piecing together the puzzle of his past, a whisper of his father’s roots at his core, all forged by the vibrant memories of his aunt and grandmother at the stove, in the garden, at the market, or at the table, Pradié’s dishes at Zimmi’s are deeply personal. This continued exploration of his French past intermingling with his New York present has manifested itself on every plate.
Sur La Table
During this first year, Pradié and the team have noticed that the seasonal fare he cooks has resonated with diners in New York who’ve either had similar culinary experiences in France, or at the very least, understand the power of family recipes. “What we are doing, is French cooking through the lens of the ingredients we have here [in New York],” Chef Pradié said. “I have no interest in buying things like Japanese sardines, for example, or caviar. I care more about the tomato, not luxury ingredients. The luxury is tasting that something took a long time to cook.”
Although Pradié will tell you that “rustic” or “simple” cooking is a reduction of the actual style of cooking he puts forth, there is a trompe l’oeil at play, in the best way. For example, the farci dishes presented over the summer came out on clean white plates, looking almost like minimalist paintings with a few singular, vibrant vegetables–in this case an onion, an eggplant, a tomato, and a zucchini–with a lightly-drizzled jus over the top.
“I don’t care about luxury ingredients. The luxury is tasting that something took a long time to cook.”
Chef Maxime Pradié
Quality ingredients first and foremost—cliche or not—-it’s the truth.
OTTAVIA GIOLA
French for stuffed, farci is served most often using seasonal vegetables with a seasoned meat mixture stuffed inside. Despite its simplistic appearance, the farci at Zimmi’s bursts open with warmth, and a real depth of flavor that can only be achieved with time, finesse, and a nurtured respect for quality and freshness; it’s what Pradié demands of every dish. In one bite, you taste his past and his profound examination of it.
One of the most popular dishes at the restaurant to date has been the pastasciutta, a tagliatelle dish tossed with sage and chicken offal and a rich ragout inspired by his grandmother who lived in Italy before moving to France.
“I do think the way I cook and the way the team executes is unique in the landscape of French food in the U.S.,” Pradié said. “It’s not often the idea of the South of France and yet, it is the actual food of the South of France.”
Pradié says he is uncompromising about his approach to cooking, putting quality above all else, “while putting the ego of cooking in the backseat.” He’s spent years pouring over old cookbooks from southern France–some of which don’t even have actual recipes but notes about how things should look or taste at a particular step in the process–and, as he put it, “discusses dishes on ‘qualitative not quantitative terms’.”
No frills, just exceptional food, wine, and Southern French cuisine, inspired by Chef Maxime Pradié’s deep exploration of his family’s cooking.
OTTAVIA GIOLAGlass (Bottle) Half Full
Cory Holt is the Manager and Beverage Director at Zimmi’s. Formerly of The Musket Room and Raf’s, Holt has done some deep diving all his own to create a wine program that not only complements Pradié’s Southern French fare but one diners get excited about for its own sake.
It is no secret that some of us may really enjoy a glass of wine without being able to fully articulate what it is we enjoy about it. On the other side of the spectrum, some diners spend a great deal of time growing wine collections that could rival that of their favorite restaurants. Nevertheless, Holt handles each side of the wine spectator continuum, and, at Zimmi’s, meets in the middle with its signature half-bottle program.
Cory Holt, Zimmi’s manager and beverage director, has created a sensible and sophisticated wine program that explores all regions of France, but particularly the South. His half-bottle program has been a popular addition and signature of the Zimmi’s experience.
Katherine Goguen
“When Jenni and I first spoke about what to do with our program to stand out,” Holt said, “we knew we wanted to make it accessible for people to drink wine—especially amidst the cocktail boom. Generationally, there’s been a slight down turn in wine.” He continued, “we wanted to acknowledge that and not force it on people.”
The program cracks the door open to possibilities of trying wine without feeling pressure to pay for a full bottle you may or may not enjoy. Not only does the program lessen the intimidation a wine list might cause, when put in motion, on any given night, it has created an instant sense of community amongst diners at the restaurant who choose to share a bottle. It hurts the wallet less for diners and in house, cuts down on wine left behind and potentially wasted.
Holt has not only cultivated a list at Zimmi’s that features a mix of noteworthy Southern French wines that enthusiasts may already know, but continues to expand the program with unsung labels as well. “I hope to deepen the selections across the region–with vertical and horizontal representation from key producers–that highlight the quality and seriousness of the region and with producers we love.”
The wines from the region–bumping up against Spain and Italy too–coincide with sunnier climates, a diversity of grapes, and styles, with so much to discover, Holt says, and that is part of the fun of putting the list together for Zimmi’s. “People at all wine levels tend to find them delicious and value-oriented, but as a whole, these wines are actually still underappreciated and underrepresented.”
At the corner of Bedford and Commerce Streets in the West Village, Zimmi’s has settled in and made some industry friends who come in on their off nights.
Katherine GoguenOn the Horizon
On November 11, Zimmi’s will host a collaborative dinner with Chef Mitchell Damota of Dalla in London. Said to have a similar passion for “old” cookery like Pradié, Damota makes pasta by hand with no machinery. The two chefs aim to focus on Northern Italian cuisine and serve regional wine by the glass, or half and full bottles.
Looking to Spring 2026, the team is gearing up for Bar À Part, their new venture opening directly next door to Zimmi’s. At first, the 15-seat bar will serve small bites, like pastries, coffee and wine, then events, demos, tastings and dinners may soon follow.
Dining and Cooking