As Seen On TV

Even if you don't know James Beard from James Bond, TV watchers may recognize several of Scottsdale's culinary superstars, including Food Network star Beau MacMillan. Executive chef at elements restaurant at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain (www.sanctuaryaz.com), MacMillan has cooked for luminaries such as George W. Bush, U2 and Wayne Gretzky, and he also put a Kobe beef beat-down on “Iron Chef” Bobby Flay. He even took the “Worst Cooks in America” back to culinary school on the Food Network series.

Chef Jose Garces, culinary mastermind behind Distrito at downtown Scottsdale's The Saguaro (www.thesaguaro.com) gained notoriety after winning the second season of “The Next Iron Chef.” He has also made several appearances on “Iron Chef America,” including one in which he defeated the aforementioned Flay after concocting a melon-based dish. He was named the “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic 2009” by the James Beard Foundation as well. Then there's Lee Hillson, executive sous chef at The Phoenician (www.thephoenician.com) and a member of the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame, who, despite achieving one of the season's highest scores, came up just short in his “Iron Chef” cook-off with Cora. He'll just have to settle for his myriad awards, which include top honors in Zagat Surveys and Gayot.com and cooking for the likes of superstars Barbara Streisand, Richard Branson and Billy Joel.

Then there's Joshua Herbert, whose impromptu menu at Posh Restaurant (www.poshscottsdale.com) is the stuff of reality television. Herbert dreams up dishes by eliminating the items that each customer dislikes. He never has a set menu – only a set number of courses. Observe the live culinary performance from the 18-seat counter that surrounds the kitchen and watch as the seasonal cuisine comes to life.

Aspiring chefs will relish a visit to the Scottsdale Culinary Institute (SCI, www.chefs.edu/Scottsdale ), home to the esteemed Le Cordon Bleu culinary program that has trained famous alumni, such as “Top Chef” winner Stephanie Izzard.

Frontier Fare

Offering bold, American Western cooking, Roaring Fork (www.roaringfork.com) offers sumptuous flavors created by an on-site wood-fired rotisserie, open flame grill and stone hearth oven. Proof, an American Canteen (www.proofcanteen.com) is a relaxed restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North (www.fourseasons.com/scottsdale) that features home-style comfort fare sourced entirely from the 50 states. The décor draws upon the area's history as a stagecoach hitching post and the frontier spirit of the Wild West with a railroad track running through the dining room. Named after famed cowboy artist Lon Megargee, who lived and worked inside this restored adobe ranch house, LON's at The Hermosa Inn (www.hermosainn.com) presents a bold, contemporary take on rugged Western classics. Don't be fooled by the name— Cowboy Ciao (www.cowboyciao.com) actually serves modern cuisine with a wine-friendly panache and shares a massive wine cellar with the speakeasy Kazimierz world wine bar (www.kazbar.net).

Saddle up and tuck in some lip-smacking barbeque at Bryan's Black Mountain Barbecue (www.bryansbarbecue.com) in the authentic Western town of Cave Creek. Chef Bryan Dooley serves up pulled pork, barbecue chicken and beef brisket, and he even welcomes vegetarians with his “Pulled” Squash sandwich. Sip on some moonshine – Apple Pie Moon Shine to be exact – at Bootleggers Modern American Smokehouse (www.bootleggersaz.com) in downtown while sampling a variety of tasty bacon on the Bacon Board.

Steakhouse Stampede

These local resorts have been overtaken by a trio of celebrity chefs wrangling for steakhouse supremacy. First out of the chute is San Francisco super-chef Michael Mina's BOURBON STEAK at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess (www.scottsdaleprincess.com) and its globe-straddling collection of the world's finest cuts of beef, including the Snake River Farms New York Strip for a cool $85. Next up in this steakhouse shootout is BLT Steak & Bar inside the historic JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa (www.camelbackinn.com), a stylish, scene-stealing chophouse combining classic American flavors with French-born chef Laurent Tourondel's timeless techniques. Renowned chef Jean-George Vongerichten oversees the menu at J&G Steakhouse, a fine-dining hideaway perched atop The Phoenician that features bedazzling floor-to-ceiling vistas and a to-die-for menu of premium meats, fish, locally-sourced produce and a raw bar. Diners won't find much that comes out of a jar or bottle, as the culinary staff makes their own ketchup, mustard, relish, pickles, mayonnaise, steak sauces – the list goes on.

Go Native

Scottsdale's first foodies were American Indian tribes such as the Pima, Hopi and ancient Hohokam, who cultivated the “three sisters” of American Indian agriculture: maize (corn), beans and squash. Today, these time-honored agricultural practices live on inside the Ahnala Mesquite Room at the We-Ko-Pa Resort & Conference Center (www.wekoparesort.com), where the authentic cuisine is complemented by citrus, pecans and herbs grown at the nearby Fort McDowell Yavapai Farm. And considering Arizona was originally part of Spanish Colonial Mexico, Barrio Queen (www.barrioqueen.com) in downtown Scottsdale certainly offers native cuisine. The regional tastes of Mexico City are brought to life with dishes like Chiles En Nogada, Camarones Con Arroz Verde and Cochinita Pibil.Built from a historic 77-year-old adobe home, Old Town Tortilla Factory (www.oldtowntortillafactory.com) draws from Native American and Sonoran influences using classical techniques and regional ingredients including corn, chilies, beans and citrus. Since the 1930s, El Chorro (www.elchorro.com) has given diners a taste of Arizona history through its Southwestern-inspired menu. Seasonal menu offerings made from organic, Arizona-grown ingredients are served up along with stunning views of the surrounding Camelback and Mummy mountains.

Desert Bounty

As one of downtown's best-known independent restaurants, FnB Restaurant (www.fnbrestaurant.com) dishes out sophisticated comfort food using seasonal, local, organic and sustainable produce. Be on the lookout for braised leeks with mozzarella and a fried egg, named one of the 10 best restaurant dishes of 2010 by Food & Wine. Of equal appeal is owner Pavle Milic's other venture, Bodega Market/ Red Goat Wine, an oenophile paradise with varietals grown and bottled in the Grand Canyon state, as well as local produce and artisanal products from Noble Bread, Hayden Flour Mills and McClendon's Select Organic Farm.

Under the direction of executive chef Matt Taylor, Gertrude's (www.gertrudesrestaurant.net) takes distinctly Arizona ingredients and packages them into unexpected dishes, like the venison sausage and prickly pear Bangers & Mash. The on-site restaurant at Desert Botanical Garden (www.dbg.org) sources ingredients straight from the Garden, as well as nearby artisans and farmers.

Sample a cornucopia of local flavors and Sonoran Desert specialties at Scottsdale's Old Town Farmer's Market (www.arizonacommunityfarmersmarkets.com), including cider, apples, tamales, beef and eggs, and artisan-made cheeses and breads. Stop by the lush 20-acre Singh Farms (www.facebook.com/singhfarms), a farm abloom with kale, artichokes, mushrooms and more beneath a tree-top canopy. The farm comes to life on Saturdays when locals descend with reusable grocery bags in hand to shop for fresh produce, bread, olive oil and honey or munch on freshly-made pastries and wood-fired pizzas.

Smart & Full-Flavored

Spas are an integral part of the Scottsdale experience, and these soothing sanctuaries are incorporating specialty cafés that dish up light yet flavorful noshes. Already home to an extensive menu of organic delights, the Spa Café at the Boulders Resort & Spa (www.theboulders.com) offers dishes designed to assist, repair, and relax and help your body perform at its peak. Savor the granola French toast served with seasonal berries and prickly pear agave nectar, or a chicken tostada served on a whole wheat tortilla with honey-chipotle chicken breast, roasted onions, bell peppers, corn, and pepper jack cheese.

The award-winning Sprouts café at The Spa at Camelback Inn (www.camelbackspa.com) focuses on fresh, local and organic ingredients. Look for golden tomato gazpacho and pan seared tuna with a warm salad of French beans, pomegranate, toasted almonds and smoke paprika butter. Wash it down with antioxidant-rich beverages such as the Cucumber Cooler with cucumber, mint and fresh lime juice. The perfect complement to its time-of-day specific treatments, Spa Avania at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch (www.scottsdale.hyatt.com) offers caffeine-free and fruit-infused teas that range from exotic to classic and are specifically brewed to correspond with the time of day in which you drink them.

Wine and Dine

Lawrence Dunham Vineyards Wine Gallery (www.lawrencedunhamvineyards.com) brings the taste of the Southeastern Arizona wine region to downtown Scottsdale. The Wine Gallery is a tasting room and shop – the only retail spot to buy wine from the 40-acre vineyard based in the Chiricahua Foothills. Sip a glass of wine beneath the two shaded patios or enjoy samples bites and sips in the tasting bar and open kitchen. You'll want to take home a bottle of Petite Sirah or Grenache after a relaxing afternoon at the Wine Gallery. And on Thursday nights, head to Wine Gallery for the new event, Flights & Bites. The Wine Gallery teamed up with Food Truck Caravan Catering for the event, where for $25 you can enjoy four Lawrence Dunham wine tastings and food parings from local food truck chefs.

Featuring charming “Old World” ambience and an entryway hidden around the back, Kazimierz world wine bar (www.kazbar.net), or Kazbar for short, is a modern day speakeasy offering a worldly wine collection of 2,000 wines. Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort does things a bit differently when it comes to vino. Get in on the fun every Friday evening during Arizona Wine Experience, a blind taste test that compares the Grand Canyon State's wines to those from other well-known wine regions throughout the world. You'll be surprised by how often tasters choose an Arizona wine.

Sunny, Sud-soaked Scottsdale

Downtown Scottsdale is abuzz with breweries perfecting the art of beer making and bars serving up local suds. Walk, bike or take the trolley during a day of sipping, savoring and inadvertent spilling on downtown Scottsdale's ale trail. Start the day at Sip Coffee & Beer House (www.sipcoffeeandbeerhouse.com), a restaurant and bar that feels like your best friend's backyard. This unassuming joint offers small bites, live music on select days, and a beer list that includes local brews from Dragoon Brewing in Tucson, Papago Brewing in Scottsdale, and Cartel Coffee Lab, a coffee roaster and brewer in Tempe and Scottsdale. Right next door is the all-new Goldwater Brewing (www.goldwaterbrewing.com), which opened its doors in May 2015. This family-owned brewery's signature beers include West Coast style IPAs, ales, lagers, and specialty and seasonal beers. Grab a souvenir growler-to-go before popping over to Two Brothers (www.twobrothersbrewing.com), a family-run brewery that's based out of Naperville, Ill. Two Brother's Scottsdale location offers up eight year-round beers, eight seasonal beers, three artisan beers, and barrel-aged sours. Then, it's off to Bad Water Brewing's (www.badwaterbrewing.com) comfy taproom, seating 30. Try one of the brewery's trifecta of beers, the Saison, IPA or Western Lager, while enjoying a cheese board.

Cocktail Culture

In Scottsdale, cocktails are not an afterthought. Mixologists at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain's jade bar share their cocktail culture during Mixology 101 classes featuring cocktail demonstrations using hand-selected spirits and fresh juices, herbs and vegetables for signature drinks like the Sugar Snap Southside and Grapefruit Basil. At The Mix Up Bar at Royal Palms Resort, expect the unexpected with garden-to-glass cocktails featuring a lineup of ingredients like AZ Bitters Lab's flavored bitters, La Bella Terre's botanical sprays and vinegars from Outrageous Olive Oil & Vinegars, plus fresh produce and herbs grown in the new T. Cook's garden. Resident mixologist John Christie makes magic with his avant-garde cocktails at Second Story Liquor Bar (www.secondstoryliquorbar.com). Guests will tap into their inner Daisy Buchanan with The Julep and evoke Don Draper with The Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail in this intimate, sophisticated restaurant and lounge.

Chef Bernie Kantak welcomes you to Citizen Public House (www.citizenpublichouse.com), his modern day version of a traditional pub with casual atmosphere, upscale pub grub, classic cocktails, and a wall of barrels full of age-perfected cocktails. At the helm of the cocktail program is mixologist Brandon Casey who's known for concocting exotic new cocktails and perfecting the classics. His drinks are infused with the flavors of house-made bitters, tonics and potions, which he combines into inventive treats left to be desired.

Cocktail aficionados also will want to stop by the Last Drop Bar at Hermosa Inn (www.hermosainn.com) to see Spirit Guide Travis Nass, one of the Valley's acclaimed barmeisters, crafting specialty drinks while donning a bowler hat and handlebar mustache. Remaining true to the creative spirit of Hermosa, Nass is known for inventing not only cocktails, but also American-made boutique liquors, locally brewed beers and house-made tinctures, bitters and garnishes.

Catering to late-night denizens who are looking for something far from ordinary, Counter Intuitive offers a concept that's sure to appeal to the Internet age, where short attention spans and instant gratification reign. Throughout the year, this cocktail haven, which is only open on Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., rotates themes, with the décor and menus shifting every few months to keep even regulars on their toes.  

Those with simpler, yet refined tastes can sample Scottsdale's large libraries of liquors. The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa (www.kierlandresort.com) unveiled its Scotch Library in 2013. “Scotch Library Ambassadors,” experts in the area of single malt and blend whiskies, serve up two-ounce pours from the 130 labels imported from the six whisky regions of Scotland. The resident “Tequila Goddess” at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess offers up artisan tastings from the 200 plus varieties of tequila at La Hacienda.

A Global Affair

Scottsdale – and the state of Arizona – is a melting pot of cultures, and these influences are incorporated into the culinary creations from local chefs. At The Mission (www.themissionaz.com), Chef Matt Carter prepares modern Latin cuisine blending culinary influences from Spain, Mexico, Central and South America using a traditional “plancha” style grill.

Capturing the hearts of residents and visitors alike is Virtù Honest Craft (www.virtuscottsdale.com). Executive Chef Gio Osso's “wandering Mediterranean” seasonal menus featuring items like grilled octopus, smoked duck breast and prosciutto-wrapped pork rib chop caught the attention of Esquire – the spot was named one of the best new restaurants in the country in 2013. Pig & Pickle (www.pigandpickle.com) by Joshua Riesner and Keenan Bosworth has received much deserved praise for its innovative approach to the French-accented gastropub.

Sumo Maya Mexican Asian Kitchen (www.sumomaya.com), which opened in June 2014, takes a whole new spin on the term “fusion cuisine.” Tapas-style small plates and dim sum collide for this delectable union of Latin American and Asian cuisine. The spot takes diners on a first-class trip to two continents half a world apart with recipes like the tasty Korean Beef Taco, Pork “Al Pastor” Pad Thai, and Arroz Con Pato, a spicy poblano fried rice.

Downtown Delights

With more than 100 restaurants within walking distance, downtown Scottsdale is a foodies delight. Recent additions include the Brat Haus (www.brathausaz.com), an artisan sausage and craft beer concept. Foodies will be enamored by traditional and exotic gourmet sausage options, plus over two-dozen craft beers that span the globe. The House Brasserie (www.thehousebrasserie.com), the brainchild of Brian Raab and Chef Matt Carter of The Mission, offers an international menu of shareable dishes, including smoked burrata with leeks and black truffle vinaigrette and roasted Jidori chicken with Italian farro risotto. The House – set in the second oldest residence in Scottsdale restaurant – is steeped in history. Sit on the shaded patio beside a large pine tree, a Christmas tree planted by the family that resided in the home more than three quarters of a century ago.

Along the waterfront, choose from eateries at one-of-a-kind SouthBridge like the Herb Box (www.theherbbox.com), a restaurant and market featuring gourmet items like salads and bistro sandwiches, or Marcellino Ristorante (www.marcellinoristorante.com), where diners are treated to antipasti and handmade pasta that taste as though they were delivered to the table directly from Rome.

With so many options in downtown Scottsdale, diners may need a tour guide. Fortunately, Destination Food Tours (www.destinationfoodtours.com) A Taste of Old Town Scottsdale, a three-hour walking tour jam-packed with delectable bites and sips from the participating eateries and morsels of history from a knowledgeable tour guide. Stops along the tour include Kelly's at Southbridge (www.kellysatsouthbridge.com), Rusty Spur Saloon (www.rustyspursaloon.com) and AZ88 (www.az88.com). Always looking to improve and showcase more of Scottsdale's culinary delights, Destination Food Tours is also offering a new tour, Sip and Sample, which allows tour-goers to sample appetizers while enjoying drinks.

And when you've wrapped up lunch and dinner, it goes without saying that you'll need to satiate your dessert cravings. Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale (www.chocolatetourofscottsdale.com), the destination's newest and most delectable walking tour, promises to be just what the pastry chef ordered. You'll feel like a character in “Charlie in the Chocolate Factory” as you weave through four of Scottsdale's downtown districts – the Arts district, the Fifth Avenue Shopping district, the Southbridge district and the Waterfront district – sampling of brownies, Belgian chocolates, cannolis and more along eight stops.

Food-Filled Affairs

Join 40,000 fellow foodies every April for a six-day celebration of the senses at the Scottsdale Culinary Festival (www.scottsdalefest.org), the longest-running festival of its kind in the United States. Celebrate the palate with cooking demonstrations at the main event, the Great Arizona Picnic in Scottsdale Civic Center Park, or at satellite events, including a multi-course dinner whipped up by James Beard award-winning chefs. Enjoy a taste of the region during the Arizona Taco Festival (www.aztacofestival.com) in October, where Lucha Libre wrestlers compete and donkeys trot around saddled with ice cold Coronas for sale. Attendees savor gourmet tacos from 30 featured restaurants, and to top it all off, there's a chili pepper eating contest, tequila expo and taco competition.

Prepare to get sauced at the Arizona Barbeque Festival (www.azbbqfestival.com) where teams grill, smoke and braise their way to the top, showing off their skills to attendees in the spring.

Gourmet on the Go

Going to the airport doesn't have to be about dashing for a flight while your stomach rumbles. Slow down and grab a tasty meal at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport's (www. skyharbor.com) Terminal Four, which has added more than 40 gourmet dining options from Scottsdale and Phoenix favorites since 2012. Staples such as Blanco Tacos & Tequila (www.blancotacostequila.com) Cowboy Ciao (www.cowboyciao.com), Chelsea's Kitchen (www.chelseaskitchenaz.com), Four Peaks Brewing Company (www.fourpeaks.com) and Cartel Coffee Lab (www.cartelcoffeelab.com) have opened their doors. New additions include local favorites such as Matt's Big Breakfast (www.mattsbigbreakfast.com), Sweet Republic (www.sweetrepublic.com), and Lo-Lo's Chicken & Waffles (www.loloschickenandwaffles.com).

###