Whether it be the unique cuisine, choice of high-quality ingredients or the ambience, there are many reasons why a restaurant would entice diners to visit. But, in the case of several Scottsdale, Arizona, restaurants, it’s all about the celebrity chef who has imagined and prepared the food.
Scottsdale, known for its upscale inhabitants and visitors alike who seek only the best-of-the-best dining experiences, is home to several restaurant concepts by Food Network chefs who have starred on shows like “Iron Chef America,” “Beat Bobby Flay,” and “The Next Food Network Star.”
With its vibrant nightlife and charming southwest character, it’s no surprise that several acclaimed chefs who have made television appearances chose the Phoenix-area desert town as the place to open their restaurant concepts.
Chef Beau MacMillan, known for his stint on the Food Network in shows like “Iron Chef America,” “Guys Grocery Games” and as a host on “Worst Cooks in America,” is the creative mind behind more than one restaurant in Scottsdale, including Cala and The Americano. While MacMillan has recently stepped away from his role as culinary director of Clive Collective, the local restaurant group behind these concepts, his mark on Scottsdale’s food scene remains.
Experience Scottsdale
Cala Front Entrance
Cala, located in Senna House hotel, features a focus on health and locally sourced ingredients for their dishes that include handmade pasta and fresh seafood, with extensive choices for craft cocktails, beers and wines. Blending coastal flavors from Greece, Spain, Italy and Morocco, Chef MacMillan birthed one of Scottsdale’s top Mediterranean restaurants.
The Americano, another concept by Chef MacMillan, Chef Peter McQuaid—who won Food Network’s “Chopped”—and Chopped judge Scott Conant, is a modern Italian steakhouse that is a favorite of both locals and tourists alike.
Experience Scottsdale
The Ameticano dessert
Considered a “special occasion” dining spot, The Americano boasts surf dishes like roasted oysters, a raw seafood bar and Atlantic swordfish, along with turf dishes like dry-aged tomahawk, wagyu beef cheek tortellini and Colorado lamb shank. In addition to the upscale food, The Americano’s craft cocktails, wine by the glass and spirit list are next level, boasting its very own speakeasy Tell Your Friends, a Gatsby-esque underground lounge, hidden inside the restaurant.
Beyond the two Scottsdale restaurants, Chef MacMillan also served as the culinary creative chef for a dive bar concept in Tempe, Arizona called Neon Spur, and he served as the executive chef at the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain for more than 20 years until 2021.
Experience Scottsdale
Giada De Laurentiis
Caesars Republic in Scottsdale, the first non-gaming location for the brand of hotels, opened less than two years ago in the heart of Scottsdale, adjacent to Scottsdale Fashion Square. Inside, you’ll find two restaurant concepts by Food Network chef Giada De Laurentiis—Luna by Giada and Pronto by Giada.
Pronto by Giada, located on the northeast side of Caesars Republic Scottsdale, is all about quick yet satisfying breakfast, lunch and dessert options. Embracing Chef De Laurentiis’ Italian and California flair for cooking, Pronto by Giada offers quick pickup of house-made pastries, specialty coffee, savory paninis, crisp salads, antipasti, fluffy pancakes, avocado toast and eggs Benedict.
By choosing Luna by Giada, guests can expect a more formal dining experience, while still getting a taste of Chef De Laurentiis’ Italian and California style of preparation. With her favorite fruit, lemons, there’s a lot of citrus to be found on the menu—including lemon pizza, signature lemon spaghetti and lemon smashed potatoes.
While Giada may be the most recent Food Network chef to make their mark on Scottsdale, there are a few other notable spots helmed by television chefs, including T. Cook’s at Royal Palms Resort & Spa, by Chef Lee Hilson. Hilson competed on a 2008 episode of “Iron Chef,” while Chef Branden Levin of the acclaimed Sel Bistro, competed on a 2016 episode of “Beat Bobby Flay,” yet neither chef took home the prize on their respective game shows.
Food Network chefs and Scottsdale go hand-in-hand, and with so many TV-worthy dining options available in the desert city, why not choose the one with food prepared by a celebrity chef?
When you go
Experience Scottsdale
Cala Scottsdale
The Americano
Luna by Giada
Pronto by Giada