Chef Cory Oppold: 2026 Southwest Chef Series
For Chef Cory Oppold, a memorable meal unfolds one course at a time. At COURSE in Scottsdale, he considers how flavors, textures and presentations build on one another, creating a dining experience that invites guests to slow down and pay attention.
The chef and partner brings more than two decades of experience to the restaurant, where his artistic approach leaves room for humor and familiar flavors.
2026 BOSW Southwest Chef Series Hub
Chef Cory Oppold at a glance
Restaurant: COURSE
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Cuisine: Seasonal American tasting menus
Role: Chef and partner
Website: courserestaurantaz.com
Instagram: @courserestaurantaz
From an Illinois dairy farm to Scottsdale
Raised on a dairy farm in Illinois, Oppold developed an early respect for ingredients that would inform his culinary career. His professional path brought national exposure in 2019, when he won an episode of Food Network’s “Chopped.”
In 2023, he opened COURSE with brothers Christian and Brett Pezzuto. The restaurant gave him a setting to express his own culinary perspective through multi-course menus.
Recipe for success
Oppold’s guiding idea at COURSE is to make fine dining approachable. That begins with giving guests a sense of discovery without losing the pleasure of simply enjoying dinner.
Seasonality determines the direction of his menus. Technique helps him explore an ingredient’s possibilities. A dish’s place within the meal matters, too: richness, acidity and texture contribute to the progression from the opening bites through dessert.
Wine pairings add another dimension, with the restaurant’s sommelier team selecting pours to complement the food.
Chef Cory Oppold’s impact on Arizona’s dining scene
COURSE adds a dedicated tasting-menu destination to Scottsdale’s dining landscape, giving residents and visitors an opportunity to experience a chef’s point of view across an entire meal.
Recognitions include:
- 2026 — The Pinnacle Guide: COURSE’s cocktail program earned an Excellent PIN, recognizing beverage director Justin Chard and the bar team. 2025 — James Beard Awards: Cory Oppold was a semifinalist for Best Chef: Southwest.
- 2025 — USA Today: COURSE was named one of its Restaurants of the Year.
- 2025 — Arizona Restaurant Association’s Foodist Awards: COURSE won Exceptional Culinary Experience.
- 2024 — Arizona Restaurant Association’s Foodist Awards: Cory won Top Chef.
- 2024 — Yelp: COURSE ranked No. 7 among its Best New Restaurants in the U.S.
Signature dish: Animal Fries
Even with menus that change throughout the year, Oppold’s Animal Fries have earned a lasting following.
The dish combines twice-fried potatoes with egg yolk emulsion, house-made crème fraîche, pickled shallots, fresh herbs and caviar. Crisp potatoes provide a familiar starting point, while the toppings bring richness, tang and a briny finish.
It is a playful expression of Oppold’s cooking: carefully composed, grounded in something recognizable and designed to make guests smile.
Explore the 2026 Southwest Chef Series
This profile is part of The Best of the Southwest’s 2026 Southwest Chef Series, celebrating the chefs and culinary leaders shaping dining across Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas and Southern California.
