which promotes tourism in the city, met with one of the show's casting directors and touted the Valley's booming culinary scene during a trip to work with media in New York City.
"During the meeting, our team tried to paint a picture of Scottsdale’s foodie scene," Experience Scottsdale Community Affairs Manager Stephanie Presslerwrote in an email. "They shared that Scottsdale is home to nearly 800 restaurants, from resort staples to independently-owned gems. Our collection of Four- and Five-Diamond hotels have talented, tenured culinary staff and foster communities of support for young culinarians."
Pressler highlighted downtown Scottsdale's offerings with concepts such as Cowboy Ciao, Counter Intuitive, Super Chunk, FnB and Sel, as well as the fact that a number of Scottsdale restaurants been recognized with accolades from Esquire, Food & Wine, the James Beard Foundation and AAA.
FnB's Charleen Badman and its wine program were both finalists in this year's James Beard Awards, though neither were chosen.
According to Food Network representatives, the NYC metro tends to have the highest concentration of applicants, though the producing team makes sure "the widest variety of personalities and locations are always represented."
The Valley has been a hotbed for restaurateurs and chefs in recent years, including Scott Conant, a former judge on "Chopped" who opened Mora Italian in uptown Phoenix's new restaurant row on 7th Street in February.
"Simply put, Phoenix is on fire," said Conant. "And not just because of the growing restaurant scene, but also because the Valley is exporting a lot of top talent to other major markets. You're hearing 'Oh, they're from Phoenix,' a lot more."
It's been a big point of focus for the tourism industry in the Valley as well: Fine dining was the one of the top reasons visitors came to the Phoenix area in 2015, according to Arizona Office of Tourism data.
“This place is now known as a foodie town, and it was not before,” Greg Miller, vice president and managing director for Two Roads Hospitality, said at a recent Phoenix Business Journal roundtable on tourism. “I think when you travel to find new innovative restaurants and bars, especially at our resorts, it makes it that much more of an ideal destination.”
Interested chefs are encouraged to apply at www.choppedcasting.com by April 30.
Steven covers retail, restaurants, hospitality/tourism as well as aviation, small business and nonprofits.
