The Architect of Taste
Chef Cory Oppold Designs Culinary Masterpieces at COURSE
Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photography by Luke Wayne Media
In the sleek, minimalist interior of COURSE Restaurant, Chef Cory Oppold moves with deliberate precision. His hands, trained in architectural principles as much as culinary techniques, arrange microgreens, transform a plate of asparagus into a verdant landscape — a living plant rising from the white canvas of fine china.
“I view every chef as an artist and their restaurant as their gallery,” Oppold says, his eyes carefully monitoring every detail of the dish before it leaves the kitchen. “For example, when guests taste our asparagus, they realize this isn’t just ordinary asparagus.”
This masterful transformation of the familiar into the extraordinary defines Oppold’s culinary philosophy at COURSE, where his architectural training and farm upbringing converge in a symphony of meticulously crafted tasting menus. Since opening in May 2023, his North Scottsdale restaurant has garnered critical acclaim, including a 2025 James Beard Foundation semifinalist nomination for Best Chef: Southwest and the Arizona Restaurant Association’s Exceptional Culinary Experience award.
The journey to culinary stardom began far from the desert landscapes of Arizona. Oppold grew up on a dairy farm in Pearl City, Illinois, where hard work was simply expected and farm-to-table wasn’t a trend but a way of life.
“I started working around age 8 or 9,” Oppold recalls. “Hard work was just natural, you know? That’s just how we grew up.”
His early years, surrounded by large gardens and preserving food through canning and fermentation, instilled an appreciation for ingredients that would later become foundational to his culinary approach. But cooking wasn’t his first career aspiration.
“When I turned 18, my sister, who was already living in Phoenix, texted me,” Oppold explains. “She knew I wanted to study architecture and said, ‘Hey, since Frank Lloyd Wright’s influence is so strong here, why don’t you come out after graduation?’ It made sense, so I moved to Phoenix in 1998.”
The pivotal moment in Oppold’s culinary awakening came about a year and a half later, when he experienced fine dining for the first time at the Biltmore.
“That meal opened my eyes,” he says, his voice still carrying traces of that revelatory experience. “I realized food could be more than just nourishment. It was entertainment, art. I was completely intrigued and became really interested in culinary school.”
Encouraged by friends, Oppold enrolled at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute (later Le Cordon Bleu), graduating with honors in 2002. His career trajectory took him through several prestigious kitchens, including Different Pointe of View, L’Auberge de Sedona, Binkley’s, Tarbell’s and Atlas Bistro, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a pivot.
“When COVID-19 hit in 2020, all restaurants were shut down,” Oppold recalls. “I created something called Simmer Down — a cryo-vac meal kit service for people who were cautious during those chaotic first few months.”
This adaptability evolved into an in-home dining service that allowed him to refine his multicourse concept while building a loyal client base. During one such private event, he met his future COURSE partners, Christian and Brett Pezzuto, setting the stage for his brick-and-mortar vision to become reality.
Architectural Principles on a Plate
The connection between Oppold’s architectural training and culinary artistry is evident in every dish that leaves his kitchen. His plates demonstrate the same attention to composition, balance and structural integrity that he learned studying architecture.
“Both architecture and cooking definitely have an artistic element to them,” Oppold observes. “With architecture, it’s about building components, working with different layers, heights, and colors. Those same principles that drew me to architecture translated naturally into cooking.”
This design-oriented approach is visible in COURSE’s spring menu, where monochromatic color schemes and structural elements create visual cohesion within each dish.
“I definitely love our asparagus dish from the spring 2025 menu,” Oppold says with obvious pride. “It’s composed like a plant, featuring a manicotti filled with ricotta alongside different preparations of asparagus. We incorporate sea grass and sea beans with the asparagus, and everything is garnished to create this beautiful monochromatic green plate.”
Each season, COURSE menus continue with a color-focused approach as seen in other standout dishes.
“Then we have a dish that’s almost entirely yellow — our sea bass with fennel, tomato jam, patty pan squash and yellow bell pepper sauce,” Oppold explains. “Everything on the plate plays within that yellow color palette.”
He describes the spring menu finale with equal enthusiasm: “The dessert course is a study in red, featuring strawberries, pink peppercorns, hibiscus, amaranth and rhubarb. The whole menu flows like a rollercoaster of flavor — it starts bright and acidic, mellows out in the middle, and finishes with these beautiful, bold notes.”
For Oppold, vegetable-forward dishes provide the greatest canvas for creativity.
“Vegetable dishes are definitely our biggest thing,” he says. “We love taking everyday ingredients and restructuring them into something unique. Vegetables are special because they tell you exactly what time of year it is — melons in summer, black truffles in winter. That’s why vegetables are really the cornerstone of what we do at COURSE.”
This architectural approach extends beyond aesthetics to the fundamental structure of flavors and textures within each dish.
“When we build a dish, we first think about which ingredients will taste great together,” Oppold explains. “But then we play with different techniques to create contrasting textures — if something’s creamy, we need a crispy element next to it. It’s all these little details working in harmony. Like with a fatty fish, we know we need an acidic component to balance it out. Making a dish look beautiful is one thing, but making it make sense on the palate — that’s the tricky part. And honestly, that’s where it gets fun.”
Farm Roots to Culinary Heights
Despite the sophisticated presentation of his cuisine, Oppold maintains a connection to his farming background through his ingredient selection and relationships with producers.
“Growing up as a farm boy, I experienced firsthand just how hard farming is and how much work farmers put in,” he says. “That’s why supporting local producers is so important to us at COURSE. When we can source ingredients locally, we not only get better quality, but we’re also supporting the hardworking people in our agricultural community.”
This appreciation for agriculture translates to COURSE’s menu development, where seasonality dictates direction.
“We try to source as much locally as possible,” Oppold notes. “Our beef comes from Prescott, and we work with many local vegetable producers. But we also like to incorporate specialty ingredients that aren’t available here in Arizona. Sometimes the best version of an ingredient comes from California, and in those cases, we go with what’s best. While we prioritize regional sourcing when possible, our ultimate commitment is to using the highest quality ingredients, regardless of origin.”
The menu at COURSE changes with each season, offering a five-course tasting menu Tuesday through Thursday and an eight-course chef’s tasting on Fridays and Saturdays. This constant evolution reflects Oppold’s commitment to creativity and innovation.
“We deliberately avoid repeating dishes or creating ‘signature items’ — we’ll never put the same dish on the menu twice,” he says with conviction. “The creative process of menu writing is what intrigues us most. We’re always pushing ourselves to learn new techniques and approaches to keep things exciting, not just for our kitchen team but for our servers and especially our guests.”
This dedication to novelty resonates with COURSE’s clientele. The restaurant has quickly become a destination for special occasions and culinary adventurers seeking more than just sustenance.
“I always love when guests ask to come into the kitchen to meet our whole team,” Oppold shares. “That’s definitely one of the best reactions we can get.”
Elevating North Scottsdale’s Dining Scene
COURSE’s location along Shea Boulevard was strategically chosen to serve clients from across the Valley.
“During my in-home dining period, my clientele was spread across Paradise Valley, Desert Mountain, DC Ranch, Gilbert and Chandler,” Oppold explains. “This spot along the Shea corridor is perfect because it’s close to Loop 101, making it accessible for all my clients coming from both the North Valley and the East Valley.”
The restaurant’s success has contributed to North Scottsdale’s rising reputation as a fine dining destination beyond the established resort restaurant scene. COURSE’s intimate dining room creates an exclusivity that complements the meticulous nature of Oppold’s cuisine.
Since opening, COURSE has accumulated an impressive array of accolades. In addition to the James Beard recognition, the restaurant was named Emerging Restaurant of the Year and Top Chef at the 2024 Arizona Restaurant Association Foodist Awards then recognized for
Exceptional Culinary Experience in 2025. COURSE was also the only Arizona establishment to make Yelp’s national list of Best New Restaurants for 2024, ranking No. 7.
“The recognition puts more weight on your shoulders — though we already put that pressure on ourselves as a team back here,” Oppold reflects. “While the accolades are nice, they don’t change our fundamental approach or philosophy. What they do change is our drive — it makes us want to work even harder to keep exceeding expectations.”
This drive for excellence extends to every aspect of the COURSE experience, from the culinary creations to the service.
“Our focus is simple — making our guests happy,” Oppold says. “That’s the foundation of everything we do. And equally important is keeping our staff happy, because those two things go hand in hand. The happier our staff is, the better experience our guests will have. For COURSE itself, we’ll keep pushing the envelope, exploring what we’re capable of, and making every menu better than the last.”
Despite his sophisticated culinary repertoire, when asked what he craves for personal enjoyment, Oppold’s answer reveals his unpretentious nature.
“I would definitely say eggs are probably one of my favorite things — specifically scrambled eggs with Sriracha on toast,” he says. “Something very simple and, to be honest, kind of mindless, but just really tasty, you know?”
This balance of simplicity and complexity, of farm roots and fine dining finesse, defines not only Oppold’s cuisine but his approach to life. As COURSE continues to evolve, it remains a canvas for his artistic expression — a gallery where architecture meets agriculture, and where everyday ingredients are transformed into extraordinary experiences.
