Course is a prix fixe, multi-course dining room in Central Scottsdale, built around chef Cory Oppold's approach to food as an artform — a menu shaped by seasonality and a deliberate progression of flavor meant to move through both taste and presentation.
Oppold, raised on a dairy farm in Pearl City, Illinois, came to food after an early detour into architecture; a single fine dining meal in Phoenix redirected him toward the kitchen. He trained at Scottsdale Culinary Institute, graduating with honors, then worked through resort kitchens and independent restaurants before teaching at Le Cordon Bleu.
In 2025, the James Beard Foundation named Course's kitchen a semifinalist for Best Chef in the Southwest and its pastry program a semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef, recognition for both the savory and dessert sides of the menu in the same year.
Oppold, raised on a dairy farm in Pearl City, Illinois, came to food after an early detour into architecture; a single fine dining meal in Phoenix redirected him toward the kitchen. He trained at Scottsdale Culinary Institute, graduating with honors, then worked through resort kitchens and independent restaurants before teaching at Le Cordon Bleu.
In 2025, the James Beard Foundation named Course's kitchen a semifinalist for Best Chef in the Southwest and its pastry program a semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef, recognition for both the savory and dessert sides of the menu in the same year.