Executive Chef and COURSE Restaurant partnerCory Oppold was recently featured in Fabulous Arizona’sFabulous People series, offering readers a closer look at the chef behind COURSE, his path into the culinary world, and the values that continue to shape his approach to food and hospitality.
Written by Kenzie Barrena, the feature highlights Chef Cory’s career as aFood Network “Chopped” champion and James Beard Award semifinalist, while also exploring the experiences and influences behind those accomplishments.
Chef Cory originally moved to Arizona to study architecture, but his direction changed after his first experience dining at a fine-dining restaurant. Seeing food presented as creativity, entertainment, and art opened the door to an entirely new career path and ultimately led him into the kitchen.
When asked about his biggest accomplishment, Chef Cory pointed toopening COURSE, a longtime goal that gave him the opportunity to create a restaurant fully representative of his culinary vision and approach to hospitality. He also reflected on the challenges that came with opening a fine-dining restaurant and pushing through the fear of failure that can accompany building something from the ground up.
The feature also offers a more personal look at what influences Chef Cory outside the kitchen. He shares the lasting advice of his grandfather, who encouraged him to approach everything he does with care and intention, along with his belief in continuing to learn, supporting the people around you, and surrounding yourself with individuals who share the right intentions.
Those values carry into COURSE, where creativity and technique are only part of the experience. Hospitality, leadership, collaboration, and a continued desire to grow are equally important pieces of the restaurant Chef Cory set out to create.
We’re grateful toFabulous Arizona and Kenzie Barrena for featuring Chef Cory inFabulous People and sharing more of the story, inspiration, and perspective behind the chef and COURSE Restaurant.
Read the Full Feature
Get to know Chef Cory Oppold beyond the kitchen through Fabulous Arizona’sFabulous People feature, including the experiences that led him to a culinary career, the inspiration behind COURSE, and the values that continue to guide his work.
Experience COURSE
Experience Chef Cory Oppold’s culinary vision firsthand through COURSE’s evolving tasting menus, where creativity, thoughtful technique, hospitality, and storytelling come together throughout each season.
