Television personality and AZfoothills.com columnist Nadine Toren is scouring the area, finding savvy Valley features, bringing readers “on the scene.” Every day she’ll introduce you to celebrities, athletes, and give you an inside look into local events and hot spots. She'll touch on topical issues, and keep AZ fans posted on all the big talkers around town.

Hungry?  Well, reading this will make you starved.  Here's the skinny on Scottsdale's newest eatery, courtesy of a famed television chef.

A wealth of whiskey, duck-fat French fries, and a $26, 8 ounce burger topped with foie gras. That’s what you’ll get at Old Town’s new East Coast-style eatery at the re-vamped Saguaro Hotel.  Yep, thanks to Food Network’s Next Iron Chef, Chef Jose Garces, the Valley gained a lounge-like atmosphere to indulge in the ultimate of comfort food and drinks.

The fiancé and I decided to push our start date of our wedding weight loss mission to taste-test the menu at Old Town Whiskey, Scottsdale’s new one-of-a-kind restaurant.  Consider it a modern reinvention of a saloon, sporting classic drinks infused with bourbon, scotch, and gin.  However, this Scottsdale saloon flaunts quite a menu created by Chef Garces.

If you’re a foodie, chances are you’ve seen Garces on TV…he’s one of just seven chefs in the United States to hold the prestigious title of Iron Chef America.  He’s also a culinary pro often making his rounds on national morning shows. 

Garces grew up in Chicago, and now runs an array of restaurants in Philadelphia.  However, his love of golf sparked his interest in Scottsdale, so that’s why he’s now a bi-coastal man.  Garces learned his cooking skills from his Ecuadorian parents and grandparents, later developing what he’s now known for: his exotic twist on everyday meals.  When he’s not on his Buck County, Pennsylvania farm or attending his two kids’ sporting games, Garces is a booming restaurateur, spreading his Latin love around the country. 

The Chef was kind enough to sit down and chat, while the fiancé and I feasted on our Old Town Whiskey appetizers.  (We’ll get to those in a second.)  We discussed his thought process behind The Saguaro Hotel lounge—that he wanted something very unique to the Valley. 

And he did just that.