Arizona Native Specializes in Using Ethnic Ingredients in Classic Cooking Styles
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Desert Highlands – the acclaimed luxury golf club and community in the stunning Sonoran Desert of North Scottsdale – introduces Todd Berry as its new executive chef.
Possessing more than 20 years of experience in the culinary and hospitality industries, Berry has worked as an executive chef at many high-end establishments such as the Westin Kierland Resort, the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale and the Sheraton Grand Sacramento. Specializing in using ethnic ingredients in classic cooking styles, Berry has worked with numerous chefs throughout his illustrious career, including famed Austrian chef Anton Brunbauer.
Berry also specializes in managing the kitchen effectively and efficiently, and stresses that his team members meet their potential and achieve their goals. An Arizona native who has spent most of his life in the Phoenix area, Berry enjoys spending time outdoors, either four-wheeling in the desert or camping in the woods in the northern part of the state.
“Todd boasts an incredible resume and credentials in the luxury resort and hospitality industries that make him an ideal fit for our club,” says Monty Becton, General Manager and Chief Operating Officer at Desert Highlands. “We are extremely delighted to have Todd join our team, and know the members will thoroughly enjoy his ideas for better serving them and his creative menu items.”
Desert Highlands’ energetic lifestyle consistently draws discerning families and active Boomers in equal measure – tennis enthusiasts, golfers, pet lovers, and health and wellness enthusiasts. A full social calendar allows residents to fully enjoy this peaceful community.
This past October, Desert Highlands unveiled Jack’s, a lively gastropub inside the clubhouse named after legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus, who also designed the club’s award-winning golf course. Led by award-winning architect Erik B. Peterson of PHX Architecture, Jack’s is a high-energy gathering space that diversifies Desert Highlands’ dining options. Earlier this summer, Golf, Inc. Magazine awarded Jack’s its coveted Golden Fork Award in the New Private Club category.
Construction also has begun on Jack’s Backyard, an outdoor pavilion that will include numerous seating areas, firepits and Bocce courts. Other amenity updates or new construction occurring at Desert Highlands include a renovation of the fitness center and an update to Ventana, the club’s main dining area.
A year ago, Desert Highlands ranked among the top-15 of ‘Platinum Clubs of America’ golf clubs for 2021-22 by the Club Leaders Forum, a leading source in the private club industry and publisher of The Forum Magazine. The club finished 14th overall in these rankings, and was the only golf club in Arizona to be listed in the top-25.
The Desert Highlands’ Racquet Club sports 13 tennis courts featuring all three Grand Slam surfaces – grass, clay and hard – and two regulation-size pickleball courts. The Racquet Club also annually hosts one of the premier tennis tournaments found anywhere – the USTA Southwest Grass Court Classic. Noted ATP player Nick Kyrgios also considers Desert Highlands’ grass courts “better than Wimby [Wimbledon],” and Club and Resort Business ranked the Desert Highlands Racquet Club the top racquet facility in the state and among the best in the nation.
Stretching to over 7,100 yards, the Desert Highlands golf course re-opened in 2019 after a $7 million renovation project that included refurbishing every bunker, restoring the 13th hole to its original design, installing a new irrigation system and updating cart paths. The Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course offers a challenging, but fair test, and striking views of Pinnacle Peak and the lights of the Valley spread across the horizon in the distance below. Desert Highlands was Nicklaus’ first design in Arizona, and immediately set the bar for desert golf experiences, not only in Scottsdale but statewide and nationwide.
In addition, Desert Highlands boasts a 7,700-square-foot Wellness Center, an 18-hole professionally designed putting course and a spacious dog park. Inside, the club provides residents peace of mind with an upgraded state-of-the-art security system, professionally trained security personnel, visitor control and access, and other protection amenities. Among the acclaimed residential services that truly pamper residents and meet their specific needs – shipping and transportation assistance, pool and spa maintenance, auto detailing and other customized services.
For more information: www.deserthighlandsscottsdale.com.
About Desert Highlands
Scottsdale’s premier private community and club, Desert Highlands melds Sonoran Desert luxury with world-class golf, tennis, dining and residential services. Located just 30 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Desert Highlands is easily accessible for second and vacation homeowners. It is only minutes away from famed Old Town Scottsdale and its myriad shops, restaurants and art galleries. Homes (all resale) range from $1 million to over $6 million, and feature architecturally adapted styles and systems for life in America’s most vibrant desert. A residential remodel program offers investors the opportunity to have the membership fee waived during the period in which they are restoring / upgrading their investment property. The club’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course is considered one of the best layouts in Arizona, and hosted the first two Skins Games back in 1983-84.
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