310 N. Highway 89A Sedona
928-282-4828 amararesort.com

The AAA Four Diamond restaurant Gallery on Oak Creek is truly a treat for all the senses from the exquisite food to the glorious red-rock views right down to the wonderful artwork that’s for sale in the restaurant.

Gallery on Oak Creek Executive Chef Ivan Flowers, who most recently was the executive chef at Different Pointe of View, brings 15 years of culinary experience to Gallery on Oak Creek and assembled a top-notch staff to go with it. The restaurant’s Chef de Cuisine Cory Oppold says the menu features a lot of fusion cooking and French techniques. “It’s very inspirational cuisine,” he says. “We do a lot of chemical cooking, which gives dishes a new flair and makes them visually exciting.” Chemical cooking is a way of altering an ingredient so that it tastes the same but is in a different form than diners are used to, such as dusting a dish with beet powder instead of using a whole beet.

In addition to using only the freshest and best ingredients that can be found, the chefs at Gallery on Oak Creek have access to their own chefs’ garden on premise, which provides herbs, baby carrots, tomatoes and root vegetables.

Combine the incredible food, the glorious red-rock views and an outdoor patio with a warm, romantic fire pit, and it’s hard to beat this contemporary restaurant. From the red rocks to the French fusion food, Gallery on Oak Creek is truly a unique experience.

Cory Oppold's passion for for food is reflected in his fresh and artistc approach to French cuisine.

Close-Up
with Chef De Cuisine Cory Oppold
Gallery on Oak Creek Chef de Cuisine Cory Oppold says he’s 100 percent all-American Illinois farm raised. And he adds that it was all that great cooking with farm-fresh foods that finally landed him in the kitchen for his career.

Oppold moved to Arizona when he was 18. His sister, who lived in Arizona herself, encouraged him to come to Phoenix where there were a lot more opportunities than in his hometown of 300. Oppold planned on pursuing a career in architecture because he had always been interested in art. But it was a foodie magazine that finally convinced him that his future was in the kitchen. “Food is kind of that art form that touches all the senses,” he says.

And Oppold considers himself lucky to have landed his first cheffing job at Different Pointe of View under the tutelage of Executive Chef Ivan Flowers. “My best training has come from Ivan Flowers. He’s the only chef I’ve ever worked with. He promoted me from sous chef to now, chef de cuisine,” he says.

When asked about his food philosophy, Oppold doesn’t hesitate. “Leave the ingredients alone,” he says. “A lot of my dishes will have five ingredients total. You want each ingredient to help the dish along but still keep it simple.”

Q&A
Q: Who or what has influenced you the most in your cooking style?
A: Definitely Gallery on Oak Creek Executive Chef Ivan Flowers. He’s taught me most of my foundation, the technique we use in our kitchen and passion for food. We feed off each other.
Q: What made you decide to work at Gallery on Oak Creek?
A: Flowers has had a huge impact on my career. He left Different Pointe of View, where we worked together, about a year ago. Flowers encouraged me and about seven others at the Pointe to come to Sedona to work with him. It’s nice to wake up to red rocks instead of red stoplights.

Q: What do you want Gallery on Oak Creek to be known for as far as the food goes?
A: Basically, I want every bite to bring a smile. Sedona has a lot of European influence, and we’re able to get back to French dining. I want it to be a unique experience.

Q: What are your favorite dishes on the menu?
A: I like the Tuna Nicoise Salad. It’s a classic salad with confit tuna, French green beans and truffled hard-boiled eggs but with chemical cooking techniques. This salad allows guests to try green beans in a different way. This dish has so many techniques, and it’s very fresh and healthy, too.

Q: What makes Gallery on Oak Creek stand out from other restaurants in Sedona?
A: I think Gallery on Oak Creek has incredibly unique food. Each person in the kitchen brings something different to the restaurant, which is something Flowers allows and encourages.