Technically this is Carefree, and that’s rather the point: past the last of Scottsdale’s glow, The Boulders’ signature room sits on the sixth fairway of the South Course, windows onto a duck pond and the granite piles beyond. The cooking is contemporary Southwestern with local sourcing, from a chef who beat Bobby Flay on television, which is more credential than most resort kitchens bother with.
The mesquite-smoked veal chop is the dish, and whatever else came off the mesquite that night is the backup plan.
When to go: dinner runs Tuesday through Saturday, so book ahead. Breakfast is daily, walk-in, and the cheaper way to see the view.