Chef Change-Up at Avalon in Scottsdale

Has Avalon executive chef Travis Watson been lured back into the fold at Fox Restaurant Group to work at the soon-to-open Culinary Dropout?The rumor isn't confirmed, but one thing is true -- Watson left the swanky Scottsdale restaurant just after the new year. Before he joined the opening team at...

By Michele Laudig

January 15, 2010

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Has Avalon executive chef Travis Watson been lured back into the fold at Fox Restaurant Group to work at the soon-to-open Culinary Dropout?

The rumor isn't confirmed, but one thing is true -- Watson left the swanky Scottsdale restaurant just after the new year. Before he joined the opening team at Avalon, Watson was the executive pastry chef for Fox.

Filling his clogs as Avalon's new executive chef is Charles Stotts, who's been chef de cuisine at the restaurant since it opened a year ago.

Stotts' resume includes two years at Bloom (a Fox-owned restaurant where he also worked with Watson), Seville Golf & Country Club, and Different Pointe of View, under chef Ivan Flowers.

Since Avalon just introduced a new menu in December, Stotts says he won't be making further changes until after Valentine's Day. He expects to continue changing things up about five or six times a year.

"I'm more seasonal than a lot of chefs," he says.

Coming up, Avalon will be hosting a champagne dinner on January 28 Champagne%20dinner%201%3A28.doc and a Valentine's Day tasting dinner Valentines%20Day.doc .

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