Chef Alex Stratta Leaves Paradise Valley Resort After Less Than Six Months

It's been less than two months since we sat down with Michelin-starred, James Beard Award-winning chef Alessandro Stratta, who, at the time, had just taken the reins at Prado at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia. The chef had recently moved to the Valley to be closer to family...

By Lauren Saria

July 21, 2016

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

It's been less than two months since we sat down with Michelin-starred, James Beard Award-winning chef Alessandro Stratta, who, at the time, had just taken the reins at Prado at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia. The chef had recently moved to the Valley to be closer to family and told us he had "very high expectations for [the] restaurant."

But it seems the high expectations aren't to be met. Less than eight weeks later, a spokesperson for the resort has confirmed Stratta is no longer with Omni Scottsdale Resort. Prado will continue to serve the menu Stratta implemented at the restaurant, which will be executed by sous chefs Vincent Contreras and Kevin Boyle. And according to a statement, the resort has no immediate plans to fill Stratta's former role as chef de cuisine at the restaurant.

Stratta, who got his start (and earned a James Beard Award for) his work at the venerable Mary Elaine's at the Phoenician, was enthusiastically welcomed back to the Valley earlier this year after spending many years working at fine dining restaurants in Las Vegas. The chef hoped to revitalize Prado, a fine dining spot that opened in 2009 but has since failed to gain a real foothold in the Valley dining scene.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.