18 May 30th-June 5th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Right on Course Morning Would serves a 6-course brunch to celebrate. BY TIRION BOAN W hile Morning Would is a high-end brunch experience in Scottsdale, the six- course tasting menu is so much more than your typical morning meal in Old Town. Yes, there is a giant Aperol spritz that comes in a wine glass as big as a basketball that costs $77. And sure, there are mimosas. But this isn’t a music-pumping breakfast club for the party crowd looking to splurge. Instead, it’s a real treat for those who want to slow down a little and pack their morning with flavor. Brought to life by chef Cory Oppold, Morning Would is a Sunday-only brunch concept housed inside the chef’s fine dining restaurant, Course. “We take classic brunch items and give them a little twist to make it more unique, more fun for the guests and more fun for us in the back,” Oppold says. “I’m a straight- up Gemini, so it’s kind of like those two different personalities coming together as one.” The original idea for Morning Would started in 2019 as a pop-up event with Chula Seafood. Once Oppold opened Course, he was eager to bring back the multicourse brunch concept. The dinner experience at Course takes a more serious fine dining tone. Morning Would, complete with its cheeky name and cute logo, is fun and relaxed — but by no means any less flavorful. The experience begins with a choice of beverage, with options ranging from that giant spritz to a crisp glass of white wine. Cocktail options include the light and refreshing La Crocs made with grapefruit and yuzu and the rich Cereal Killer, which includes rum, pineapple and banana liqueurs, strawberries and cream. Once customers select their drinks, they can sit back, relax and let the servers do the rest. Then the brunch menu, which actu- ally includes seven plates with the first being a “snack,” starts to roll. The first two plates — a potato latke with cured salmon and chive sour cream, and tuna tataki with watermelon, jicama, avocado, lime and cilantro — ease customers into the experience. The crispy latke balances against the soft and subtle salmon, and the sour cream brings an herbaceous and yogurt-y pop. The tataki is fresh and clean, while subtly flavored. It’s inspired by a fruit bowl one might have for breakfast, Oppold explains, but with a savory twist. These two dishes are lightweight, something that Oppold says is intentional. “Usually we start the guests off with a snack, and then it goes into the courses,” he says. The menu is designed this way so customers can make it through all of the courses comfortably. Where the menu really starts to ramp up and show off the kitchen’s culinary prowess is with the grilled asparagus salad. The crisp greens are paired with creamy burrata, salty prosciutto, shallot aioli and the star of the show: sliced confit tomatoes. The tomatoes are on their way to becoming sun-dried but maintain some juice and bite, making for some seriously super- charged slices. This dish explains part of the kitchen team’s mentality and process. Because the menus change throughout the year, Oppold says he and the team often create dishes thinking first of which vegetables are in season. So while grilled asparagus salad may seem focused on the cheese or inspired by a composed caprese salad, it’s actually built around fresh asparagus. “We like to make it work backwards, and for us, that just makes a little bit more sense,” Oppold says. The next course — a plate of shak- shouka — reminds us that the menu is indeed designed around brunch. This dish contains flavors familiar to brunch fanatics, including an egg in warm tomato sauce with roasted garlic breadcrumbs and crumbles of feta cheese. It resembles a tiny, excellent version of the many brunch skil- lets served around town. When conceptualizing dishes for dinner, the world is the chef’s oyster. But for brunch, there are some parameters and constraints to work within, Oppold explains, saying “that’s what makes it fun.” “How can we reconfigure these classic items that people already have preset in their mind what it should look like or taste like?” he asks. “We want people to taste it and say, ‘Oh that’s familiar, but just a touch different.’” The Monte Cristo course is next. This slice of a sandwich comprises toasted Noble bread, ham, cheese and mornay, a bechamel sauce enriched with grated cheese. On a physical level, it’s a small ham and cheese sandwich. But the salty and savory flavors are crowd-pleasers. However, it could benefit from something sweet or acidic to cut through the creaminess. The last savory course is one that customers may recognize by name, but they’ll find themselves surprised when the dish hits the table. Labeled Carnitas Huevos Rancheros, this is a deconstructed version of the Mexican favorite that cele- brates a fork-tender chunk of braised pork with accompaniments including a fresh green salsa, some black beans and a runny egg. But the star of this dish is the savory, fall-apart pork. As we’re starting to fill up and enjoying discussing our favorites, it’s time for the sixth and final course. The finishing plate continues the fun and is an outstanding finale to the entire meal. Described on the menu as Milk and Cereal, this plate is far from your typical toasted grains. A small bowl of vanilla panna cotta is served alongside a card- board box embellished with Morning Would and its little egg mascot. Inside the box is a cereal of sorts, made of freeze- dried berries and graham cracker-like shards. Pour the cereal over the milk, and dig in. At the bottom of the bowl, a soft pink hue indicates you’ve reached the surprise layer of berry mouse. And, at the bottom of the cereal box, you’ll find a surprise toy. We lucked into a wind-up plastic witch. Ever since he launched the Morning Would concept, Oppold knew he wanted to have cereal boxes made, he says. “It’s kind of like that reminiscence of when you were a child,” he says. “So the only thing that made sense was kind of like a milk-and-cereal type dish.” And while the fruit flavors may change with the seasons, it’s a creation he doesn’t see going anywhere soon. “Until we get bored with it, we’re always going to have that milk-and-cereal aspect,” Oppold says. “It’s kinda fun, kinda playful, just a little touch different.” Morning Would is much the same. This fine dining destination doesn’t take itself too seriously. All business in the evening, the kitchen has the culinary chops to serve the classiest of meals. But why not spice things up a bit for brunch? Morning Would is Oppold’s playground where he nods to nostalgia and customers make new memories to savor. Course and Morning Would 7366 E. Shea Blvd., #106, Scottsdale Clockwise from left: Chef Cory Oppold says the fun brunch and more serious dinner concepts represent different sides of his personality. The grilled asparagus salad includes burrata, prosciutto, confit tomatoes and shallot aioli. The final dish ties the Morning Would concept together with a fun twist on a bowl of cereal. (Photos by Course and Tirion Boan) ▼ Food & Drink
