The Mission Kierland

Restaurant Information

• Average Entrée Cost: $20-$39
• Brunch:
• Lunch:
• Dinner:
• Outdoor Dining:
• Full Bar:
• Beer/Wine:
• Reservations Accepted:
• Reservations Recommended:
• Vegetarian Friendly:
• Vegan Friendly:
• Gluten Free Friendly:
• Chef Name: Matt Carter
• Chef Bio: Like many chefs, Matt Carter’s culinary career began as a dishwasher. He’d moved to California from his native Arizona, and took a barely-bill-paying job washing dishes at The Eggery breakfast restaurant in San Diego. But something clicked. Carter immediately took to the restaurant business and made his way to the line, working as a prep cook. He decided a career in the kitchen fit his late-night lifestyle, so he enrolled at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute, graduating in 1989. After culinary school, Carter cooked at Scottsdale’s La Chaumiere, where he was immediately smitten with the artistry, demands and disciplines of French gastronomy. His experience there inspired a move to Paris, where he was immersed in the culture and cuisine that inspires him to this day. Upon his return to Arizona in 1992, his Parisian experience helped him land a job as Chef de Partie at Christopher’s Fermier Brasserie, the highly acclaimed restaurant of chef/restaurateur Christopher Gross. Chef Carter cooked there for more than six years, ascending to the position of Chef de Cuisine and learning from some of the best chefs in the country. Thanks to a chance meeting with Chef Thomas Keller in 1998, Carter was given the opportunity to cook in another acclaimed kitchen—the illustrious French Laundry in Napa Valley. After working as Chef Poissonnier (fish cook) for Keller, Carter returned to Scottsdale to work as Executive Chef at Michael’s at the Citadel. After two-and-a-half years at Michael’s, Carter left to collaborate with restaurateur Terry Ellisor in creating Zinc Bistro in 2001. Zinc Bistro remains the benchmark for casual yet refined French bistro cooking in Arizona. In 2008, Carter teamed up with Ellisor and entrepreneur Brian Raab to bring a Modern Latin vibe to historic Old Town Scottsdale with the opening of The Mission. Next, the trio opened The House Brasserie inside the second-oldest house in downtown Scottsdale. The Victorian-styled space features a menu that blends classic French techniques with globally inspired dishes. Most recently, Carter and Raab teamed up with fellow Valley native and longtime restaurateur, Mark Drinkwater, to open Scottsdale’s Fat OX. Named after the iconic Italian Bue Grasso cattle, food & wine festival, Fat OX serves up modern takes on the authentic and hearty recipes of rural Italy. Just months later, Carter brought his popular latin menu to North Scottsdale, opening a second, two-story version of The Mission at Kierland Commons with partners Raab and Ellisor which features a vibrant, contemporary atmosphere while serving the same Modern Latin cuisine. In fall 2018, Carter et al sold The House Brasserie.