Mary Elaine's: best of The Phoenician's nine.

If main courses are as important to you as golf courses on your Arizona golf vacation , consider staying at The Phoenician resort in Scottsdale.

The property is medium-sized (it has a little more than 650 guestrooms, suites and villas), but instead of the typical two or three restaurants, The Phoenician has nine — and that doesn’t include a few private dining options.

If you go, your first choice for dinner should be Mary Elaine’s. It is one of the finest golf resort restaurants in the nation and its huge wine cellar (more than 45,000 bottles valued at $3 million) is presided over by one of Arizona’s only Master Sommeliers.

The food, described as modern French, is as eclectic as it is delicious, especially on the two chef’s tasking menus offered nightly. Dishes include glazed langoustine, crispy skin loup de mer, buttermilk fried sweetbread and, on the a la carte menu, smoked buffalo tenderloin. There is even a chef’s table in the kitchen where one party can watch the staff prepare these culinary delights.

An excellent second choice is The Terrace, featuring contemporary American steak and seafood, or Windows on the Green, a casual, Southwestern restaurant that overlooks the golf course.

Whichever you choose, you are sure to enjoy the gastronomic portion of your Arizona golf vacation because each of these restaurants is presided over by chefs with extremely impressive credentials.

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