Chef-driven Second Story Restaurant and Liquor Bar announced that Valley native Matthew Kassman has been named the new executive chef of the upscale Scottsdale hidden gem. 

Located just above Scottsdale Road and 3rd Avenue, the Second Story Restaurant and Liquor Bar has consistently received rave reviews since opening in 2014. 

Blending regional ingredients and old-world techniques, Kassman brings almost a decade of culinary experience from America’s top restaurants back to Arizona. 

A Glendale native and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, Calif., Kassman spent the last nine years working various chef roles in the Wine Country region of Napa and also New York City. 

Some of those top restaurants included the one Michelin-starred Bouchon, three Michelin-starred Per Se, three Michelin-starred The French Laundry, the Aviary NYC and WS New York.

According to the release, Kassman stated some of his greatest experiences came working under the direction of Thomas Keller. 

COVID-19-related restaurant closures in New York brought him back home, but he says the timing couldn’t have been better. 

The chef says he is both honored, humbled and excited about the opportunity to lead the culinary team at Second Story Restaurant and Liquor Bar, a restaurant that has been on his radar for some time. 

"The culinary world is a small one and over the years I’ve heard so many great things about The Second Story Restaurant and Liquor Bar and especially the food," Kassman stated in the release. "It’s a quaint place and the kind of place where I will really be able to develop something special.”

Kassman says he’s also a huge fan of bourbon and whiskey and looks forward to pairing the cocktails with the restaurant’s exotic flavors and awe-inspiring dishes.

The menu is modern America with a French influence. Kassman says guests can expect to see about 15 dishes on the menu at any given time with the recognizable classic dishes done well.

Among his favorite dishes on the menu — Second Story’s take on the Ceasar salad with gem lettuce and parmesan tempura-fried anchovies, his steak served with hand-cut steak fries, freshly grated horseradish and house-made steak sauce along with his pan-seared halibut among others. 

For a complete list of the playful and mouth-watering selections on Chef Kassman’s menu visit www.secondstoryliquorbar.com.