Chef Thomas Griese of the new JING Scottsdale didn’t need long to get to know il Bracco‘s menu. He lives close to the Scottsdale restaurant (at 6160 N. Scottsdale Rd.) and had visited for lunch and dinner, so when we settled into a booth in the center of the open dining room, he already knew where to steer the table.
“The meatballs are probably where to go, for sure,” Griese said, pointing to the focaccia baked at il Bracco and served alongside them. (We have to agree; the texture was spectacular). He also always orders the Cacio e Pepe ($23), a bucatini pasta the restaurant makes with cracked black pepper and Pecorino. We added Crispy Artichokes ($20) to the Meatballs ($24) and Chicken Piccata ($31) with kale salad. Then, we dug in while talking food, travel, steak seasoning, and JING’s Josper oven.
From Indiana to JING Scottsdale
Griese grew up in West Lafayette, Indiana. His father was a veterinarian, his mother worked as a NICU nurse, and his maternal grandparents were farmers who planted corn and soybeans, all of which built his love for both food and serving people.
During lunch, Griese explained how a childhood favorite memory, picking strawberries, is integrated into his current menu. The fruit appears at JING in a strawberry sauce with vanilla bean and lime. “Strawberry and lime are flavors that always work together,” he explained.
After graduating from Johnson & Wales University, Griese went on to work at a plethora of demanding kitchens around the country, including Bouchon and The French Laundry. Later, he held a corporate chef role with Mina Group at Westin St. Francis’ Bourbon Steak. He has led JING’s culinary direction since 2019 and brought those years of experience to the group’s Scottsdale opening this last year.
Each state and city also changed the way he cooked. Griese said every place he lived in introduced him to new ingredients and approaches, which fueled his love of traveling. At JING Scottsdale, that curiosity appears on a menu that tours guests through several steak options, Peking duck, traditional Cantonese dishes, and sushi.
Griese described layering fresh oak and pecan wood into the Josper oven to build heat and smoke, then talked through the restaurant’s USDA Prime and wagyu options, including Japanese A5. “I don’t want to eat the same thing every single night,” he said. “That’s the fun thing about JING.”
For his own off-menu meal, Griese sometimes makes a chirashi bowl by topping sushi rice with sashimi, similar to JING’s Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl and several power bowls.
Griese’s connection to JING’s energy reaches beyond the kitchen. While the restaurant has seriously playful vibes from a nightly DJ, he has been teaching himself to use a DJ controller at home, collecting new songs and sharing finds for the restaurant’s playlist, something that started while he was working in Vegas. His colleagues regularly ask what new music he has found, and the chef gladly shares.
Where Griese Eats Around the Valley
The Henry
For breakfast, Griese recommended The Henry. The restaurant has three Valley locations, each with a coffee bar and weekday breakfast. Current morning menus included the vegetable-forward Flower Child Scramble with roasted mushroom, asparagus, romanesco, kale, and Parmesan; as well as an Original Egg Sandwich with bacon, avocado, American cheese, and mayonnaise. Multiple locations, thehenryrestaurant.com
POMO Pizzeria
When asked which local chefs were doing good work, Griese pointed to POMO owner Stefano Fabbri. Fabbri launched the restaurant in 2010, and has since grown to three locations across the valley. The menu centers on Italian food, with Neapolitan pizza the star of the show. Multiple locations, pomopizzeria.com
Guido’s Chicago Meat & Deli
Guido’s sits near JING and became a reliable stop while Griese and his team prepared to open the restaurant. At the time, he remembered the nearby choices feeling limited to McDonald’s, Safeway, or the Italian deli, which has operated in Scottsdale since 1983. The JING team kept choosing Guido’s.
“They do really good and consistent food,” Griese said. He mentioned the Chicken Parmesan ($27.99 at lunch), and the linguine and Clam Sauce ($22.99 at lunch), a red-or-white-sauce dish that Guido’s menu called a family favorite for more than 30 years. 10893 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, guidosofchicago.com
Élephante Scottsdale
At lunch time you’ll find the chef at Élephante at Scottsdale Fashion Square. Run by Nick Mathers’ Wish You Were Here Group, the coastal Italian menu is chock full of shareable dips, salads, pizzas, and pastas, including the Whipped Eggplant with puccia and a bucatini Ragu Bianco. This is one of three locations, but the only one in Arizona. 7014 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 601, Scottsdale, elephanterestaurants.com
Le Âme at The Global Ambassador
Griese chose Le Âme for dinner. The Parisian steakhouse at The Global Ambassador serves French standards such as Steak Frites and French Onion Soup. While talking about Le Âme, he also praised restaurateur Sam Fox, whom Griese called a local “hometown hero.” Fox, who owns Fox Restaurant Concepts, also runs the aforementioned The Henry, as well as Culinary Dropout, Blanco Cocina + Cantina, Flower Child, and more. 4360 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, globalambassadorhotel.com
Houston’s
Consistency also drove Griese’s recommendation for Houston’s. “Houston’s is always good,” he said. “The French dip is great.” Houston’s built its menu around American classics, including burgers made with house-ground chuck. The kitchen also offers selected fish and baked fresh bread every morning. 6113 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, houstons.com
Visit JING Scottsdale on Monday and Tuesday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday noon to midnight, and Sunday 12 to 10 p.m. 10605 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, jingrestaurant.com/locations/arizona/scottsdale
