FnB

FnB, seasonal cuisine and Arizona wines in Scottsdale

FnB is a full-service restaurant located on Craftsman Court in downtown Scottsdale, Arizona. It opened its doors in late 2009 and has since received local and national recognition for a globally accented seasonal cuisine concept rooted in Arizona's agricultural produce. Its owners are Chef Charleen Badman and Pavle Milic, front-of-house manager and beverage director.

Cuisine tied to Arizona's farmland

FnB's menu is built around seasonal menus that change frequently, sometimes even week to week, depending on what local farmers have to offer. Charleen Badman, known as the "veggie whisperer" for her ability to coax the very best flavor out of locally grown vegetables, places them at the center of the concept, though not exclusively. The cuisine is described as unfussy in form and boldly flavored.

Among the accolades cited by the restaurant itself is its 2010 selection by Food & Wine magazine of its braised leeks with mozzarella, mustard, breadcrumbs and a sunny-side up egg as one of the "Top Ten Dish." That same year, various Phoenix media outlets awarded it the distinction of "Best New Restaurant."

A wine program devoted to Arizona

Pavle Milic launched at FnB the first wine program made up exclusively of Arizona references, an initiative that helped bring the restaurant national prominence. The selection is renewed with rotating monthly lists that allow guests to explore different wine regions, and the venue also hosts monthly Sunday sessions, the Sunday Schools, dedicated to introducing attendees to each month's themed list.

In 2014, Milic launched his own wine label, Los Milics, made in collaboration with Kelly and Todd Bostock of Dos Cabezas Wineworks in southern Arizona. In 2017, FnB's beverage program received a nomination from the James Beard Foundation in the Outstanding Beverage Program category, an honor that went to twenty restaurants in the United States that year.

Accolades and backgrounds of its owners

Charleen Badman was named Best Chef of the Southwest at the 2019 James Beard Awards. Before opening FnB she was sous chef at Café Terra Cotta (Scottsdale), chef de cuisine at the Lobster Club in New York and chef and co-owner of the restaurant Inside in Greenwich Village. She has served as president of the Phoenix chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier, an international organization of women culinary leaders, and is the founder of the nonprofit Blue Watermelon Project, made up of chefs, restaurateurs and community food advocates who work with students, families and educators to rethink schools' relationship with food.

Pavle Milic entered the restaurant industry at age 16. His front-of-house career includes Franco's Trattoria (Phoenix), Anne Rosenzwig's fine-dining restaurant Arcadia in New York and Restaurant Budo in Napa Valley. He returned to Arizona in 2007 and worked front of house at Prado in the Montelucia in Paradise Valley before opening FnB with Badman. In 2013 both were inducted into the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame as "Best Restaurateurs."

FnBites, events and complementary activity

The restaurant offers small plates called FnBites and has options for large groups and special events, with reservation available. In the same building, on the upper floor, is the Stay True Radio studio, which produces the podcast of the same name hosted by Milic and dedicated to Arizona food and drink.

Service and hours

FnB serves full-service dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, in its summer hours. The restaurant notes that reservations are handled through its website.

Location and contact

7125 E. 5th Ave. Suite 31, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 · Phone: 480-284-4777 · Email: psst@pavlemilic.com