Our Story
Amelia's is named for Stacey Weber's paternal grandmother, Alma Amelia, who could not stand the name. "Her middle name is Amelia which I loved and she hated it," Stacey told the Scottsdale Progress in 2023. "She told me if I named my daughter Amelia, she would haunt me." So she named a restaurant after her instead.
Through Stacey's childhood her grandparents drove all the way from Florida up to Alaska to spend the summers with the family, because both her parents worked full time. She and her grandmother cooked the whole summer: handmade pasta, German spätzle with brown butter, roast chicken, cookies frozen for the winter holidays, strawberry ice cream churned from strawberries picked out of the garden. "She was a great home cook who would cook with butter in everything."
"She was a thoughtful, intricate cook who spent most summer days in the kitchen preparing elaborate, traditional meals," Stacey told The Best of the Southwest. "She placed a high value on sitting down for an evening meal together... You could find me by her side most summer days, studying her way around the kitchen, and experiencing the joy felt from preparing and sharing a nutritious meal with those you love."
"She made the classics shine which is what I strive to do at Amelia's."
Stacey tried painting and sculpture first. It was studying abroad in Florence, and the memory of her grandmother's kitchen, that turned her to food instead. "I started cooking, and it came so naturally to me," she told IconicLife. "I just knew that was the path that was meant for me, and every day I feel that passion and excitement about food."
Her cooking career began in 2007, with an in-home personal chef business. She helped develop the culinary program for the Arizona Cardinals as their executive chef, and has cooked for Larry Fitzgerald and his family for years. That work grew into EAT by Stacey Weber, the catering and prepared meals company that still trades alongside the restaurant today.
Amelia's by EAT opened in McCormick Ranch in 2023 as an extension of it. "I wanted to create a place to experience a great meal and glass of wine, walk out the door feeling good, and wake up feeling even better," Stacey says, "a place where families feel welcomed and appreciated." Somewhere she could bring her son Jack and trust there would be balanced options for him.
The cooking is modern comfort food, made from scratch. "I want it to feel clean in here because our cooking is modern comfort food and it's all cooked clean from scratch and is sourced locally," she told the Progress. The ingredients come from Arizona growers, among them Crow's Dairy in Buckeye and Steadfast Farm in Mesa.
Families always welcome.
Stacey Weber: A Culinary Journey Rooted in Family and Community
Stacey’s rewrite, sent 21 August, shown beside the version above so April can choose which lines to keep from each.
Stacey Weber’s culinary journey is deeply intertwined with cherished memories of her grandmother, Amelia. From a young age, Stacey was captivated by Amelia’s passion for cooking, spending summers together in the kitchen, where they crafted everything from scratch. Whether making elaborate desserts, strawberry ice cream, or hand-rolled German spätzle, the kitchen was filled with the warmth of family and the rich aromas of buttery recipes. Their shared love for gardening further deepened their bond, cultivating not just vegetables but a lifelong passion for nourishing food.
Stacey’s culinary talents began to shine through her in-home personal chef services, where she catered to numerous local families and athletes. This personalized approach allowed her to create tailored meals that focused on nutrition and flavor, quickly earning her a reputation in the community. In 2015, as her catering services began to flourish, Stacey took a significant step by opening her brick-and-mortar catering kitchen and grab-and-go store. This expansion allowed her to offer seasonal, detail-oriented food for special events, a service that remains a hallmark of both Eat and Amelia’s.
Her impressive 11-season career with the Arizona Cardinals further amplified her culinary expertise, where she established the team’s first-from-scratch culinary department, providing healthy meals for players and coaches alike. Stacey’s commitment to quality and nutrition extended beyond the team, as she collaborated with various local businesses to promote wholesome, scratch-made meals within the community.
In September 2023, Stacey realized her dream by opening Amelia’s by Eat in Scottsdale’s McCormick Ranch neighborhood. Named in honor of her grandmother, the restaurant is a heartfelt tribute to the values of warmth, hospitality, and generosity that Amelia embodied. With a focus on serving nourishing, scratch-made meals, Amelia’s invites guests into a comforting environment where they leave feeling better than when they arrived.
At Amelia’s, Stacey emphasizes organic - locally sourced ingredients and a menu that caters to diverse dietary needs, ensuring every dish is not only delicious but also nourishing. This vision could not be realized without the incredible team behind Eat catering and Amelia’s restaurant, a group of passionate individuals dedicated to creating memorable experiences for every guest. Together, they foster community connections and have quickly made Amelia’s a beloved gathering spot, echoing the spirit of family and togetherness that Stacey learned from her grandmother. Through her culinary endeavors, Stacey continues to celebrate the love of food, creating a welcoming haven for all who enter.
More on how we cook, and who we buy from: our values and our local purveyors.
Read about us
- Amelia's By EAT: past meets future (opens in a new tab)
- Local eatery honors owner's grandmother (opens in a new tab)
And on Stacey's years as a private chef, before Amelia's opened: