Every city has an art scene, but they're not always easy to find. In Scottsdale, there are a few galleries off Marshall Way like the Sette Lisa Gallery and the Wilde Meyer Gallery, but there are others scattered throughout the city. The Scottsdale Art Walk is a perfect example; you'll find that on main street and it's a great place to dive into the scene.
Aside of Heart is a sneaky way to avoid the boisterous crowd. It's a vegan cafe and juice bar, which scares away some of the more typical college kids, but it's a nice spot to chill and relax if you can dig the menu. Alternatively, check out Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row. It's fairly new, and likely hasn't caught on with the college crowd.
The Mastro's Steakhouse is an excellent place to pick up a mouthwatering steak in Scottsdale. Following closely behind would be Durant's off of Central Avenue. For a meal on a budget, you can always hit up the Cholla Prime Steakhouse, a perfectly decent place to eat but nowhere near to the same level as Mastros.