Pioneering Phoenix fine dining restaurant Binkley's closing after 20 years. What's next
One of the first tasting menu restaurants of its kind in metro Phoenix, chef Kevin Binkley opened his namesake 20-seat fine dining restaurant in a Phoenix bungalow in 2016 after closing his beloved Cave Creek restaurant. As former dining critic Dominic Armato wrote in a 2019 review, "It is safe to say there is nothing like Binkley’s in the Valley. It is possible there is nothing like Binkley’s anywhere."
The chef went on to earn 11 James Beard award nominations and a cult-like following.
In an Instagram post on April 16, Binkley announced that the restaurant will celebrate their 20th anniversary on May 25 and will close permanently in mid-August.
However, the space won't remain empty for long. Another well-known Valley chef is moving in.
A new home for The Larder and The Delta
Chef Stephen Jones is taking over the storied space on the corner of 24th Street and Osborn Road.
"We are so happy to be turning our beautiful restaurant over to such an amazing person and Chef," the post read. "We did this after asking ourselves whose food we would want to eat since this is our neighborhood. ... There is no doubt that Chef Jones will create incredible food with outstanding service, and we can’t wait to dine at the larder & the delta when it opens in mid-September!"
Before selling the restaurant to him, The Binkleys reached out to Jones to ask if he would consider running the restaurant with an elevated multicourse menu. Jones moved out of his longtime downtown Phoenix restaurant space in October 2023.
"My background is in fine dining and I've always wanted to do a tasting menu," Jones told The Republic. "I wanted to show Arizona that Southern food is more than what people think it is. That it can move in the spaces of Christopher's and Cafe Monarch, so this was very exciting."
In addition, he said, this type of restaurant would allow him a better work life balance.
Jones will change the name of his restaurant from The Larder + The Delta to The Larder & The Delta and plans to present an elevated menu of southern dishes as a $160 12-course menu offered Wednesdays to Saturdays. Wine pairing will be an additional $125.
"This concept is going to be absolutely amazing," said Jones, who added that he plans to retain most of the downtown staff, whom he said "care about what they are doing and love working together and taking care of their guests."
How to visit Binkley's for the last time
Binkley's will offer its final tasting menu from May 24 to mid-August.
The Larder & The Delta's expected opening date is Sept. 12, 2024.
Details: 2320 E. Osborn Road, Phoenix. binkleysrestaurant.com. Follow @thelarderphx on Instagram for updates.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix fine dining restaurant Binkley's closing. Famed chef moving in
