After two decades of running one of the Valley’s top-notch eateries (initially in Cave Creek, then at the Osborn locale), Kevin and Amy Binkley are gearing up for some significant changes, to put it mildly. Kevin, hailed as among the city’s most astute, adept, and inventive chefs, is stepping back from the kitchen.
“This ranks as the second most pivotal career decision we’ve ever made. The first was launching the restaurant.”
The pair intends to take a breather, relax, and eventually devise a fresh, well-rounded work/life arrangement likely revolving around the restaurant realm. Kevin elaborates,
“We adore our restaurant and the industry, but we’re ready to relinquish operational duties. We’ve fulfilled our role, and we want to exit while at the summit, which we are. We believe Binkley’s has never shone brighter than it does now.”
Of course, Kevin Binkley has frequently been a James Beard finalist, but that’s a whole other story.
Aware that Jones sought a new restaurant spot and sensing it was time for his own shake-up, Binkley proposed to Jones about taking over Binkley’s space and forming a partnership, with the Binkleys assuming passive roles in an advisory capacity. Jones and Binkley have long admired each other’s work and are friends; nevertheless, Jones was taken aback, phoning his wife to exclaim,
“You won’t believe what just transpired.”
After mulling it over, Jones realized it was the ideal move for him, indeed, the perfect one. He would finally have a grander, more refined setting for the edgy yet refined Southern cuisine he’s always envisioned. In a December interview with PHOENIX magazine, he recounted starting with fine dining at the former Larder space on Portland, but eventually succumbing to customer requests for more conventional fare. “We lost sight of our identity,” he concedes.
He’s determined not to repeat that error. At its new location, The Larder & The Delta will be a fine dining establishment with proper wine service, operating Wednesday through Saturday with one seating on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and two seatings on Fridays and Saturdays. Here, Jones will weave tantalizing tales of the South.
