The size of the gatherings can range from a single vehicle to dozens, like at the annual Street Eats festival. The number of food trucks on the streets of Phoenix these days means that it's pretty easy to find one when you want. If you can swing it, though, a night here can feel like several fine dinners condensed into a single evening. In spite of its laidback airs, Binkley's is certainly not for everyone the cost of admission will automatically price out many diners. The final courses are served in the dining room, where Binkley and his team fuss over you in a room so intimate and relaxed, it feels a little like having dinner at a friend's house - a friend who happens to have a mastery of French and modernist technique. Several amuse-bouches later - perhaps a wonderful foie gras slider, or freshly picked baby radishes wrapped in green goddess dressing foam - you find yourself sitting in the intimate bar area, lost in a plate of thinly sliced black-foot jamón ibérico.
Dinner starts on the patio, where someone hands you a cocktail featuring herbs grown on the premises. True, metro Phoenix doesn't have a reputation for indulging or rewarding this kind of extravagant culinary endeavor, but maybe we can make an exception for Binkley's, which last fall moved into the historic home that formerly housed Bink's Midtown.
Chef Kevin Binkley's retooled fine-dining flagship is often discussed in terms of numbers: 22 courses served over a leisurely three-hour-long meal, for about $160 per person (not counting optional beverage pairings and a service fee).