Kevin Binkley makes James Beard Awards finals for 2nd straight year

For the second straight year, Kevin Binkley is a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest. The owner/chef of Binkley’s in Cave Creek will find out if he wins May 6.

Three other Valley semifinalists – Shinji Kurita of ShinBay (Best Chef Southwest), Sam Fox (Outstanding Restaurateur), and Vincent on Camelback (Outstanding Restaurant) – did not make the final ballot.

The Valley has had nine chefs win Best South Southwest, more than any other state, but none since Nobuo Fukuda in 2007.