Rancho Pinot, one of the Arizona’s most acclaimed restaurants, is closing May 15 after 27 years. Owner-chef Chrysa Robertson made the announcement over the weekend on the Scottsdale restaurant’s social media and website.
‘‘I have been at this place called Rancho Pinot for 27 years, mostly with my head down, just working hard,’’ she writes. ‘‘I always assumed I would keep at it for many more years. But the pandemic had a way of forcing me to confront many of my assumptions.
‘‘I had a plan to relocate Rancho when our lease was up this May. But I couldn’t shake the question: ‘Do I really want to start over?’’’
Rancho Pinot debuted in 1993 at Town and Country near the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. It later moved to its current home in the Lincoln Village Shops on Scottsdale Road between Lincoln and McDonald.
The restaurant offers ‘‘modern American’’ fare featuring locally sourced ingredients and influenced by Robertson’s Italian heritage.
A list of her former employees reads like a Who’s Who of Arizona’s culinary stars, including Chris Bianco, Charleen Badman, Pavle Milic, Sacha Levine, and many others.
‘‘I have put my ‘everything’ into Rancho,’’ Robertson writes. ‘‘It feels like second nature to me, so familiar. But the joy is starting to fade. Having the luxury of time to reflect this past year has been a real gift, and I took an honest look at my life.’’
The 65-year-old chef was a James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef Southwest in 2020. (No winner was announced due to the pandemic.)
‘‘I am going to take some time off and breathe a bit. I am not going away for good. I know I will be back, cooking and welcoming you again, but in a different, perhaps more simple way.’’
Rancho Pinot will continue to offer dinner Wednesday through Saturday through May 15. Limited takeout will be available Wednesdays and Thursdays only.
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