Plates To Remember

BY CATHERINE WARMERDAM

Atrip to New York City more than three decades ago ignited Carol MottBinkley’s obsession with vintage restaurant ware. “I was working for Tower Records at the time and went into Fishs Eddy,” the eclectic dishware store, she recalls. “That’s where I bought my first piece: a butter plate with pink and gray flowers.”

“I PRIDE MYSELF ON BEING A SACRAMENTO NATIVE, SO IF I FIND ANYTHING THAT WAS USED IN MY CHILDHOOD, ESPECIALLY FROM LOCAL RESTAURANTS THAT ARE NO LONGER AROUND, I HAVE TO HAVE IT.”

Since then, Mott-Binkley has accumulated a whimsical collection of plates and serving pieces from iconic restaurants and diners that fit her nostalgic aesthetic. “I love vintage clothes, vintage kitchen stu . I have a 1964 vintage camper,” she explains. “I pride myself on being a Sacramento native, so if I fi nd anything that was used in my childhood, especially from local restaurants that are no longer around, I have to have it.”

Some of the most coveted pieces in Mott-Binkley’s collection include soup cups from the Saint Francis hotel; a footed tiki bowl from Harveys Lake Tahoe; a condiment dish from the Nut Tree (a favorite childhood destination); and plates from the famed Beverly Hills Supper Club in her husband’s native Kentucky.

“My collection isn’t huge. I try to only buy things I can use day to day. I like plates where the food will really pop visually because I love to style and photograph food. I learned to cook from [Sacramento chef and restaurateur] Kurt Spataro, and he taught me how to plate food so that it’s appealing to the eye,” says MottBinkley. “And I like things that have a story. It’s like having a piece of history in your china closet.”