Grade A Gardens

After three years away, we’re thrilled to return to the fine state of Iowa and catch up with our friends at Grade A Gardens. At our dinner in 2018, farmer Jordan proposed to Whitney while standing on the apple box at reception and introducing the farm. She said yes and now we return to their growing farm and growing family. They have two kiddos now and recently expanded to a larger property in Earlham that they’ve turned into farmland from scratch. This will be our first time seeing their new spot, and we have no idea where we may choose to set the table. What we do know is that guest chef James Arbaugh will be cooking a delectable feast with the farm’s summer bounty. James ran the kitchen at Michelin-starred spot Plumed Horse in the Bay Area for many years before joining the team at Lua Brewing, where he cooks a “melting pot of American cuisine” with high-quality seasonal ingredients to pair with the brewery’s selection of carefully made craft beers. Lua has already made waves in the Des Moines dining community since opening in 2019—so we feel quite lucky to have James and the team for a night off in the field kitchen.