Malibu Pier with L.A. Times Food Bowl

The Malibu Pier is a dream. Our table stretches down wind-worn wooden planks, seagulls surfing the breezes overhead while surfers ride the waves below. The iconic white towers have been a beacon for fishing charters and folks looking to hang a pole off the pier (or hang around to people watch) since it opened to the public in the 1930s. Join guest chefs Sammy Monsour (of newly opened Joyce) and Tony Messina (of the Surf Clam) for a sampling of the Pacific’s freshest catch. These two acclaimed chefs will marry their influences from across the US, braiding together the flavors of East Coast clam shacks and Southern soul food with a decidedly Californian outlook to create a truly memorable meal celebrating California’s coastal waters.

 

We are proud to partner with our friends at the L.A. Times Food Bowl presented by City National Bank for this event, benefitting the L.A. Food Bank!

Coleman Family Farms with L.A. Times Food Bowl

We stopped at Coleman Family Farms on our first traveling tour in 2003, setting our first table in Southern California in their rows of famous greens. This farm isn’t just important to the history of Outstanding in the Field, though. The founder, Bill Coleman, was an advocate for small farmers throughout his life and one of the foundational vendors at the iconic Santa Monica Downtown Farmers Market. His son, Romeo, now carries on the family business, still setting up at the farmers market each week to sell their beautiful produce. The chefs behind this menu hail from the seashore to Echo Park, from Chinatown to Downtown LA, celebrating the city’s most amazing restaurants and their inspiration — the stunning produce available just outside their doors.

 

We are proud to partner with our friends at the L.A. Times Food Bowl presented by City National Bank for this event, benefitting the L.A. Food Bank!

Wattles Farm with L.A. Times Food Bowl

This community garden still contains century-old citrus and avocado trees from when it was part of the hillside estate of Gurdon Wattles. Now, those trees line garden paths winding between colorful community plots nestled against the historic Wattles mansion. You could walk down the streets of Hollywood and pass by these garden walls every day without ever knowing the magic that grows inside. Our host, Tobey, will open the gates for the afternoon to welcome us into this members-only community for a Peranakan dinner crafted by Michelin-starred Chef Malcolm Lee of Candlenut in Singapore. Los Angeles culinary creative (and fellow Michelin recipient) Chef Minh Phan of beloved local comfort food staple Porridge + Puffs, and fine dining experience Phenakite, will join Chef Lee in the field kitchen for a feast inspired by his Singaporean heritage and her love for L.A.’s multicultural influences.

We are proud to partner with our friends at the L.A. Times Food Bowl presented by City National Bank for this event, benefitting the L.A. Food Bank!

Sausalito Waterfront with Heath Ceramics

Regardless of where we set it, we serve the long table with family-style platters from Heath Ceramics. They hold the abundance of each farm feast in style. As we wind down our tour season we simply have to stop by to celebrate at the source, the Heath Factory in Sausalito. We’ll start the evening in the factory yard to get a peek behind the scenes before seeing their ceramics in action at the table, set on the iconic Sausalito waterfront at the Clipper Yacht Harbor. Guest chef Matthew Accarrino of SPQR & Mattina will bring his soulful, Michelin-starred Italian cuisine to the table while showcasing the freshest catch from our host fisherman, Zander Budge.

Pie Ranch

Every year, we finish out the summer tour season with a foraging dinner at Pie Ranch. Our host forager and king of mushrooms, Todd Spanier, will take us on a tour of the surrounding forests looking for autumnal treasures amongst the redwoods, while host farmers Nancy Vail and Jered Lawson show off their heirloom wheat and organic vegetables. To keep it all in the family, we’re inviting an alumnus of our Tour Crew to celebrate our 2023 Crew’s achievements. Carlo Espinas was our kitchen manager for the 2019 tour, before launching several of his own acclaimed projects throughout the Bay Area — and we are thrilled to have him back in the field kitchen to cook this year’s feast.

Temecula Olive Oil Co.

We’ve been coming to Temecula Olive Oil Company since 2013 (sometimes a few times a year), and every time we pull into the dusty driveway, we feel like we’re coming home. Thom, Nancy and Catherine are some of the most gracious hosts you will ever meet, and can’t wait to help us taste through last year’s pressing of olive oil while telling us all about this year’s harvest. We’ll be there right in the middle of it. For dinner in the olive groves, we’re inviting John Cleveland from South LA’s Post & Beam down to show us his renowned Southern twist on California cuisine. After the event, keep an eye out for our crew enjoying a nightcap at the Stagecoach Inn, just down the street.

Malibu Pier

Peaceful crashing waves, green hills rolling down to the shoreline and panoramic ocean views – the Malibu Pier is a dream dining destination. We will set the table along the rough-hewn planks of the pier for a dinner celebrating the bounty of Southern California’s land and sea with Australian-Italian chef Monty Koludrovic of Botanical Hospitality Group.

Rancho Sisquoc

Stepping onto this cattle ranch winery feels a little bit like stepping back into time. Rugged hillsides dotted with cows frame rows of grapevines leading up to the ranch’s historic barn and the nearby chapel, standing just outside the gates since 1875. We can’t wait to bring the table here for the first time. The Flood family has been on this land for six generations, and the youngest members still practice their riding skills with the ranch’s cowboys. Meanwhile, they’ve produced award-winning estate wines since the 1970s, with stunning labels illustrated by the family artist, Betty. Elizabeth’s daughter, Brett, is an old friend of OITF. We often set the table at her farm, Hillside Grain, in Bellevue, Idaho. Maybe we can convince her to join us at her family’s table for dinner with Chef Rhoda Magbitang from Mattei’s Tavern, a ranch-inspired restaurant with a thriving on-site garden. Chef Rhoda’s passion for California’s ranching history makes her the perfect person to showcase the history of this special property through her work in the field kitchen.

Big Sur Secret Location

It’s impossible not to marvel at the views of the Pacific from up in these coastal mountains, where we set the table on a ridge line above the clouds. The drive up always leaves folks guessing why they agreed to come, but we promise everyone leaves knowing it was worth it for this once-in-a-lifetime view. For our first night of three on this epic cattle ranch, we’re inviting our good friends from Kettner Exchange up from Southern California to enjoy the scenery. Chef Brian Redzikowski will bring his innovative cuisine and signature sense of humor to the field kitchen above the clouds.

Big Sur Secret Location

This location is a secret we love to share. This grass-fed cattle ranch with panoramic views up and down California’s Central Coast is one of our favorite sites, and certainly one of the most exciting vistas. For our second night above the clouds this fall, we’re inviting Jacob Burrel from Niner Wine Estates back for the second year in a row. He’s traveled and worked in kitchens around the world, but has roots right here in Big Sur with stints at Post Ranch Inn and the Big Sur Bakery. At Niner Wine Estates, he keeps an innovative menu inspired by the wines and wealth of fresh ingredients on California’s Central Coast.