Regions: California | Fall

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 Veil, Jared Lawson and Karen Heisler 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.

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.

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 some of LA’s finest culinary talent.

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 1970’s, 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 this time around. Maeve McAuliffe from Rory’s Place in Ojai will put together a playful feast for us to enjoy on the ranch’s hillsides. She cooked with us for the first time this past winter, and we are very excited to see what she comes up with for her second turn in the field kitchen.

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.

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.

We’re kicking off a fall series of dinners at our favorite stretch of California shoreline. We can’t wait to see where on the beach we end up placing the table; maybe somewhere near the tidepools or up against the scrubby bluffs overlooking the waves. Don’t be surprised if the incoming tides lap against your toes before dessert is served. Gonzalo Guzmán will be in the field kitchen, creating something beautiful with the freshest catch from H&H Fresh Fish. Chef Gonzalo has joined us at the beach several times before, and will surely serve a delicious dinner inspired by the Mexican flavors he showcases at his restaurant, Nopalito.

We love this secret beach because it has a little bit of everything. It’s accessed through a historic farm, where the fields stretch to the edges of bluffs overlooking sandy coves and tidepools. Crashing waves and cloudy skies add a sense of drama, while a sunny day lends a sense of relaxation. We’re inviting our good friend Adam Dulye from the Brewer’s Association back to cook dinner in one of his favorite spots featuring plenty of H&H Fresh Fish caught just beyond our seats. Fisherman Hans will surely entertain us with a few stories from the sea. Perhaps he’ll even point out a passing whale or a pod of dolphins, all while chef Adam cooks up a seafood-focused feast.

For our final dinner at this stunning site, we’ll set the table in the sands of one of the best beaches in the country. In the fall, it is warm and windless as you walk from the bluffs down into a hidden cove, where the symphony of the waves echoes off the cliff sides. Host Fisherman Hans Haveman will delight us with his passionate take on sustainable fishing and stories from the waters lapping at our feet before we sit down to dinner from San Francisco chef Pujan Sarkar of ROOH.

Hog Island Oyster Company is high on the must-stop-to-eat list when our new Tour Crew arrives in the Bay Area each spring. They offer a taste of Northern California’s finest seafood (including, of course, some really great oysters). We’re excited to make our relationship more official, bringing our long table to their ranch overlooking Tomales bay for the first time. We’ll take a stroll to our table site above the oyster beds and learn about the positive environmental impact of oyster farming. Husband-wife duo Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski from Michelin-starred, James Beard Award-winning State Bird Provisions will be joining us in the field kitchen, where they are excited to show off the wealth of ingredients the Bay Area is known for. Stuart and Nicole have joined us several times as guest chefs in the early days of OITF. We are excited to have them back!