Regions: California | Fall

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.

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 Australian-Italian chef Monty Koludrovic of Botanical Hospitality Group.

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.

This dinner promises to be a delightful mix of mystery and familiarity. We’re no strangers to a secret beach setting, but as the name of this event suggests, we’re setting the table in a special spot this time around. With a soundtrack of crashing waves and echoing gulls, and views of the setting sun on the distant horizon, this special secret sea cave is worthy of the uncertainty you may feel entering coordinates into your map to get there. We promise you’ll be well taken care of by our old friend and field kitchen veteran, Matt Millea. Matt has spent time in many celebrated restaurants, including Big Sur Bakery and Post Ranch Inn, as well as touring the world with OITF as expeditor and chef. He promises to delight you with his take on H&H’s fresh caught fish while our favorite fisherman, Hans Havemen himself, delights you with stories of his catch at the table. Some secrets are better kept, while others are best shared with friends. We can’t wait to share this one with you.

Every chef wants to cook at Big Sur. Adam Dulye, who has joined us in several states and a few countries, finally gets his turn. This is as far as you can get from a normal kitchen, and for Adam that’s only a positive. A professional challenge feeds a chef’s passion. Adam has taken on some of our most challenging events, and this one high on the ocean bluffs along Big Sur’s rugged coast is no exception. He’ll cook the evening’s meal while staring out into a view of rolling golden hills above a sea swallowed by fog. We’ll have the same view as we dine. As the evening progresses, we’ll get a sweeping sunset over the ocean while the waxing moon rises in the East.

We return to Markegard Family Grass-Fed for an autumn meal in their lush pastures overlooking the Sonoma coast. Erik and Doniga Markegard are deeply dedicated and knowledgeable ranchers and it’s a joy to hear them speak about their story and their practices while staring into sweeping views of happy grazing cows, chickens, pigs and lambs. Through their regenerative grazing system, the Markegards aim to boost the health of their soil and their animals. This leads to some very nutritious and delicious meat, which guest chef Byron Hughes knows just what to do with. He’s the culinary powerhouse behind Last Supper Society in Sacramento, a custom culinary experience aimed at forging connections and celebrating cultural differences. Byron and his team cooked us for us at Markegard last year and is cooking earlier this year at Forlorn Hope as well. We are thrilled to have him back for another round. Expect an unforgettable meal featuring Afro-Asian flavors, flame-grilled Markegard meat and fall vegetables from surrounding farms.