Regions: California | Fall

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.

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!

This family-owned historic timber and cattle ranch rarely allows outside visitors, so we are honored to be invited back for a second year to set the table in their pastures on the craggy bluffs over the Pacific Ocean. The spirit of the Wild West still reigns strong here, where surfers and cowboys feel equally at home and the cows graze on grasses dewy with salty sea air. This cinematic site also happens to have some extremely personable hosts. The Falk family (and their many dogs) can’t wait to welcome us back to enjoy the incredible sunset views from the table. Better yet, we’ve invited some of our favorite chefs to craft a meal in their honor. A16 is a staple of the San Francisco restaurant scene, known both for their wonderful Italian cuisine and owner Shelley Lindgren’s phenomenal wine program. Chefs Yosuke Machida and Charlie Guyard will tow their pizza oven up the tight corners of Highway 1 in order to serve us wood-fired pizza at reception, before a meal you’ll surely think is worth the drive yourself.

This stunning site never ceases to amaze. Whether we’re cliffside looking at the clouds over the redwoods or staring straight down to the Pacific on a sunny day, the views are nothing short of breathtaking. And the table – stretching majestically along the cliffside road – is pretty splendid on its own. We are honored to set the long table in partnership with One Tam, the community campaign of the Tamalpais Lands Collaborative, who help ensure a healthy future for the mountain that so many cherish. Chef Jeremy Zimmerman of the girl and the fig is an OITF alumnus and knows exactly what he’s getting into. Cooking (or dining) on a mountainside thousands of feet above the ocean is for the genuinely adventurous and not for the faint of heart.

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.