Regions: California | Fall

The hilltop table set above the clouds in Big Sur is an extraordinary and unforgettable experience. Anticipation builds during the steep climb to the dinner site. Upon arrival, the effort is well rewarded. High on the ranch, vistas in every direction reveal the sources of our meal: fishing boats working the cold offshore waters; cattle happily munching abundant grasses; the foraging grounds of forest and shore. Chef Jacob Burrell of Niner Wine Estates will helm the field kitchen, gathering everything he knows and loves about Big Sur right there on the plate.

Even native Los Angelenos don’t know about this place. Who would ever think a secret urban garden exists a few blocks from Hollywood Boulevard, just around the corner from the famous handprints at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Wattles Farm is a busy hive of activity – a patchwork of garden plots tended by neighborhood farmers sharing tools and tips. We love it here. And we love Chef Gladys Nyoth. Gladys first charmed us with her bubbly personality and French accent when she toured with OITF a few years ago. And then we learned she can cook! Gladys wowed us last year, and she’ll bring the vibrant flavors of West Africa once again to our table at Wattles Farm.

This iconic pier on the Malibu coast was built in 1905 and is a well-loved landmark of California surf culture. It’s also quite a lovely place to dine. From the table, you’ll enjoy panoramic views of sparkling blue ocean waters and the golden hills of Malibu, complemented by a soundscape of splashing waves and seabirds. An iconic pier deserves an iconic team of culinary superstars. Antonia Lofaso and Brooke Williamson have long lists of culinary achievements under their belts, including both rising to the top tiers of Top Chef in their respective seasons and helming successful Los Angeles-based restaurants. And Chris Tompkins is the founder of Broad Street Oyster Co., a roving raw bar restaurant pumping out world famous lobster rolls and other seafood-centric goods. Together, they’ll craft a delectable menu on the pier featuring peak-season produce from nearby Southern California farms and a bounty of finned and shell-clad seafood harvested from the bounteous waters of the Pacific.

Larry Thorne’s farm in the Malibu hills produces an abundance of vegetables, fruits, berries and flowers. Look one way and you’ll see several kinds of citrus. Turn around and you’ll find vegetables of every variety. Then there’s the bountiful fields of Larry’s famous strawberries. Thorne Family Farm is a chef’s dream — particularly for chef Jared Simons, who runs the kitchen at the popular plant-based L.A. eatery Nic’s on Beverly. “Nic” is Nic Adler, the man behind the great food program at Coachella and other music happenings, who we met when Outstanding started doing events at the annual festival. Nic’s been a plant-based event organizer and activist for 15 years and we are thrilled to collaborate with him once again for our vegan feast in the field.

Make a turn off Highway 1 and head uphill. Soon you’ll find yourself in a world that feels miles away from famous beaches and seaside mansions. This is the Thornes’ place, a 25-acre farm where three generations have worked the land since Larry’s parents purchased the property in 1938. Local restaurant chefs rely on the lovingly tended produce grown here, from dry-farmed tomatoes that really taste like tomatoes, to all manner of vegetables and the juicy berries – strawberries, ollaliberries, blueberries – that Thorne Family Farm is famous for. Guest chef Joshua Gill will make great use of Larry Thorne’s lovingly grown produce in the field kitchen. His Beverly Hills restaurant Mírame is known for its creative, ever-changing menu of Mexican flavors and seasonal ingredients from area farms, ranches, and fisheries. Before opening Mírame in 2020, Joshua made his mark as Chef de Cuisine at Joe’s Restaurant in Venice, helping it earn its first Michelin star back in 2008. Then he opened Tacos Punta Cabras, a shining star of L.A. ‘s Alta California cuisine, before traveling the world for many years as a restaurant consultant and chef. Expect a creative feast of contemporary Mexican fare — like salmon skin chicharron, parsnip al pastor tacos, and pressed pig face tostadas. Yum.

We can’t wait to get back to the garden. Robert and his dates and citrus make regular appearances at Outstanding’s table at Coachella. After the enforced hiatus, this year was our seventh gig at the fabulous festival of music and art, and we look forward to bringing the table to Robert’s mystical place in the fall season. In October, the desert weather has cooled and it’s the perfect time to visit the magical garden, where date palms are interplanted with rows of citrus trees. Guest chef Gabriel Woo will cook an Autumn feast in the field kitchen. He’s a Coachella Valley native and the chef behind Bar Cecil, a modern American bistro in Palm Springs known for its indulgent and colorful menu featuring lots of locally sourced seasonal produce. Before opening Bar Cecil last year, Gabe gained an enthusiastic following for his communal dinners at boutique hotels Sparrow’s Lodge and Holiday House. We first worked with Gabe earlier this year and we are thrilled to welcome him back for a very special meal beneath the whispering palms.

The table in the grove at Temecula is among our most beautiful. It seems like every tree has been shaped to provide the most beautiful possible dining site. There is actually some truth to that. Ten years ago, when we set our first table here in the grove, many small branches needed a trim so guests could dine comfortably. The trees have now grown and there is quite a bit more room. Maybe OITF and the Temecula olive grove are growing in concert. Chef Brian Redzikowski has grown alongside the trees also; this is his eighth time as an Outstanding guest chef.

Olive green. You see it everywhere here, including the farm-fashionable clothing of host farmer Thom. So much love and care goes into this farm. It’s really one of the most well cared for properties you will ever see. You may feel lightheaded with intoxication from all the beauty as we dine in dappled sunlight under arching branches. If it happens you have some of your own farm-fabulous olive green somewhere in your closet it’s time to bring it out and join Thom. Guest chef Anthony Wells of Juniper & Ivy will don his green in the field kitchen. Anthony’s worked at Juniper & Ivy since it opened back in 2014, forging deep relationships with local farms and fisherpeople and helping the restaurant earn its stripes as one of San Diego’s very best. He was named a 2022 James Beard Semifinalist for Best Chef: California. Grab a seat in the grove to learn why.

One of our most beautiful table sites. Last year was our first visit to the Hearst Ranch. Two consecutive nights brought extraordinary weather and views — warm, windless skies and a historic castle in the golden hour. As we have often experienced in Big Sur and elsewhere, the higher coastal elevation presents both a view of the Pacific and fog that arrives in the evening, pooling below the table as we float on a cloud. Needless to say, it’s quite the place to dine. And guest chef Julien Asseo will cook up quite the meal to match the scenery. Julien grew up on a vineyard in France and has worked in a number of impressive kitchens in Paris, L.A. and Las Vegas, including Michelin-starred Restaurant Guy Savoy where he climbed the ladder to Executive Chef. In 2019, he and his wife Courtney opened Les Petites Canailles, their celebrated farm-to-table French bistro in downtown Paso Robles. His Fall feast is bound to feature some French flavors and technique, plus plenty of pastured beef from Hearst Ranch.

Here, at one of the biggest of ranches in the USA at 83,000 acres, there is a stunning range of places to set a table, from the ocean side to the mountain top. Steve’s close friends Jim and Debi Saunders of Hearst Ranch Winery will share their award-winning vintages. We are honored that the Hearst family reached out and invited us to this historic property. It’s a gorgeous place, and we’re thrilled to return, this time with guest chefs Jeff and Janet Olsson of Industrial Eats. This will be their second appearance this tour, after having worked their magic in the field kitchen at Gainey Vineyard in July. Lucky for us, this husband-and-wife chef team keeps returning to cook for us. They’re masters of the wood-burning oven and good friends with a slew of sustainable farms, foragers and fisherpeople across the Central Coast which they’ll source from for the menu.