It’s a lot of work schlepping tables and chairs across the sand, but it’s well worth the effort. This quiet cove has seen a few tables over the years — and there’s usually quite a few stories to tell. We’ve often spotted whales and dolphins swimming by and even caught a surprise rocket launch a few years back. Plus, Hans the fisherman is always ready to tell us some stories from the sea. Yosuke Machida is the new Executive Chef at A16, the popular San Francisco Italian restaurant that won our hearts back in 2006. He was born in Tokyo and spent many years working at big-deal Bay Area kitchens before taking the helm at A16. We’re working with Yosuke earlier this year at McEvoy Ranch and are thrilled to welcome him to the beach kitchen for the first time. He’ll transform Hans’s fresh catch into an alluring Autumn feast featuring the flavors of Southern Italy, while pastry chef Charlie Guyard whips up an enticing dessert. Not to be missed.
Taxonomy: 2022 Tour
Bartlett Farm
We always get a warm welcome here. Since our first visit to Bartlett Farm in 2014, Farmer John and his Mom, Nancy, have become like family. We usually come to NOLA on OITF’s Winter Tour. This will be our first visit in the fall, and we expect it to be a glorious season in the Big Easy! When it comes to great chefs, New Orleans offers an embarrassment of riches. We’ve had some great ones cross the long causeway to Lake Pontchartrain to come out in the field with us, and this event is no exception. Guest Chef Michael Stoltzfus of Coquette will join us in the field kitchen to cook up a beautiful feast comprised of Bartlett Farm’s rich fall harvest and the area’s Gulf Coast seafood.
Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy
Over 100 acres of pristine pastures and a large herd of happy grazing goats. Award-winning artisanal cheeses. And a meal from our good friend and supremely talented chef Justin Severino. This one is guaranteed to deliver some “wow”s. Before we sit down to dine, host farmers Steve and India Loevner will show us around the property and give us a taste of the region’s finest cheese. All the while, Chef Justin will be cooking up our feast over flames. Justin has cooked many meals for us over the years and is well-known in Pittsburgh for his housemade charcuterie made from responsibly raised meat. His restaurant Morcilla is a celebration of Spanish cuisine with a menu of cured meats, conservas and pinxtos — plus wood-fired seafood and seasonal small plates.
Blooming Glen Farm
We’ve been coming to this 40-acre farm in beautiful Bucks County since 2011. The place is overflowing with fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs, and our table here is often one of the biggest of the season. Farmers Tom and Tricia have lovingly tended this land since 2006, using sustainable and organic farming practices that enrich the soil and make for some very sweet and delicious produce. And Tom gives one of the best farm tours — he’s hilarious and the jokes keep coming at the table. This year, we welcome guest chef George Madosky to the field kitchen. He’s the Chef de Cuisine at Fork, a Philadelphia institution that’s been forking out farm-to-table menus far before it was cool. We know he’ll be in heaven at Blooming Glen — especially in September, when late summer tomatoes, peppers and zucchini coincide with early autumn roots and squashes.
City Farm
Our first of two events at this urban oasis of vegetables and herbs growing in the shadow of the Chicago skyline — and our 21st to date. Ken Dunn has been converting vacant city lots into productive organic farms for over 30 years, and each time we visit it’s a joy to hear him speak about his inspiring work. Through education and advocacy, they’ve played a powerful role in improving the self-sufficiency of Chicago’s food community. We’ll celebrate all that hard work with a meal from beloved Chicago chefs Doug Psaltis & Hsing Chen of Andros Taverna, located in Logan Square. Their contemporary Greek-style menu tells a story of culinary heritage and will bring soulful sophisticated Mediterranean flavors to the long table.
Blooming Glen Farm
Blooming flowers, bountiful rows of vegetables and fruits, gorgeous green fields laced with corn, cover crops and wildflowers. This 40-acre farm in Bucks County is a dreamy place to dine. A place like this deserves two nights — it’s our tenth year coming to Blooming Glen, afterall. And host farmers Tom and Tricia feel like family. On this night, we welcome back guest chef George Madosky for a second evening in the field kitchen, making this our first double header with a chef this year.
Brooklyn Grange at the Navy Yard
Blooming flowers, tomato vines, and fragrant herbs. Forests of kale, collards, and chard. The lively sound of bees buzzing and chickens squawking. All in the smack dab of downtown Brooklyn. We first set the table at Brooklyn Grange’s Navy Yard location in 2013 and we’ve been back nearly every year since. This year, we’ll welcome our good friend Evan Hanczor back to the field kitchen. Chef Evan has been a staunch supporter of Brooklyn Grange since the beginning and has cooked for us many times on the roof. His farm-to-table restaurant Egg was a Brooklyn institution for over 15 years before it closed in 2020. Now he runs Table of Contents, a pop-up dinner series celebrating the intersection of food, art and culture through literary-themed events. During the pandemic, Evan co-founded FIG (Food Issues Group), a grassroots organization fighting for food security and a fairer food system in NYC and beyond. FIG has delivered more than 70,000 meals to community members in need through its partnerships with local farms like Brooklyn Grange. We’ll toast to their hard work during our late summer meal on the roof.
City Farm
Our second evening at this inspiring urban farm, where vibrant rows of vegetables and herbs grow smack dab in the center of the Windy City. On night two, we have guest chef Maxwell Robbins helming the flames in the field kitchen. Maxwell’s cheffed at some of Chicago’s best restaurants including Blackbird, Gilt, Purple Pig, and most recently Longman & Eagle — and he’s currently working on some exciting new projects to be revealed later this year. Perhaps we’ll get a sneak peek of his plans! Either way, we’re thrilled to see what he cooks up with all the peak summer produce growing behind our seats.
Brooklyn Grange at the Navy Yard
Our Brooklyn Grange dinners are always some of the first to sell out, so we make sure to spend several nights here. Especially when there’s so many brilliant New York City chefs to helm the rooftop kitchen. Guest chef RJ Gitter runs the kitchen at Honey’s in Brooklyn — a restaurant, cocktail bar, and meadery just a few miles east of the Grange. He pairs traditional cooking methods with modern techniques to craft inventive menus with locally grown and foraged ingredients from across the Mid-Atlantic. You can expect plenty of ferments, unusual preparations and wild flavors using all the peak season produce grown right behind our seats. We’ll wash it all down with several varieties of Honey’s wild-fermented mead made with local honey, herbs and fruits.
Seedling Farm
Farmer Pete’s 81-acre fruit farm is bursting with unusual varieties of fruits including logan berries, medlars, paw paw and blood peaches plus many types of apples made into fresh-pressed cider and vinegar. The fruit is picked at peak ripeness and measured with a brixometer for ultimate flavor and nutrition. Pete’s passion for perfect produce has made him a fan favorite among area chefs. This fruit-filled feast in sunny South Haven is bound to be a good one.