This is our first time setting the table in this charming coastal village in the Yucatán peninsula — where white sand beaches collide with turquoise seas, fresh-water cenotes sparkle under the Caribbean sun, and the scent of fresh-pressed tortillas and cochinita pibil (Yucatán-style barbecued pork) is often wafting by. Not to mention the plethora of tropical fruit trees and fresh-caught seafood. The glorious view and abundance of sunshine will be matched with a flavorful feast from guest chef Jose Luis Hinostroza of ARCA. He specializes in open-fire cooking, bold Mexican flavors, and a commitment to seasonality that showcases the diverse flora and fauna of the peninsula. Think grilled octopus, coconut salsa verde, avocado leaves, chayote squash, yucca flautas and scallop chicharones.
Es la primera vez que ponemos la mesa en este encantador pueblo costero de la península de Yucatán, donde las playas de arena blanca chocan con el mar turquesa, los cenotes de agua dulce brillan bajo el sol caribeño y el aroma de las tortillas recién prensadas y la cochinita pibil (cerdo asado al estilo yucateco) llega a menudo. Por no hablar de la plétora de árboles frutales tropicales y del marisco recién capturado. La gloriosa vista y la abundancia de sol se combinarán con un sabroso festín del chef invitado José Luis Hinostroza, de ARCA. Su especialidad es la cocina a fuego abierto, los sabores mexicanos más atrevidos y el compromiso con la temporalidad que muestra la diversidad de la flora y la fauna de la península. Piensa en posibles sabores de pulpo a la parrilla, salsa verde de coco, hojas de aguacate, calabaza chayote, flautas de yuca y chicharrones de callo.
This charming colonial city in the central Mexico highlands won us over when we first visited back in 2018. Between the colorfully painted buildings, cobblestone streets, and the cultural history it’s the kind of place that sinks its teeth into you. This year — our third visit — we’ll set the table at friend and chef Donnie Masterton’s Ranchito El Garbanzo, where chefs Ari Vasquez and Hugo Velazquez will work their magic in the field kitchen. Donnie moved to San Miguel in 2008 where he now owns his ranch and restaurants known for inventive global comfort food. For this dinner, however, he’ll be our host while chefs Ari Vásquez of El Vergel and Hugo Velazquez of San Miguel’s own The Restaurant will team up to craft a menu of locally sourced ingredients. With this duo in the kitchen, you can expect a very flavorful feast — and an equally enchanting evening in the hills.
Esta encantadora ciudad colonial en el altiplano central de México nos conquistó cuando la visitamos por primera vez en 2018. Entre los edificios pintados de colores, las calles empedradas, la historia cultural y el aire fresco de la montaña, es el tipo que te cautiva al solo mirarlo. Este año -nuestra tercera visita- pondremos la mesa en el Ranchito El Garbanzo del amigo y chef Donnie Masterton, donde los chefs Ari Vásquez y Hugo Velázquez harán su magia en la cocina de campo. Donnie se mudó a San Miguel en 2008, donde ahora es dueño de su ranchito y de restaurantes conocidos por su inventiva en la comida global. Para esta cena, sin embargo, será nuestro anfitrión, mientras que los chefs Ari Vásquez de El Vergel, y Hugo Velázquez del propio The Restaurant de San Miguel, se unirán para elaborar un menú con ingredientes de origen local. Con este dúo en la cocina se puede esperar un festín muy sabroso – y una noche igualmente encantadora en las colinas.
This 85-acre organic farm in South Florida grows a huge variety of greens, roots, shoots, fruiting vegetables, flowers and herbs. That’s a lot of pretty places to choose from when it comes to setting the table, and a lot of delectable edibles for guest chef Jeanie Roland to incorporate into the menu. Chef Jeanie has quite the culinary chops, including seven James Beard nominations, and The Perfect Caper is a beloved Gulf Coast institution. We are very excited to see what she whips up in the field kitchen. Before we feast, we’ll enjoy an educational farm tour from farmers Eva and Chris Worden. They hold PhDs in Ecosystem Management and Crop Science (respectively) and are recognized as organic farming experts by the Organic Trade Association and the USDA. It’s our third event with Worden Farm and each time we visit, they have a few new things to teach us on the tour.
This beautiful tropical fruit grove and botanical garden has quite the history in the Florida Keys. Adolf Grimal built Grimal Grove on Big Pine Key in the 1950s, planting a vast assortment of tropical fruit trees and other plants inspired by his travels around the world. Now the grove is under the care of host farmer Patrick Garvey, who’s worked tirelessly to restore the land and reclaim its spirit after years of abandonment. In 2017, the farm was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Irma’s 160mph winds. We put on a benefit to help them recover in 2018, so we are excited to catch up with Patrick and see how things are going. Our guest chef is Shane La Beet of Pepper Pot Island Cafe. Shane is a classically trained chef who works alongside his wife Amy La Beet. Together they infuse their passion for food into the Authentic Caribbean restaurant they own and operate. Bringing all the traditional flavors of Trinidad and other islands to Key West and beyond. We can’t wait to see the menu he dreams up using Grimal Grove’s assortments of tropical fruits, vegetables, and honey.
This family-run permaculture farm outside West Palm Beach is home to 15 acres of organically grown salad greens, vegetables, tropical fruits and a flock of pastured hens. Farmers Marty and Liza Holman care deeply about both their soil and their crops, and focus on growing food without synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers for local residents and restaurants. Guest chef Jason Weiner is a bit of an OITF celebrity — and quite the chef to boot. He’s cooked up hearty, seasonal feasts at more than ten events over the years. Two years ago, Jason opened an outpost of his beloved New York restaurant Almond in Palm Beach. It’s about time we welcome him to the beach.
The beautiful floating gardens of Xochimilco date back to the Aztecs, who created a system of agriculture with crops grown on small islands built on interwoven reeds. Host farmer Lucio Usobiaga founded Arca Tierra to conserve this ancient farming system and has a lot of knowledge to share when it comes to traditional agriculture and sustainability. To get to Arca Tierra, we’ll take a colorful boat ride through Xochimilco’s maze of canals, serenaded by mariachi. At the table, we’ll enjoy a meal from superstar chef team Eduardo “Lalo” Garcia of Maximo Bistrot and Donnie Masterton of The Restaurant in San Miguel de Allende. Maximo Bistrot is consistently named one of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, and for good reason — chef Eduardo keeps a creative, daily-changing menu that features stellar produce from local farms. Donnie Masterton has quite the culinary resume himself and opened The Restaurant in San Miguel de Allende in 2005 to huge acclaim. Together, they’ll create a world-class meal showcasing the culinary traditions of Mexico and plenty of seasonal ingredients grown right there on the chinampas.
Los hermosos jardines flotantes de Xochimilco se remontan a los aztecas, que crearon un sistema de agricultura con cultivos en pequeñas islas construidas sobre juncos entrelazados. El agricultor anfitrión, Lucio Usobiaga, fundó Arca Tierra para conservar este antiguo sistema de cultivo y tiene muchos conocimientos que compartir en materia de agricultura tradicional y sostenibilidad. Para llegar a Arca Tierra, daremos un colorido paseo en barco por el laberinto de canales de Xochimilco, amenizado por un mariachi. En la mesa, disfrutaremos de una comida del equipo de chefs superestrella Eduardo “Lalo” García, de Máximo Bistrot, y Donnie Masterton, de El Restaurante de San Miguel de Allende. Máximo Bistrot es nombrado constantemente uno de los 50 mejores restaurantes de América Latina, y por una buena razón: el chef Eduardo mantiene un menú creativo que cambia a diario y que incluye productos estelares de las granjas locales. Donnie Masterton tiene un gran currículum culinario y abrió el Restaurante en San Miguel de Allende en 2005 con gran éxito. Juntos, crearán una comida de clase mundial que mostrará las tradiciones culinarias de México y un montón de ingredientes de temporada cultivados allí mismo, en las chinampas.
We love setting the table in this beautiful olive grove in Southern California with our farmer friends Catherine and Thom — and this is the first time we’ll get to see the grove in the winter! When we visited back in August, the olives were ripening and nearly ready to pick. Now, those same olives have been pressed and the oil is bottled and ready to taste at the table while we dine beneath their branches. Catherine and Thom make some of the spiciest and most scrumptious olive oil around and guest chef Travis Skiward of Callie Restaurant in San Diego knows just what to do with it. His menus feature diverse flavors from across the Mediterranean coast, plus lots of local fish and produce of course. In winter, that might mean radicchio, citrus fruits, persimmons and other glorious things that grow nearby.
This vibrant ecological oasis in San Juan Capistrano is an undeniably beautiful place to set the long table. The 28-acre bounty of organic vegetables, fruit trees, and flowers is surrounded by a swath of rolling hills and is close enough to the coast to catch a whiff of the sea. It’s also quite inspiring to hear from host farmer Evan Marks, a visionary when it comes to building a more sustainable, community-driven future. He converted this once vacant lot into the bountiful agricultural center it is today. And he continues to serve the community through educational programming, community outreach, farm apprenticeships and festivities. We’ll honor that vision with a shared meal from chefs Ashley and Tyler Wells, the enthusiastic and talented team behind L.A.’s beloved All Time. Their unique and colorful menus are known to showcase the glorious local produce of Southern California — so they’re sure to have some fun with the winter bounty at The Ecology Center.
On our second night at Dos Pueblos, we welcome chef team Lauren Herman and Christina Olufson to this coastal dreamscape. Lauren and Christina have quite the culinary chops between the two of them, including long tenures at Suzanne Goin’s a.o.c. and Luques in L.A. The couple opened Bossie’s Kitchen in Santa Barbara in The Live Oak Dairy building, a Milpas Street landmark built in the last phase of Art Deco in the late 1930’s. At Bossie’s, they’re committed to sourcing local and organic ingredients from the abundance of area farms.
Cross the 23-mile causeway over Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans and you can find yourself in John and Nancy Bartlett’s bountiful oasis of flower fields and vegetable beds. We first came to Bartlett Farm in 2014 and it’s now one of our favorite stops along our yearly trek across the South. Once again, we’ll set the table between fields of blooming blossoms — and enjoy a Big Easy feast of wild-caught Gulf Coast seafood, John and Nancy’s naturally grown vegetables, and other local delights. Guest chef Alfredo Nogueira is known for his hyper-seasonal menus that combine New Orleans Cajun and Creole cuisine with the flavors of his Cuban heritage. Expect everything from tostones and empanadas with house-made hot sauce to crawfish croquettes and conch salad.
