Oaxaca is the capital of mezcal. As complex and nuanced as fine wine, mezcal can be made with more than three dozen types of agave, each contributing its own flavor to the finished blend. Many of these maguey species grow in the wild, and some take up to 20 years to mature. Mezcal Real Minero is one of the only female-owned palenques in the state, and Graciela and her brother Edgar are considered some of the world’s finest producers. Their great grandfather, Papa Chico, was one of the town’s early palenqueros. We will taste through several smoky mezcals before our meal from guest chef Rodolfo Castellanos. He was the first winner of Top Chef Mexico and is very much a local culinary celebrity here. At Origen, Chef Rodo’s menus honor the native ingredients and traditional cooking techniques of his Oaxacan homeland.
Oaxaca es la capital del mezcal. Tan complejo y lleno de matices como un buen vino, el mezcal puede elaborarse con más de tres docenas de tipos de agave, cada uno de los cuales aporta su propio sabor a la mezcla final. Muchas de estas especies de maguey sólo crecen en estado salvaje, y algunas tardan hasta 20 años en madurar. Mezcal Real Minero es uno de los únicos palenques propiedad de mujeres en el estado, y Graciela y su hermano Edgar están considerados como unos de los mejores productores del mundo. Su bisabuelo, Papa Chico, fue uno de los primeros palenqueros de la ciudad. Degustaremos varios mezcales ahumados antes de la comida del chef invitado Rodolfo Castellanos. Fue el primer ganador de Top Chef México y es toda una celebridad culinaria local. En Origen, los menús del chef Rodo honran los ingredientes autóctonos y las técnicas culinarias tradicionales de su tierra natal, Oaxaca.
Gorgeous and picturesque Nazaré Harbor is the site of our very first Portugal event. Nazaré is famous for having the world’s largest rideable waves nearby, and the adjacent land and waters are home to key ingredients for a sustainable seafood-centric feast. Our guest chef Sebastião Castilho has devoted his adventurous culinary practice to exploring the significant heritage of food in Portugal. With his special portable cooking rig, named “The Trawler,” he has the ability to move about the entire country and realize his culinary aspirations and dreams in just about any kind of location.
Joining us at the event is famed big wave surfer and noted environmentalist João Macedo. João will give an overview of efforts toward environmental preservation and responsible stewardship of fisheries. João is a resident of both California and Portugal, and as a representative of Save the Waves, presents a global and local perspective on environmental issues.
O belo e pitoresco Porto da Nazaré é o local do nosso primeiro evento em Portugal. A cidade da Nazaré é famosa por ter as maiores ondas surfáveis do mundo, e a terra e as águas circundantes fornecem os principais ingredientes para um banquete sustentável centrado no marisco na praia. O nosso chef convidado Sebastião Castilho dedicou a sua prática culinária aventureira à exploração do significativo património gastronómico de Portugal. Com seu equipamento de cozinha portátil especial chamado “The Trawler”, ele tem a capacidade de se movimentar pelo país e realizar suas aspirações e sonhos culinários em praticamente qualquer tipo de local.
Juntando-se a nós para o evento está o famoso surfista de ondas grandes e conhecido ambientalista João Macedo. João dará uma visão geral dos esforços para preservação ambiental e gestão responsável da pesca. João é residente na Califórnia e em Portugal e, como representante da Save the Waves, apresenta uma perspectiva global e local sobre questões ambientais.
This is our first visit to the beautiful Loire Valley, where we will set the table in the verdant grounds of the breathtaking Château de la Bourdaisière, which dates back to the 14th century. This is a place of superlatives, and we’re eager to experience it all. Set in the midst of 136 acres (55 hectares), the castle is a classic limestone block edifice with soaring turrets and spiers. The estate’s extensive parterre gardens are a collection of sculpted topiaries, lush flowerbeds, and bounteous kitchen crops, all laid out in exquisitely intricate patterns that will make OITF founder/artist Jim Denevan deliriously happy. The chateau’s mini-farm is an ambitious experimental project of agroecology, and is home to the National Tomato Conservatory, a unique collection of 700 varieties of tomatoes. The farm will provide ingredients for our table;
***Guests have the opportunity to stay at Château de la Bourdaisière , in one of the hotel’s 29 rooms and apartments. Bookings can be made directly through their website.
You may think you’re in Napa Valley, but you’re not. Valle de Guadalupe is a buzzy wine country destination less than two hours from San Diego. Host vintner Natalia Badan’s wines are among the valley’s most critically acclaimed, with a portfolio ranging from Sauvignon Blanc to Nebbiolo. And the splendor in the glass will be matched by the splendor on the plate. Guest chefs Drew Deckman and Sheyla Alvarado are two of the region’s very best. A Michelin-starred chef, Drew worked with such greats as Paul Bocuse and Madeleine Kamman before opening the vineyard’s on-site restaurant Deckman’s. Sheyla’s restaurant Lunario was quickly named one of the region’s best after opening in 2019. Together, they’ll craft a meal with ingredients grown right here on the estate and other nearby farms and ranches. Not to mention seafood caught fresh from the waters of the Pacific just a half-hour to the west. Deckman’s was named to San Pellegrino’s 50 Best Discovery list. We invite you to join us on your own voyage of discovery to experience the terroir of the Baja Peninsula.
You may think you are in Napa Valley, but you are not. Valle de Guadalupe is a winery less than two hours from San Diego. Winemaker Natalia Badán’s wines are among the most acclaimed in the valley, with a portfolio that ranges from Sauvignon Blanc to Nebbiolo. And the splendor in the glass will be accompanied by the splendor on the plate. Guest chefs Drew Deckman and Sheyla Alvarado are two of the best in the region. The Michelin-starred Drew worked with great chefs such as Paul Bocuse and Madeleine Kamman before opening the vineyard’s Deckman’s restaurant. Sheyla’s Lunario restaurant was quickly named one of the best in the region upon opening in 2019. Together, you’ll craft a meal using ingredients grown right here on the farm and on other nearby farms and ranches. Not to mention shellfish caught in the Pacific waters just a half hour to the west. Deckman’s was named to San Pellegrino’s Top 50 Discoveries list. We invite you to join us on your own journey of discovery to experience the terroir of the Baja California Peninsula.
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.
For our final dinner at this stunning site, we’ll set the table in the sands of one of the best beaches in the country. In the fall, it is warm and windless as you walk from the bluffs down into a hidden cove, where the symphony of the waves echoes off the cliff sides. Host Fisherman Hans Haveman will delight us with his passionate take on sustainable fishing and stories from the waters lapping at our feet before we sit down to dinner from San Francisco chef Pujan Sarkar of ROOH.
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 cook dinner 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 dinner you’ll surely think is worth the drive yourself.
Kleinood Farm & Winery was our first-ever table in Africa last year, and we haven’t stopped thinking about it. This little farm grows wine grapes and olive trees on the side of Helderberg Mountain, just outside of Cape Town. Their name means “something small and precious”, and we’ve never seen a better argument that good things come in small packages – from the soft scent of perfume roses wafting through the air to their house verjus, honey and olive oil that all compliment the meal, to the surrounding mountains that turn purple with the setting sun. There are so many good things tucked into this place. We can’t wait to return for another visit, and we are excited to have Chef Jenny Ward from Makers Landing back in the field kitchen for the second time around. This time, she is bringing a friend and collaborator along with her to create a feast highlighting the multicultural heritage of South Africa.
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.