Taxonomy: Upcoming Events

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.

Richardson Ranch encompasses 50,000 acres of redwood forest, pastureland, and shoreline — plus a 25-acre Pinot Noir vineyard on a bluff overlooking the ocean. It’s also home to the state’s oldest redwood: a 1,640-year-old tree with a trunk as wide as a two-lane road. Needless to say, this is quite the majestic place to set the table. Our hosts will tell us all about the ranch’s impressive history, conservation projects and sustainable meat and lumber production before we settle in for a meal from guest chef Francis Ang of Abacá — an acclaimed Filipino-Californian restaurant in San Francisco. He’ll cook us up a feast of traditional Filipino dishes and flavors using all the glorious fauna and flora of coastal California, plus plenty of meat raised on the ranch.

The field that started it all. This beautiful apple orchard belongs to OITF founder Jim Denevan’s brother Bill and Jim spent many seasons here thinning apples, collecting brush and picking fruit as a teen. The idea for Outstanding in the Field was born with this place in mind: one long table right here, where these heirloom apples were planted several generations ago along the Santa Cruz coast. We first set the table here back in 1999 and we’ve been back a few times since. This year, our guest chef is Jim Denevan himself. Jim spent many years as the chef at the lauded Gabriella Cafe before venturing around the country in the big red bus. Bill is a pioneering organic farmer and will give us an educational tour around the property while Jim and crew cooks away in the field kitchen.

A pristine beach typically inaccessible by foot. The soundtrack of seabirds, ebbing waves and a gently flowing stream. A few cows grazing on the bluffs overhead. Platter after platter of thoughtfully prepared seafood plucked from the water that morning. It doesn’t get much better than this. Plus, guest chef Jessica Yarr will be barefoot in the beach kitchen cooking up a feast of her famous Eastern European fare. Her Santa Cruz pop-up Chicken Foot has earned much acclaim over the last couple years, known for its delectable combination of traditional Ukrainian flavors and colorful California produce. Dig your toes into the sand and stick around for dessert — she might bring some of her famous chocolate beet cake, or perhaps a batch of chamomile doughnuts.

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.