Lopez Island is stunning any time of year, but perhaps never more so than late June — when the sun stays high in the sky until nearly 10pm and forests of fir trees meet sparkling teal blue seas along the rugged coast. Watmough Bay Farm is a particularly picturesque spot on the island. Husbands and farmers Derek and Abe grow a variety of seasonal vegetables and herbs plus chickens and goats. Their pristine produce is beloved by local chefs including guest chef Nick Coffey. Nick’s Ursa Minor is famous for its obsessively seasonal rotating menu, changing daily to adjust for what’s available on the island. Prepare for an abundantly creative meal using plenty of Watmough’s homegrown goods plus some fresh-caught fish and perhaps a few wild edibles from the surrounding woods.
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Orcas Farm
Visiting the San Juans in late June is pure magic. The clear blue water shimmers beneath a sun that stays up late into the evening; the smell of fir trees, salt water, and summer lingers in the air. And Orcas Farm is a particularly special place all on its own. There are heritage apple trees, free-grazing sheep and bountiful beds of specialty fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs that farmers George and Molly grow for the local community — including some of the island’s best chefs. Among those chefs is Jay Blackinton of Hogstone’s Wood Oven. Jay is deeply committed to seasonality and locally grown goods, and his menus are constantly changing depending on what’s available nearby. He’s also a hunter, butcher, forager and a master of the wood burning oven. Expect a wood-fired feast featuring Orcas Farm’s summer bounty, plus a few foraged things perhaps.
Gainey Vineyard
At this lush ranch in the rolling hills of California’s central coast, host vintner Jeff LeBard and his team tend to a variety of warmer-climate grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc and transform that fruit into some very lovely wines. After a reception at the historic barn, we’ll take a stroll around the property and settle into the table set in their sun-soaked vineyard or under the shade of the live oaks, depending on the weather. Then we’ll sip on a sampling of Gainey Family wines while guest chefs Jeff and Janet Olsson of Industrial Eats work their magic in the field kitchen. This husband-and-wife chef team has cooked for us several times over the years at many equally extraordinary sites. They’re also 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.
Secret Sea Cove
A beautiful private beach that rarely sees a footprint. We might see seals, whales, dolphins and sea otters. It is a big ocean. When night falls, we’ll also see the blinking light of the historic Pigeon Point lighthouse. This is a relatively new beach spot for us, and we’re still finding great places to set the table. Fisherman Hans will share his stories of the denizens of the deep, and guest chef Alex Hong of San Francisco’s Sorrel will return to our barefoot beach kitchen to prepare another feast of the freshest catch the sea has to offer.
Secret Sea Cove
This is one of our most beloved spots to dine al fresco — which is why we’re staying three nights in a row. A table tucked into the cliffs, a lovely bed of soft sand to dig our toes into, a sea breeze wafting sweet smells over the table from the beach kitchen. Guest chef Nelson German will transform Hans Haveman’s fresh catch into a seafood-centric feast in the sand. He’s the chef behind Michelin-recommended seafood spot alaMar Kitchen in Oakland and most recently, he opened his second venture, Sobre Mesa, an Afro-Caribbean cocktail lounge that earned the title of Most Electric Cocktail Scene by Eater SF in its first year.
Belden Barns
This magical property on Sonoma Mountain has a lengthy history in the region: as a dairy farm, a prune orchard, a stage coach stop. Now it’s a 55-acre vineyard and organic farmstead run by the wonderful folks at Belden Barns. They grow Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and other grapes in rich volcanic soil that makes for some of the finest fruit in the region. They grow an array of fruits and vegetables, including cider apples for their estate-made hard cider and have also raised livestock. All that, plus a live oak wishing tree where guests hang wishes, hopes and dreams. Rumor has it quite a few wishes have come true over the years, so we suggest you come prepared. Guest chef Elliot Bell spent ten years at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry before leaving to open Charlie’s this year — a community-focused neighborhood restaurant focused on locally sourced ingredients.
Belden Barns
Belden Barns is outstandingly beautiful: thirty acres of organic vines, vegetables and fruit trees including stone fruit, citrus and cider apples. There’s also a live oak wishing tree at the center of the property where guests can hang wishes, hopes and dreams. Our host vintners craft an array of delicious wines with their estate-grown fruit, including Pinot Noir, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc. We’ll sip several varieties alongside our meal from guest chef Jammir Gray. Jammir is a Northern California native who cooked at acclaimed restaurants across the country before joining the team at Compline, a Napa Valley wine bar and restaurant featuring locally sourced Mediterranean small plates — the perfect pairing for Belden Barns’ award-winning wines.
McEvoy Ranch
This olive ranch in Petaluma is about as stunning a spot for a table as they come. Between the rolling green hills, blossoming olive groves, and sweeping views of nearby vineyards, you might think you’re in Tuscany. Especially when you’re tasting through McEvoy’s award-winning single-varietal olive oils made in their on-site frantoio: a gigantic stone mill used to cold-press the olives. We will tour the property before we sit down among the olive trees for a feast from guest chef Yosuke Machida. tour of the property before we sit down among the olive trees for a feast from guest chef Yosuke Machida. He’s the Executive Chef at A16, one of San Francisco’s most beloved Southern Italian restaurants and one we’ve worked with since 2006. Yosuke was born and raised in Tokyo and moved to the states in 2009 to pursue a career as a chef — working in some of the most celebrated kitchens in the Bay Area, including Ame and Leo’s Oyster Bar, before joining the team at A16 earlier this year. He’ll be joined by pastry chef Charlie Guyard in the field kitchen for a delectable meal featuring plenty of McEvoy Ranch olive oil, peak season vegetables and fruits, and locally reared meat and fish. A16’s owner Shelley Lindgren also happens to be one of the most respected voices on Italian wine in the country. Expect some fantastic pairings with the food!
Robert Sinskey Vineyards
We return for the third time to this acclaimed vineyard and winery in the heart of Napa Valley, where 200 acres of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Zinfandel, Merlot, Muscat and other grape varieties are planted on sloping hills in the foreground of the Vaca Mountains. Not to mention olives, fruits and nuts. Robert Sinskey takes a soil-first approach to growing grapes, using regenerative organic farming practices that boost the health of their soil and the flavor of their fruit. A low intervention approach in the cellar means that all of these careful farming practices are reflected in the wines. We’ll dine between the vines with a meal from old friend Kim Alter of Nightbird. Chef Kim cooked her first OITF feast ten years ago at the Secret Sea Cove. Since then, she’s collected quite a few culinary accolades, including a James Beard nomination and a Top 100 Restaurants allocation from the Chronicle. She’ll cook up an extraordinary meal to pair with some extraordinary wine.
Markegard Family Grass-Fed
Markegard’s acres of golden pasture along the San Mateo coast come sprinkled with grazing cows and the faint sound of the Pacific ebbing below towering cliffs. Not to mention sweeping ocean views, a panoramic sunset, and a friendly bunch of chickens, pigs and lambs. The Markegards are very passionate ranchers who use regenerative grazing practices to boost the health of both their soil and their meat. And host ranchers Erik and Doniga will tell us all about it on our tour around the ranch. Then we’ll settle into an Indonesian-inspired meal from guest chef Siska Silitonga, a passionate ambassador for Indonesian cuisine. She is known for quite a few culinary ventures including a Michelin-recommended Indonesian restaurant, a slew of wildly popular pop-ups, a food truck at Google, and an award-winning jarred sambal hot sauce brand. She’ll cook us a flavorful feast featuring plenty of pastured meat from the ranch.