If there’s one table you want a seat at this year it’s the epic open-air dinner series Outstanding in the Field, a traveling restaurant with pop-up luxury meals all across the state. Starting May 13, the seemingly endless, white-clothed tables will return to the most epic locations across California. Tickets have already sold out for most dates in California but you can still grab some last-minute tickets in Cazadero, Santa Ynez, Soquel, and Healdsburg or join the waiting list for other dates.
The CA summer tour will go from May 13 – June 18, and the CA fall tour is October 24 – November 19. From July – October, the extravagant meals will pop up across the Pacific Northwest, Canada, the Rockies, the Midwest, the Northeast, and even select locations in Europe and Africa.
If you’ve never been to one of these stunning affairs, you’ve almost definitely come across one of these luscious feasts in your daily Instagram scrolls. One of the most notable events happens at a secret location in Big Sur, where you can add glamping to your experience. Another popular option is in Mt. Tamalpais, where you can dine cliffside looking down at the clouds.
While the farm-to-table concept has steadily become part of the mainstream lexicon, Outstanding in the Field brings the table to stunning farms—or orchards, or beautiful beaches, or a jaw-dropping cliffside road, or renowned vineyards—which makes for one incredible culinary adventure. While you’d normally have to be invited to a Tuscan wedding to see a spread like this, here, you can simply go solo, sip on a glass of wine selected by a sommelier and get lost in conversation with fellow food lovers.
The idea started 20 years ago with the aim of “reconnecting diners with the land and celebrating the hardworking hands that feed us.” Now, you’ll find the vintage red bus riding into far-flung lands creating experiences that bring chefs, farmers and hungry guests together to tell a story. You could be dining on a fresh fish dish with your feet in the water or taking in spoonfuls of a pavlova crowned with fresh berries and flowers from the surrounding fields.
Events will also be happening in various places across the U.S, U.K., Europe, Australia and Africa. So if you don’t manage to get your hands on a ticket locally, perhaps you can count on a post-lockdown vacation centered around your belly?
California’s first event takes place on May 13 in Aguanga and the last event will be November 19 at Pie Ranch in Pescadero. Other nearby locations include Secret Sea Cove in Pescadero and Hog Island Oyster Co. in Marin (sold out, but you can join the waiting list).
Reservations can be made online or by emailing reservations@outstandinginthefield.com.