If there’s one table you want a seat at this year, it’s the epic open-air dinner series Outstanding in the Field. After pulling the plug on the 2020 tour, the traveling restaurant is back and as popular as ever. Starting this May, the seemingly endless, white-clothed tables will return to the most epic locations across California. Tickets have already sold out for some dates, so don’t wait.
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 in SoCal was along the entire Malibu Beach Pier. This 2019 summer soiree hosted 250 guests and dazzled guests with sensational, locally sourced seafood offerings, surrounded by crashing waves and a gorgeous sunset in the backdrop.
While the farm-to-table concept has become steadily become part of the mainstream lexicon, Outstanding in the Field brings the table to stunning farms—or orchards, or beautiful beaches, or jaw-dropping cliffside roads, and renowned vineyards—which makes for one incredible culinary adventure. While you’d typically 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 tell brings 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 events will be taking place at breathtaking locations like Mayacamas Vineyards & Winery in Napa and a secret location in Big Sur (that comes with a glamping option for the ultimate foodie road trip). Unfortunately, the Huntington location has already sold out, but you can still book a dinner spot at Gainey Vineyard in Santa Ynez.
Reservations can be made online or by emailing reservations@outstandinginthefield.com.