Outstanding in the Field
Envision sitting at a long table, so long it disappears into the horizon. It could be nestled in the rows of a vineyard, along a vast beach or atop a hill overlooking a spectacular view. Have a seat amongst the dozens if not hundreds of chairs: You’re about to eat a bountiful meal, and make a lot of friends.
That’s the point of Outstanding in the Field, founded in 1999 by Jim Denevan. It is a popup dining event that traverses every state in America, and travels to at least 25 other countries. The goal of these dinners is to experience communal eating at an exceptionally localized event. They take local chefs, a local farm and a long list of locally sourced provisions to create a magical mélange that starts in the afternoon, unfolds through to sunset and concludes with dessert by candlelight.
This event provides access. It considers itself, after all, a roaming restaurant without walls. For those without access to a farm, this is a welcoming invitation to one.
I attended my first of these dinners in 2012, curious to experience a field bake by Chef Clark Staub at Ampelos Cellars near Lompoc. After a 13-year break I returned to see how far it has come. Over a weekend, there were two dinners held on the same farm, and the experience of both offered insight into how they were similar and how they diverged.
Perched atop the cliffs overlooking Rincon Point near Carpinteria, we gathered at the farm of Jehanne “Gigi” Brown and her son and daughter, Nick and Christine. Gigi’s Rancho el Rincon specializes in avocados and subtropical fruit, using sustainable growing techniques and no pesticides. Instead, the farm places numerous high perches throughout the property to encourage raptors to seek out prey.
The first evening, the chef team came from Santa Barbara’s Barbareño restaurant; the second night, from Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos. Each team brought together a different menu and different ingredients but it was the constants that stood out. The Outstanding in the Field staff, of course. The location: expansive like the steady waves of the Rincon below us. But any repeating guests: They were rare and unusual. Everyone was entranced by a woman at the far end of the table in a dramatic hat covered in flowers and tulle who was rumored to have attended many dinners. On the second evening, as luck would have it, I sat next to her.
Diane Leeds had long been passionate about food and farming, referencing childhood memories in the garden with her mother. Upon her mother’s passing, she realized the only thing you cannot buy is time. Now she invests in experiences, not things. Her spectacular hats are all homemade and she is in charge of making her dreams come true attending these dinners: It’s all to celebrate life, living and supporting communities. My table companions also included a man assisted by a walker. Of all the social events he and his wife join, Outstanding in the Field has notably been the most accommodating and supportive of his mobility, even to dinners in far-off isolated locales.
The first dinner, led by Julian Martinez and Preston Knox of Barbareño, used ingredients you’d recognize from our farmers market: Bahri dates from Flying Disc Ranch, crudité from Earthtrine Farm, strawberries from Milliken Family Farms. The Barbareño team also combined the host farm’s passion fruits, avocados and cherimoyas alongside their signature grilled meats, then wrapped up the night with exotic pavlovas.
On the second night, Clark Staub from Full of Life—now a figure in so many Outstanding in the Field events since my memorable first 13 years ago—pulled together an impressive team including Chef John Wayne Formica, formerly of Pico in Los Alamos, and Marko Alexandrou of Motley Crew Marketplace. They, alongside the Full of Life team, worked with the synchronized ease of an experienced field crew. Time really does make a difference.
Many diners say their favorite part of the menu is the passed appetizers, and as someone obsessed with exquisite bites of food, I concur. The prep tables are covered with rows upon rows of beautiful morsels, mesmerizing to watch come together and delicious to eat while mingling on a farm with spectacular views. Beer, wine and cocktails are served by local businesses—like Carpinteria’s brewLAB, Story of Soil wine from Los Olivos and Rock 12 Distillery from Lompoc, respectively.
Outstanding in the Field takes you outside in spaces for a singular experience. The person you sit beside might be a farmer, a winemaker, a butcher, or a baker—someone who contributed one part of a menu that will only exist for that day. Seated at the table could be people in durable overalls or dressed to the nines. Take note: When you enter the space, you too become part of the space. It wouldn’t be the same without you.
At the end of the night, a hired car never arrived for the couple requiring the walker. Seth Heitzenrater, the COO of Outstanding in the Field, immediately stepped up and drove them back to their hotel in Santa Barbara, providing outstanding access to the fields from start to finish.
RESOURCES
Outstanding in the Field takes place around the United States and farther afield. Visit outstandinginthefield.com for their roaming schedule. Upcoming in Santa Barbara County is a dinner on Stearns Wharf on October 30.
