Jim Denevan gave us a tasty gift ten years ago, when the idea of outdoor dining on farms and incomparable natural settings was but a gleam in his eye.
But as you know, Outstanding in the Field has gone viral in the most delicious possible way. In fact adventurous diners will want to quick pounce on some of the available places at the Secret Sea Cove dinner on July 5.
Here’s why. H&H seafoods, fresher than a just-baked croissant, will form the centerpiece of the dinner. The ocean, surf, sand, and sheltering cliffs will form an unforgettable background. And, in a rare return to Santa Cruz, Justin Severino will bring his eye for detail and gift for culinary glory to the table as featured chef. Yes, that Justin Severino. Formerly of Severino’s Community Butcher, formerly of Manresa, and now chef/proprietor of his own award-winning place in Pittsburgh, PA, called Cure (as in charcuterie….). It will be worth the $240 price of multi-courses and wines to hear über-fisherman Hans Haveman do his fish talk. Fabulous stories of harvest on the high seas! Rush to the website for your reservation!
And a new dinner @ Fogline Farm in Soquel has been added for Monday May 27, starting at 4pm, with host farmers Johnny Wilson and Caleb Barron, plus guest chef Greg Dunmore of San Francisco’s Nojo. $220.
At Fogline guests can expect perfect afternoon weather. The farm sits in the sweet spot between the cool ocean breezes and the hot inland weather, hence, The Fogline. In this idyllic location farmers Johnny Wilson and Caleb Baron raise succulent pigs and chickens and grow diverse fruits and vegetables which reach the community at local restaurants, farmers markets and the Fogline CSA.
Expect to be dazzled by chef Dunmore’s chops, if you’ll excuse the pun. I’ll see you there! Make your reservation at the Outstanding website. Do it now!
As I’m presently in the process of investigating the possibility of securing a reservation at El Celler de Can Roca (Spain), just voted the top restaurant in the world and by coincidence very close to where my wife and I will be staying next month, it was with great interest that I read about the two dinners described here and the comment regarding their worth but referring to their cost of $240 and $220 respectively. For comparison the best restaurant in the world charges 135 euro for their menu $175 at todays exchange rate without wine but including tax and service. Or far closer to home Gary Danko, La Folie, Aquarello and Quince all in San Francisco offer four or five course menu’s from between $85 and $110 plus wine, tax and service and from personal experience having eaten at three of the four mentioned in the last couple of years, a four course meal without going crazy on the wine list with tax and tip will get you change from $400 for two and maybe even change from $350. And you will get an amuse bouche and petit fours and a little something to take home too. More importantly superb food and service, the former at a level that I don’t believe the chef’s mentioned are capable of producing. Concerned with the freshest organic products? Downstairs at Chez Panisse will provide the very best, no choice but with four courses and an aperitif we are talking a $100, less mid week and again with wine tax and tip in the same price range mentioned previously and about half that upstairs where there are choices.
I’m sure many enjoy them and and perhaps worth what they cost but somehow that story about the Emperor and his clothes come to mind when I read about eating a meal outside in the field described as worth it at a cost of $220-$240 a price that’s a lot more expensive than some of the best of the best.
Well there’s always, “caveat amptor” to consider. On the other hand, there are enough bon vivants who enjoy the special ambience of these al fresco dining extravaganzas to make sure almost every single one of “Outstandings’s” dinners are sold out!
The one’s I’ve attended have been completely memorable.
best
Christina
In this case I think there are a couple of quotes from P.T. Barnum and W.C. Fields that may be far more appropriate. Or how about this one “the meal may be over and my stomach full but that empty feeling in my wallet goes on and on and on and on”.