Outstanding in the Field at Jacobs Farm Pescadero

Outstanding in the Field puts together more than 80 dinners across Northern America each year, roving the country in their Outstanding bus, setting up long long tables in farms, fields, beaches, gardens, hillsides, and barns.

They pull together local food, vintners, farmers, foragers, fishers, mixologists and cooks and attract foodies all over the country.  Jim Denevan, above, founded the concept..Katy is like the COO of the operation.
The event starts early typically with drinks and appetizers, sandwiching a little talk about Outstanding in the Field and their mission and journey; then a hike or walk with the local food purveyors talking about the land/soil/water.

It ends with an extraordinary meal at a very long table. The finishing touches on the food are done on site with local chefs grilling, plating and serving up generous communal platters of beautiful and delicious food.

It was wise to dress in layers. Eating in the field meant a much bigger change in the ambient temperature once the sun went over the hill.

But it was beautiful.

Dinner ended all too quickly. New friends are always made sitting a table like this, sharing great food and wine.  And we’re grateful for the entire experience.
A huge round of applause for the chefs and we hiked back to our cars in the darkening night with a rising full moon.

Jim Denevan, who is an artist as well as a chef (well, chefs are really artists anyway, right?) had mentioned that he and staff would light the way back.

And he did.