From rather humble beginnings on a small Santa Cruz farm in 1999, Outstanding in the Field is now a culinary world juggernaut, hosting more than 50 farm-to-table al fresco dinners every year. Since outdoor artist and chef Jim Denevan hatched the wacky idea 25 years ago, it’s graced all 50 states and more than two dozen countries, with rather frequent stops in our neck of the woods.
Next weekend, Outstanding is throwing two dinners on subsequent nights, making it possible to actually attend two of them in a row. Whether anyone has the bankroll or stomach stamina to pull that off remains unclear, but I am pledging to do so myself. Of course, my press tickets are free, so the pacing part will be my biggest challenge.
The first is on Saturday, October 19, at Ojai Mountain Vineyard , where Bettina chefs John Parker and Brendan Smith will be crafting a mountaintop meal alongside with the host estate’s wines and those of Thacher Winery from Paso Robles.