The South

Good sports

We arrived in Athens in the early evening to find vast numbers of football fans (250,000 was one estimate) swarming the streets. Alabama vs Georgia is pretty important around here and EVERYBODY was out. Somehow Caleb found a good parking spot for the bus and we were off to explore. We stopped by our favorite Athens restaurant Farm 255 and chatted with Olivia Sargeant who participated in the Athens Outstanding dinner a few years ago at Full Moon Farms.

Next day: Game Day!! Jim found some black and red Georgia hats and t-shirts and we soon joined the black and red throngs in bar hopping. Between hops we stopped into Farm 255 for dinner. Farm 255 has a charming chalkboard posted on the wall that lists all the local sources of ingredients. Dinner was super good and the restaurant was nice and quiet as all were elsewhere watching the game. Georgia was soundly trounced by 'Bama and we soon joined the masses in post game revelry, finally stumbling to our 'home' on the bus late in the night.

We groggily awoke the next day much much too early and slowly made our way to Atlanta and the next dinner.

A History Theme

At the Atlanta History Center we set our long table on historic Tullie Smith Farm. Our site, located in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, was a mix of big city and historic farm. Guest chef Chef Scott Peacock of Watershed Restaurant is well known for his active interest in food history and Southern cooking. Scott even went so far as to get permission to cook with historic cast iron cooking pots. Scott is a charmer and our guests loved the farm, the incredible food and the atmosphere, but they especially loved Scott.

Our new friend Niki, the private events manager from Watershed, took us in that night and Adam and Caleb stayed up late with her playing the old classic video game Shark! Shark! The rest of us experienced a detailed recounting of the activities the next day as we enjoyed lunch at Watershed. Thanks Niki!

With lots of laughs Jim and Leah quickly finished lunch and rushed to make a flight to Miami and the next dinner. The plan was that Caleb and Adam would drive the bus and truck and trailer on to New Orleans because Miami was just too far a drive for the rolling culinary circus. Leah and Jim would then be joined by Jim's art assistant Mali Mrozinski and the three of them would put on the Miami event.

Miami Vice

The three of us found a nice hotel on the beach (much cheaper in the off season) and set out to take in the sights and sounds of Miami. Miami is typically hot and humid in late September. It also rains a lot. We were advised against putting on a farm dinner event in South Florida during this time of year. Fortunately the weather gods were with us once again and the very rainy hot days on arrival gave way to a short window of clear and less hot weather.

Gabriele Marewski of Paradise Farms had contacted us four years ago asking if we might add Miami and South Florida to our tour. Miami seemed a little too far to go so we never quite got it together. Meanwhile Gabriele has started her own successful farm dinner series ''Dinners in Paradise'' which is now going into it's second season. With Gabriele's experience and the great on site equipment and set up we were able to put on a Florida event with less traveling staff than usual. Gabriele's partner at the farm, Christopher Siragusa, was an amazing help, along with the rest of the Paradise Farms crew. With our visit to Florida it was interesting to see a dinner series inspired by our example and how they might differ in approach. Michael Schwartz of Michael's Genuine Food and Drink was our guest chef.

Among the many wonders of the evening were the variety of exotic tropical fruits incorporated into the dinner. A memorable course was the homemade organic ricotta with the farm's honeycomb, toasted hazelnuts and walnut raisin crisps, paired with the local Schnebly Mango Wine. The Schneblys are doing some interesting and tasty wines with local Florida fruits, right around the corner from Paradise Farms. Executive pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith put together a killer collection of desserts featuring delicious bittersweet chocolate cookies, jellies and Paradise Farms jackfruit- a spectacle in itself!

The next day we enjoyed a lunch visit to Michael's very cool restaurant in the Miami design district before jetting off to New Orleans.

Lowcountry Hospitality

George Washington’s Birthplace

Yes there is a farm at George's old place, a small one, mostly herbs, but more importantly this was to be our first dinner with an aqua farmer as host. Set high above Pope Creek and the Potomac River on the George Washington Birthplace Monument, aqua farmer Bruce Woods generously shared his story as guests viewed shellfish grounds in the distance. Our aqua farmer sported an aqua colored shirt, which made him easy to spot for curious guests asking lots of questions. Jim curved the table in a big S in a sheltered grove of trees. Jim's good friend Marah Stets, co writer of Outstanding in the field: A Farm to Table Cookbook, dined with a writer from U.S.A. Today. (See the resulting article on Farm to Table dining here). Chef Tony Chittum of Vermilion Restaurant in Alexandria, VA rustled up a variety of local fare and guests feasted into the night among brightly illuminated pines. As the night ended we experienced a bit of fall chill. It was time move south to warmer places.

Smooth sailing?

Spirits were so high. After so much time away, the bus was finally back!! We were euphoric. We were in bliss. Speeding along a smooth endless highway making our way south to South Carolina and Pawleys Island. Until the clutch broke. In the middle of the highway. Stopped dead, blocking traffic for miles. Lots of being yelled at. Very unpleasant. While waiting impatiently for a tow truck that was stuck in the traffic jam that we made Jim had a VERY LONG chat with a friendly state trooper. Unnerved by our latest breakdown we left the bus in a mechanics yard and limped on to Pawleys Island with the truck and trailer.

Guest chef Louis Osteen was unable to attend our dinner because of an unexpected emergency. Louis' talented Exec Chef Michael Keough generously jumped in. Michael did his best with the last minute changes. Maybe not all or even most of his ingredients were from Carolina farmers and producers but he did dish out delicious low country favorites. We set our long curving white table in the bright green creek side setting. Docks stretched far out to the Waccamaw shore and guests were able to venture way out, lean over the dock and maybe imagine/see an alligator or two swirling in the choppy waters.

John Henry

The Outstanding crew really fell for generous and gracious Pawleys Island dinner host John Henry Whitmire. John is neither farmer nor fisherman (though he did work as a shrimper years ago), but he definitely is a real southern gentleman: warm and knowledgeable with a boatload of stories. Whenever we all went to town EVERYONE had a genuine hello for John Henry. Over the next several days John Henry took us in, took good care of us for our much needed break from the road. It was great to have a reliable place to rest our heads and use the kitchen for longer than a couple of days. Jim, Caleb and Adam especially enjoyed fishing & eeling off of John Henry's long dock. Who knew that eel could taste that good?

Thank you for your hospitality John Henry!

Carolina mechanics get a crack

After our tow to a nearby truck service yard a Carolina mechanic team quickly diagnosed the ailing clutch and located hard to find parts in Ohio. While the parts were on the way Caleb and Jim took the opportunity to brush up on their mini golf skills (Jim won a close battle). With the bus fixed we were on the road again with five hours drive to Athens, Georgia, on the way to Atlanta, our next dinner site.

Another Bus Reunion

It was time to get outta town. Next up was our upstate dinner at Greig farm. We found our scenic farm and climbed a tall hill to meet affable Norman Greig. The weather always determines where the table might go. With a forecast of windy conditions Norman advised against a hilltop table and we went for a more protected site. We chose to place our table spanning a wooden bridge on a beautiful small stream. On a windless day the stream site would be swarming with mosquitos but with the steady breeze mosquitos were not a problem. Everyone was excited about doing a dinner over a bridge, a first for OITF.

Chef Melissa Kelly brought out a student kitchen crew from the nearby Culinary Institute of America. Chef/Instructor Anita Eisenhauer was a big help in putting it all together. Anita worked with students, producers and Chef Melissa Kelly, an alumnus of The CIA who made the trip from Portland, MN. A valuable experience for budding chefs. Farm to Table dining is getting more and more play around the country, including America’s premier culinary school. The next day at The C.I.A. Jim and Melissa gave a talk and a Q&A to gathered students.

Words and nourishment

When we arrived at Eckerton Hill Farm in Pennsylvania we were still without bus. A clutch job on the bus turned complicated when our Jersey mechanics put in the new clutch but couldn’t figure out how to get it to work. With yet another bus disappointment, Jim morbidly joked about driving the old gal out into a field and shooting her. We made our way out to farm with pick up truck and trailer - and camping equipment.

Eckerton Hill Farm is the home of farmer/writer and our friend Tim Stark. Tim's new book Heirloom: Notes of an Accidental Tomato Farmer just came out and guests were treated to a reading. The chosen passage was about a favorite cantankerous tractor and was performed on that favorite tractor. Tim brought along his chef friend Bill Telepan from NYC to put together a meal. Our guests in the country feasted on Bill's tasty Eastern PA menu. Jim visited the table with Dorian from Briarwood Croft who contributed her feta cheese and Herman from Danenhauer Apiaries whose honey was gathered from bees a short 75 yards from the table. Chef Bill Telepan is soooo cool and fun and brought along a great bottle of tequila for after dinner. Jeremy, Elaine, Annette, Jim, Adam, Leah, Tim Stark and Bill and his crew chuckled and sipped tequila late into the night.

Bus?

We received word that the bus was ready. Stalwart driver Ben had left the tour for some well deserved R & R and Ben's good friend Caleb Coe was there to take his place at the wheel, returning for his fourth whack at the tour. Only problem was the bus was not yet approved for travel.

Our Jersey boys awaited an out of town specialist to crack the bus clutch mystery. Caleb holed up for a few days at the Best Western awaiting traveling orders.

Finally the bus was "fixed" and Caleb embarked from Jersey as the rest of us left Eckerton Hill Farm, hoping to meet up later that day.

Missing Persons/Road Weary

Late that night after meeting up with the bus outside Baltimore, MD our Swiss intern Annette gathered up her things and slipped away in the night without a word. She had had enough of these crazy Americans (and one Canadian) and their stupid (charming) bus. Maybe we will see her down the road… Annette where are you? With Annette gone missing, Ben taking a break and Aubrey away for a few weeks for her sister's wedding we were temporarily reduced to Adam, Jim, Leah and Caleb. At least we had the bus.

New York, New York…

With our bus/home still stuck in the shop in New Jersey we relied on Craigslist to find a temporary and cheap (for NYC) two bedroom Greenwich Village apartment that sleeps six. Nice, but sooo… small we could barely squeeze in. Probably less than the square footage of the bus and much like the bus in that there not enough ceiling space for Jim to stand up straight. From our NYC base we ventured out to some fine local eateries such as Blue Hill, Russ and Daughters and of course enjoyed a wide variety of street food.

Next up: Ultra Local at Queens Farm

Getting from Manhattan to Queens with our big trailer was pretty dicey. We all were a bit frayed when we showed up at Queens farm. Energetic farmer Michael Grady Robertson soon greeted us shambling and galomping around the farm pointing out all the ''really cool stuff''. This farm proved to be a favorite for both Outstanding staff and guests. All kinds of farm goodies to see and the city RIGHT THERE.

Pretty much ALL the ingredients came from the farm - including the pig. No need for other producers at the table - there really weren't any other producers to include. The super well put together publication "Diner Journal" was shown around as everyone soaked up the waning light of late summer. We settled in at the table as Chef Caroline Fidanza wowed the crowd with her fresh and tasty menu.

Water...

We need it for the plants to grow. Best that it rains on days that we do not have a dinner planned.

Our La Plaza Community Garden dinner adventure quickly went from interesting to much too exciting. Jim has faith in the weather workers at the National Weather Service and this time his faith went unrewarded. Early in the day a 20% chance of showers gave us the confidence to go ahead with an outdoor dinner with no shelter. By noon we were looking at a forty percent chance of rain. By 2pm it was raining steadily. Outstanding emergency shelter crew then sprung into action. Ben hatched a plan, including foraging for shelter materials around Manhattan hardware shops. With no time to spare Ben scaled high into the park tree canopy and with tarps and cables, the gap between two tall trees was spanned.

As all dined beneath our sheltering canopy Jen Small of Flying Pigs Farm regaled guests with stories of pigs and lipstick. Baker Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery explained the mysterious no knead method. "Ice cream boy" Ben from Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream strolled the table. Guest Chef Alejandro of Brown Cafe smiled all the while and put out the BEST food.

This guest wonderfully captured the atmosphere of the evening with her photographs.

Storm Watch

Storm warning on the East Coast

As we all arrive back on the East Coast tropical storms were moving across the Atlantic toward North America. Where will they make land fall? On our table? Nervously we moved toward our next dinner appointment, Allandale Farm in Boston, MA. Leah arrived from Canada, Jim and Annette from California, Ben and Aubrey from New York City and Adam Horbinski our new Wisconsin road recruit arrived from Madison. All eyes on the weather and... Soon the crowded Atlantic was churning wtih four tropical storms. One of these storms "Hanna" decides to make a move toward the Northeast. Our two upcoming dinner events right in the path! Plan B -Tenting, barns… Greenhouses would need to be checked out just in case. Just as alternate plans were investigated it becomes clear that the storm would hit with full force on Saturday, sparing our Friday Boston dinner and our Sunday Hamptons dinner. Oustanding luck once again.

Allandale Farm, Boston, MA

Thick clouds gather as we arrived at Boston’s last farm within the city limits. Farmer John Lee graciously shows us around the sprawling grounds as we debate table sites. Warm winds are blowing as we set the table on a nice green patch. Chef Mary Dumont of Harvest soon shows up with kitchen crew in tow. Jim and Mary go way back. Ten years ago Mary worked as a waitress at Gabriella Café in Santa Cruz, CA. Chef Jim and waitress Mary - who new Mary would soon quit the front of the house forever and go on to become one of America's most honored chefs. The storm held off as guests toured the varied crops.

Farmer Jim, in dress shirt and tie, showed off his farmer chops to guests and also sported an awesome tattoo of a beet root on his forearm. Mary prepared some of her favorite dishes which included a second course salad titled "Jim's Salad": A favorite Mary remembered from her days at Gabriella Cafe.

A Stormy Crossing

Next day: Storm Day. We drive south to New London, CT to catch the late afternoon ferry to the North Fork of Long Island. After an "All Aboard!" we climb the deck to watch the storm. "Exciting!" says Jim.

Across the North Fork as wind and rain pushed truck and trailer, rolling slowly along under flash flood and tropical storm warning.

In the evening we arrive at Almoncello restaurant in East Hampton to enjoy a great dinner and meet our guest chef Jason. The storm raged on as occasional power outages caused restaurant guests to ooo and ahhh… We skip the late night karaoke, deciding to rest up for our big Hamptons dinner.

A clear day

Many guests had emailed us in the previous days wondering if our Long Island farm dinner would be a washout. With so many tropical storms crossing the Atlantic "The Media" was pushing the panic button. Jim the weather nut reassured everyone that there was no need for alarm… Sure enough Sunday dawned clear and beautiful as we made our way to EECO Farm in East Hampton.

Sand and Museum

After our successful Hamptons dinner we made plans for arrival in New York City late in the day. Before leaving Long Island we made a visit to the Parrish Art Museum to see Jim's art on display. The crew checked out all the sand themed work: Jasper Johns, Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Ana Mendieta.... Jim Denevan and others.