Outdoor dining has always been popular in ºüÀêÊÓƵ, with patios filling up at the first sight of spring and persisting until even the patio heaters can’t keep up with the cold.
Recently, dedicated fine dining destinations have popped up outdoors as a new way to experience high-end cuisine and curated tasting menus in a different context. The definition of fine dining has evolved into something markedly less stiff, with new rules (or no rules), and chefs are using outdoor dinner experiences to strengthen the bond with diners, giving them a new perspective on the importance of seasonal cuisine.
Farm Spirit at Such & Such Farm
Spearheading this new wave of open-air dining is Farm Spirit, which hosts a rolling dinner series at Such & Such Farm, a 120-acre farmstead in DeSoto, Missouri. Founded just a few short years ago during the pandemic, the passion project from owners and partners Ryan McDonald and Ashley Batiste has exploded into a finely honed operation. What was once a few Weber kettles is now an outdoor kitchen, a full staff and its own moniker: Homie Hospitality, the side of the business that handles dinners and events throughout the year. “We started this project in a time when it was needed the most and before there was a huge expanse of pop-ups in the area, which is pretty cool,†McDonald says. “Being able to bring folks out and connect them with the farm is a special thing; it’s not often you get to enjoy a dining experience 100 feet from the source."
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Just as unusual is the idea of communal dining, with over 100 guests seated at long tables that line the barn that overlooks expansive rolling fields and farm animals. Strangers often become friends amid the string lights and farm-harvested flowers that warm the space. “The DIY elements and natural beauty of the farm add a special element that can’t be replicated elsewhere,†Batiste says. “The feeling of working really hard toward something and welcoming others in to enjoy the fruits of our labor is deeply meaningful.â€
One of the most unique features of a Farm Spirit dinner is the menu. Typically a tasting menu, it's driven by seasonal produce and created in collaboration with guest chefs or for more casual events like pig roasts or late fall markets. Harvests guide the menu, with responsibly sourced meats and items the staff has processed from scratch falling in line behind to create a meal guests can see all around them. “Seasonal menus require a level of trust from our diners,†Batiste says, adding that a hyper-seasonal menu based on what’s available a few days out from each event means recipe development happens at a more accelerated pace than in traditional restaurant settings. Thanks to vast collective experience and a fluidity of movement, the Farm Spirit team can create what Batiste calls “intangible magic†with ever-changing menus that delight.
Full Thyme Farms
An extension of Farm Spirit’s operation has been the emergence of Full Thyme Farms, an intimate private dinner series and community gardening effort from the mind of Matt Duffin. A core member of the Farm Spirit team with over 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Duffin uses his property as a home base for a weekend dining series a few nights a month.
The series is brought to life by a rotating cast of outstanding chefs who collaborate on tasting menus that are often personal in nature, with explorations into culture, personal heritage and regional foodways. Although dinner is served inside, the outdoors is heavily woven into elements throughout the meal. Welcome bites are often served outside on a beautiful back patio overlooking the grounds. “The outdoors is a crucial element to the experience; dining outside just feels good if the weather is right,†Duffin says. “We encourage guests to walk around the backyard where we have a woodfire grill going, a work-in-progress garden and a big deck for lounging while waiting for other guests to arrive.â€
The energy from the night flows in multiple directions. The intimate setting gives guests a chance to chat with ease, while chefs get a chance to interact in a way they would not behind the walls of a restaurant kitchen. After dinner, the staff takes an hour to talk with diners and get to know them on a more personal level. “That’s something that’s nearly impossible for a chef to do in a restaurant,†Duffin says. “Our focus is to make people feel welcome, so we build friendships and relationships.â€
Elsworth Supper Club
With Elsworth Supper Club, founders and partners Justin and Amelia McMillen hit the sweet spot with open-air dining in a hyper-intimate setting, where around 10 guests gather for a night of fine dining made casual by both setting and service. “There’s the stereotype that fine dining is stuffy and pretentious, and there is certainly a time and place for that,†Amelia says. “But more often than not, people – ourselves included – are drawn to more unique experiences where they can relax and have a good time.â€
Elsworth offers just that, with an outdoor dining area that’s enclosed and somewhat protected from the elements while also letting the outdoors in. Nature dictates the experience, from flowers that adorn the table to herbs growing in the garden. What they can’t harvest from their own yard, the McMillens procure from local farmers. Nature has its challenges, but it also offers guests a different experience each time they visit. “We love having nature as a variable because it means every service is unique,†Amelia says, adding that temperature and natural light play as much of a role as the dishes served.
Service typically consists of a welcome bite, where guests get a taste of what’s to come as they get to know their fellow diners. Once seated, both plated and family-style courses create a sense of easy camaraderie as food is passed, and after the final course, guests often leave as friends.
The trust built between guests, chefs and staff is a common thread woven into all three concepts, and for good reason: Each experience is unique, yet all are born from a foundation of hospitality in its purest form, where delight is registered on faces and not Yelp reviews, and there is a shared appreciation for what nature brings to the table.
Farm Spirit,
Full Thyme Farms,Â
Elsworth Supper Club,Â