Bird's Eye Meal
Outstanding in the Field dining tour is back with Dallas chef Misti Norris
The Outstanding in the Field dinner series returns to Texas.
A pricey foodie event is returning to the Dallas area — sortof — with a top chef behind the wheel: Outstanding in the Field, featuring dinners staged at communal tables that snake through actual fields, will make four stops in Texas including Shadow Creek in Bowie where it will feature Misti Norris, owner of Petra and the Beast.
Bowie is 95 miles northwest of Dallas, a bit of a hike, closer to Wichita Falls, really. On the plus side, the events start at 3 pm. Hopefully they'll have coffee on the menu for the nearly two-hour drive home.
Bowie represents a departure from the past two years when the event was held at Bonton Farms.
Outstanding in the Field was founded by Jim Denevan in 1999 as an alternative to the conventional dining experience with the idea that, rather than bringing ingredients to a restaurant, the restaurant is brought to the source of the ingredients. Local chefs are drafted to create a four- or five-course menu, using local ingredients. Meals are served family style.
The event used to be quite the foodie favorite but in recent years, its popularity and frequency has ebbed and flowed.
Nonetheless, here it is, back again, having roped in chef Misti as well as a new round of unwitting diners willing to foot the always-expensive price, which this year is $385 to $395 per ticket, depending on location.
The full lineup of Texas stops includes:
- Dallas, September 28: Shadow Creek Ranch in Bowie, with guest chef Misti Norris of Petra and the Beast. Alta Marfa Winery & Vineyard joins as the guest winery.
- Houston, September 29: Whitehurst Farm in Brenham, with guest chefs Evelyn Garcia of Jūn and Jane Wild of Jane Wild Studios. Soto Vino joins as the guest winery.
- Austin, October 5: Boggy Creek Farm in Austin, with guest chef Rick Lopez of La Condesa. Mountain Valley Spring Water joins as the guest beverage producer.
- Fredericksburg, October 6: William Chris Vineyards in Hye, with guest chef Amanda Turner of Olamaie. Vista Brewing joins as the guest brewery.
Despite the price, the dinners are selling, according to the booking website.
