Long Table Inspiration from Outstanding in the Field

When we heard Outstanding in the Field is coming to our hometown soon, we headed on over to their website to learn more. While there, we were bowled over by the varied arrangements of long outdoor dining tables that are so emblematic of their productions...

So important is it to the meal, they even have a gallery page devoted to images of the long table.

"The second I saw that table stretching away in its sensual, undulant curve, I understood Denevan's brand of genius. Not just at bringing together the people who make these dinners click, or hiring the right staff to manage the daunting logistics. His gift is creating a table that is an art installation, then filling it with people and food that create transitory magic." - Allison Cook, Houston Chronicle

See more inspiring long outdoor tables at the Outstanding in the Field blog. We have a weakness for long-table outdoor dining, as evidenced in our previous post on The Endless Feast.

Comments (12)

A culinary Christo (best I could come up with on the fly)

posted by jen_g on July 23rd 2009 at 4:49pm
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I went to one of the Outstanding in the field events a couple years ago and it was such a great experience. I loved eating outside in an amzing vineyard setting experiencing fabulous food and wines sitting at a long table, closest experience to this way was when I was in Italy.

I highly recommend attending one of the Outstanding in the Field at least once.

posted by LoriSF on July 23rd 2009 at 4:50pm
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How do you get to go to one of these?

posted by SydneyBristow on July 23rd 2009 at 5:06pm
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Wow, that's amazing! Those tables seem to go on forever, and I agree with the Christo reference.

posted by visualingual on July 23rd 2009 at 5:09pm
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I don't know that many people.

posted by aaakid on July 23rd 2009 at 5:29pm
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you can see if there are in openings located near you.

Usually, you need to book a year in advance, some are sell out faster than others- http://www.outstandinginthefield.com/

The Devil's Gulch Ranch, Nicasio, CA always sells out fast.

I heard the one in Manhattan is super cool, urban dining.

Look to see what chef you might like as well.

posted by LoriSF on July 23rd 2009 at 5:58pm
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That table reminds me a lot of the expansive outdoor and wonderfully memorable dining experience last year at a Slow Food Nation event hosted by my college, UC Davis. Dining on long outdoor tables with locally produced food under 200 year old olive trees and surrounded by thousands of grape varieties from the National Clonal Germplasm Repository is something I'll always remember and cherish. The outdoor communal setting made the meal all the more tasty!

posted by gregory on July 23rd 2009 at 6:03pm
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check out: http://vimeo.com/4252502

posted by aitchayess on July 23rd 2009 at 6:39pm
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wow $200! i guess i will be setting up my own chairs on my street!

posted by SydneyBristow on July 23rd 2009 at 6:42pm
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wow..this looks like it could be a really interesting evening
i wanna go!!

I just hope the people aren't all pretentious...

posted by abc123 on July 23rd 2009 at 9:06pm
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Pass the salt, please,.. uhh...better mail it instead...

posted by hollandstudio on July 23rd 2009 at 9:11pm
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It's beautiful and I am sure a great experience. But to me, it's just another place where the price excludes the people who could use a good experience with local food.

It would be amazing for something like this to provide a big, local meal priced (or even donated) to lower income people. Expose them to local farmers and simply prepared fresh food. It might make a world of difference.

posted by lew! on July 27th 2009 at 10:32am
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