(August 25th) Outstanding In The Field - Kinnikinnick Farm

Anyone been to one of these events?

http://outstandinginthefield.com/res_pa ... hicago.htm

I just bought my tix and would love to meet some fellow LTH'ers there - or at least hear from anyone who may have attended a past event.

Chicago, IL
Saturday, August 25th, 2007
Kinnikinnick Farm

Guest Chef: Paul Virant of Vie, Chicago, IL
Price: $150
This dinner is a benefit for First Slice

Located just outside the culinary mecca of Chicago, Kinnikinnick Farm looks like the storybook picture of an Illinois farm: big farmhouse, grain silos, cornfields, and stately old trees. And it is that great American farm, but it is also home to acres of diverse organic produce. Chicago chefs make pilgrimages to Kinnikinnick to meet farmer David Cleverdon and get a better look at the source of their high-quality ingredients. If they can spare the time, they are welcomed into one of David's cute little one room farm cottages.

This is the Outstanding team's third visit to Kinnikinnick Farm. Our first two dinners at Kinnikinnick featured talented chef Paul Kahan of Blackbird and Avec. This year Paul Virant of Vie joins us.

Outstanding in the Field events feature a leisurely tour of the hosting farm followed by a five course, farm-style dinner at our long table set in a scenic spot. Dinner is accompanied by a wine paired with each course. Diners are joined at the table by the farmer, food producers, a winemaker and other local artisans associated with the meal.

Boy, sounds great. I'm in (with family).

I'm pretty sure I'm going to go. I haven't bought my ticket yet. What time does the dinner start? I didn't see a time on the web page. I'm guessing it would take a little over an hour to get there from the Loop?

I believe I saw on the website dinner usually begins around 4 or 5 PM and lasts about 4 hours. They explain the pace is leisurely and many guests linger long after the meal has finished.
Don't sleep on the reservations. There is an article about Outstanding In The Field in the most recent GQ Magazine.
Yay - it will be great to possibly meet some LTH folks!

TPA and I attended the dinner two years ago - it was a really fantastic night, beautiful weather and wonderful food. It helped that we knew many of the folks working the evening, which got us better wine service.

Rob - I know that when we went, this was definitely NOT a kid-friendly dinner. This may be different given that Paul's the chef and Mary Ellen's First Slice the beneficiary. Before plunking down $150 for each kid, I would check with them to see whether other kids will be in attendance, which wouldn't be surprising given that Mary Ellen's two kids are very involved in First Slice.