Localism is more than just demonstrating a preference for the community by supporting home-grown businesses and area farms. To Chef Jason Weiner and the team at Almond, it’s a way of life.
Almond’s focus on localism means that every dish and cocktail is made with the freshest ingredients, produced sustainably to support the environment and the local economy.
Almond’s philosophy marries perfectly with the ethos of internationally renowned land artist Jim Denevan, who founded Outstanding in the Field 23 years ago to connect diners to the origins of their food while celebrating the hardworking hands that feed. Outstanding in the Field welcomes some of the world’s most renowned chefs to cook in their field kitchens, which are dismantled after each dinner, leaving no trace on the land.
The team will return to Holman’s Harvest, a small family farm in Loxahatchee Groves, on Monday, Jan. 16, to celebrate farmers Marty and Eliza Holman, who use permaculture practices to keep their soil healthy, their crops nutritious and their ecosystem thriving without synthetic herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. Permanent bed systems protect the delicate fungal networks and root systems underground.
“I’ve always believed that the less you do to an ingredient, the better. No discussion. No dispute. Hands down, fresh, local ingredients should always be the centerpiece of every meal,” Weiner said. “Picture an abundance of organic salad greens, tropical fruit from trees cared for by the family, and eggs from hens who roam freely on the Holmans’ property. I can’t wait to be part of the table again to share the most fundamental and universal human conversation: a meal.”
Guests will be treated to a farm tour led by the Holman family before dinner, a tradition that is a favorite part of the Outstanding in the Field experience. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.outstandinginthefield.com.
Outstanding in the Field was founded by Denevan in 1999 as a radical alternative to the conventional dining experience. Beginning with a humble dinner on his brother’s farm, the roving restaurant without walls has reached all 50 U.S. states and 22 countries around the globe with tables set in vineyards, beaches, meadows, fishing docks and city streets. The Outstanding in the Field experience connects diners to the origins of their food.
Holman’s Harvest is a small family farm owned by Marty and Liza Holman, focused on serving residents and restaurants. Primarily a grower of salad greens, the farm has expanded to include tropical fruits and pasture-raised chicken eggs. Holman’s Harvest consistently strives to produce the best-tasting crops with healthy, living soil.
In Manhattan and Bridgehampton, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida, Almond serves hearty, seasonal dishes that reflect farm-to-table roots and highlight local ingredients. The restaurant, named after Weiner’s wife, features a simple menu with ingredients sourced from local farmers, along with the friendly, laid-back atmosphere and philosophy that the less a chef does to an ingredient, the better.
