Outstanding in the Field at Elawa Farm

An open-air dinner at Elawa Farm

Outstanding in the Field’s Elawa Farm stop is an open-air culinary farm dinner in Lake Forest, organized as part of its 2026 tour. The format centers on a multi-course communal meal set at a single long table in the farm fields, with live-fire cooking as part of the dinner format.

John Manion leads the menu

Guest chef John Manion of Brasero and El Che Steakhouse + Bar is named for the kitchen. The menu focus is South American live-fire cooking over charcoal using ingredients harvested from Elawa Farm, and listed dishes include chimichurri across multiple courses, including beef tartare and smoked pork loin with feijoada black beans.

Beverage partners named for the program include Clos du Val, Pilot Project Brewing, and Mountain Valley Spring Water. Mountain Valley Spring Water is also listed on the official event page as the guest beverage producer.

The farm and its host farmers

Elawa Farm is presented as both a historic farm and a working place, with fields that produce organic goods and support hands-on learning. Host farmers Laura Calvert and Sam Cline are named for Elawa Farm; Calvert is identified as executive director of the Elawa Farm Foundation, and Cline as farm manager.

• Vegetarian requests are the only dietary requests the meal policy says can be guaranteed, and that information can be entered during checkout.
• If a participant cannot attend, the policy says refunds or credits are not given, but tickets can be transferred to someone else with the new guest information provided at least 24 hours before the event.