My awesome sister-in-law gave me a subscription to Organic Style for Christmas in 2001. Inside was a story about Outstanding in the Field--an outdoor feast of local food, wine & conversation. I was immediately smitten and awestruck by their ethos (& bus!) and put this experience in the top ten of my loosely organized to-do list. (Also on the list? A swim in the pool at Hearst Castle.) Every year I would drool over their locations, menus, website and idyllic photos. To say I yearned would be an understatement; I really built it up to being the ultimate foodie experience. This summer, about ten years later, I was able to score tickets to my first OITF farm dinner at my most dreamed of location (Secret Sea Cove), on a hot coastal day (such a rarity). I set a high bar and it was all I imagined it to be.