Where can I find the best farm-to-table dinners in the Charlotte area?
When summer hits, I always find myself thinking of the picturesque breakfast scene in ”Call Me By Your Name,” where the family dines outdoors as the Italian summer blankets the stone fruit, fresh eggs and bread on the table with soft June light.
In a dream world, I want to start and end every day like this.
Well, it turns out that I just might be able to. While Charlotte is certainly not in Italy, we do share the same sun, which — with the help of water and a few farmers’ hands — grows colorful produce fit for a dreamy summer spread.
This summer, Charlotteans can experience something similar at a whole lineup of farm-to-table dinners, brunches and even some serious pie baking contests, thanks to nearby farms and local restaurants.
Farm-to-table dinners are more than just about pleasure for guests. This type of direct dining that skips out on middleman and mass production represents a type of consumption that is:
More environmentally-sound (sustainable production and less food transportation miles)
Healthier (if one sees health as a measure of fresh, produce-forward, local ingredients)
More connected and community-centric as producers and consumers come together to exchange meals and stories
In many ways, farm-to-table dinners are a component of a regenerative movement, where growing crops for food is just as much about ecosystem health, soil quality, climate consciousness and human well-being as it is about the crops. Many of the farms hosting these dinners place emphasis on regeneration and sustainability, and while sustainable is a sometimes cloudy umbrella term, what it means here can be anything from bioverse crops and organic lettuces to closed-loop farming practices.
There’s a whole subset of foodies who are into the regenerative, change-making capacity that food has over the flashy, fleeting, quick-and-easy aspects of the factory farmed food scene that has defined a whole half century of food in America.
The former would be considered part of the aptly-named Slow Food Movement. This grassroots-gone-global organization embraces those long, slow drawn-out pleasurable meals (hello, farm-to-table dinner under the stars) as opposed to the fast frenzy of quick consumption.
And at the end of the day, a farm-to-table dinner is really just fun. Meet new people, learn a little something about that squash on your plate and eat a whole meal prepared staggeringly fresh.
Some of the restaurants Charlotte loves, such as L’Ostrica and Restaurant Constance, have embraced sourcing from these types of sustainability-minded local farms and have really leaned into the idea that seasonal produce can tell a whole story itself on the plate.
Chef Sam Diminich, who runs Your Farms Your Table restaurant group and Restaurant Constance, said: “These farms are the heart of what we do — they are the whole reason we exist.”
Diminich started the Farmer Dinner series at his restaurant “to showcase the local bounty we have and support our farmers.” Knowing the people — and the stories — behind dishes are the “not-so-secret ingredient that adds emotion and soul to our hospitality.”
Farm to fork, farm to table, seed to plate — whatever you want to call it — here are 19 or so ways to experience it this summer.
L’Ostrica x Old North Farm
Location: 4701 Park Rd Unit D, Charlotte, NC 28209
When: June 23
Cost: $85
Instagram: @lostrica_clt
L’Ostrica is launching a Farmer Friends series starting June 23 with Keia Mastrianni and Jamie Swofford from Old North Farm as the restaurant’s first guests. This duo will discuss their produce and farm practices as guests enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of their labor and chef Eric Ferguson’s ingenuity in the kitchen.
The menu will start with an Old North Farm salad and squash blossoms with shrimp and fennel cream, and then transition into ricotta-stuffed tortelli and steak with a vast array of local veg and beans. This Farmer Friends supper will be the first of many for the produce-forward L’Ostrica team.
Old North Farm
Location: 3458 Crowder Ridge Rd, Shelby, NC 28150
When: June 23, July 14, August 10, August 17
Cost: Varies
Instagram: @oldnorthfarmwnc
Old North Farm is situated on one acre of land where the husband-and-wife team of Jamie Swofford and Keia Mastrianni grows biodiverse produce, herbs, flowers and foraged ingredients for the Piedmont community, restaurants and farmers markets. The vegetables are tended to the old fashioned way — by hand and in nutrient-dense soil without chemicals. This regenerative farm goes one step further by being a gathering place, hosting community events, workshops and dinners. Don’t miss Mastrianni’s hyper-seasonal pies from Milk Glass Pie.
Along with its collaboration with L’Ostrica on June 23, Shelby’s Old North Farm has a lineup of farm-foodie events this summer.
On June 30, head to this Shelby farm for a community pie-baking contest and hot dog anniversary party. Reserve $20 tickets.
On July 14, at County Seat — a seasonal farm dinner experience — Swofford and Mastrianni will curate a five-course dinner inspired by summer produce. Reserve $125 tickets.
On Aug. 10, there will be a Pie Party and a local vendor market.
On Aug. 17, the Trial to Table Celebration will see chef Greg Collier of 3rd & Fernwood and Uptown Yolk, chef John Fleer of Rhubarb in Asheville and Sera Cuni of Root Cellar and Cafe in Chapel Hill to create dishes using diverse crops with the help of The Utopian Seed Project. Suggested price $50.
Juneberry Ridge
Location: 40120 Old Cottonville Rd, Norwood, North Carolina 28128
When: June 23, July 13, July 14, July 28
Cost: Varies
Instagram: @juneberryridgenc
About an hour outside of Charlotte proper is a hospitality-focused regenerative farm, Juneberry Ridge. It’s an absolute hidden gem. Upcoming farm dinners and brunches will take place on June 23, July 13, July 14 and July 28. Get $30-$100 tickets here.
If folks are looking for more than just a farm meal, Juneberry hosts farm stays with regenerative farming workshops, movement and wellness experiences (like forest bathing), yoga, trails and, of course, meals featuring native ingredients grown directly on the farm. While the cabins are splurges, Juneberry hosts yoga classes, agriculture seminars and pop-in Juneberry music jams featuring fireside chats and regenerative farmed food (aquaponic salads and regenerative pork muffaletta sammy) for those looking for a mini day trip.
Restaurant Constance
Location: 2200 Thrift Rd, Charlotte, NC 28208
When: June 27, July 25, Aug. 22
Cost: $100
Instagram: @restaurant_constance
Restaurant Constance and Diminich, already known for thoughtful farm sourcing, will launch a hyper-seasonal Farmer Dinner Series this summer. Maybe the coolest thing about these events (besides meeting the farmers, of course) is the fact that it’s communal seating, embodying that community-centric ethos at the heart of Diminich’s work.
The three events on June 27, July 25, and Aug. 22 will feature a 4-course meal, and encourage deeper discussion of the food system in Charlotte. June’s dinner with Hot Pepper Herb Farm and Urban Gourmet Farm will feature sea scallops, a cider glazed peach salad, ricotta gnocchi and a peach shortcake to name a few. Other farm partners will be Terra Flora Market Garden, Mouna Bowa Farms, Sireei Fare Farm and Harmony Ridge Farms.
Anne Springs Close Greenway
Location: 2573 Lake Haigler Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29715
When: June 29, July 27
Cost: $36
Instagram: @ascgreenway
On June 29 and July 27, start your morning with Paddle and Pancakes, which is, exactly as it sounds. While the greenway isn’t quite a farm, it is a 2,100-acre nature preserve right outside Charlotte, so it has all the farm feels. It did just add the Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm with a petting zoo and education programs for children. Every month, Paddle and Pancakes takes place where visitors can start with some basic kayak instruction, paddle around Lake Haigler and finish with a pancake picnic.
Wild Hope Farm
Location: 575 Wild Hope Farm Road, Chester, SC, 29706
When: June 29, July 27
Cost: Varies
Instagram: @wildhopefarm
This organic and regenerative farm in Chester, SC, grows over 75+ vegetables, fruits and herbs. Its available for farm-to-table dinners and events, but this summer they’re keeping it casual with an Art & Ag tour on June 29, where guests can purchase farm-fresh veggies, fruits, egg, and flowers, all while immersing themselves in local art from nearby vendors. On July 27, it’s hosting a flower-arranging workshop. Purchase $60 tickets here.
Mano Bella x Garden Window Farms
Location: 721 Gov Morrison St STE 150, Charlotte, NC 28211
When: July 14
Cost: TBD
Instagram: @manobellaartisanfoods, @gardenwindowfarm
On July 14, Mano Bella, an Italian eatery with stunning handmade pasta, will collaborate with Garden Window Farms out of Denton for a farm-to-table wine pairing dinner. Keep an eye out for Garden Window Farms’ future beer pairing dinner collaborations with Union Barbecue Truck at Birdsong Brewing in the fall. Grab tickets here when they’re live.
Wooden Robot x Cox Brothers Acres x Better Call Salsa x Union Barbecue
Location: 416 E 36th St STE 100, Charlotte, NC 28205
When: July 15
Cost: $75-90
Instagram: @woodenrobotbrewery, @better_call_salsa, @union.barbecue, @cox_brothers_acres
This collab is a quadruple threat, and something fancy for the typically casual brewery and food trucks. In celebration of Wooden Robot’s anniversary on July 15, The Chamber by Wooden Robot will pair its locally loved beer with a curated multi-course, farm-to-table dinner brought to guests by Union Barbecue Truck, with its notorious Texas brisket, the Better Call Salsa truck, with its dreamy Texas-style tacos, and the veg from family-run Cox Brothers Acres. The Cox brothers’ abundant produce is grown without tilling, chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides.
Wildhaven x chef Chris Coleman
Location: 9696 North Carolina 181, Newland, NC 28657
When: July 20, Sept 7
Cost: $150
Instagram: @wildhavennc
Wildhaven is a farm and forest retreat center outside of Banner Elk on a 30-acre forest founded by Cassandra and Brian Bradley. This nature haven and retreat center serves as a space for land rejuvenation, conservation efforts and community engagement to channel child-like wonder.
On July 20, Charlotte chef Chris Coleman will collaborate with Wildhaven for a “Wildfire” night of summer dining and gathering under the stars, featuring a slow-roasted, five-course meal. This outdoor dining event will be accompanied by a big ol’ bonfire and a celebration of local farmers, including Trosley Farm, Shipley Farms and the Linville Falls Winery. The night starts with a welcome cocktail by the pond and a farm tour.
If you can’t make July 20, they’re making the magic happen again on Sept. 7. Alongside this summer dining series, Wildhaven hosts art classes, glamping, women’s retreats and has ample space for biking and trailing around Banner Elk.
Deep Roots Farm
Location: 2401 Primm Rd, Charlotte, NC 28216
When: July 22 - July 26
Cost: $225
Instagram: @deeprootscpsfarm
Rooted in sustainable and urban agriculture, food justice and a mission to improve local access to healthful foods, Deep Roots Farm is not only known for its fruitful seven acres of land, but for its Farm to Fork dinner events.
In the past, Deep Roots has partnered with chefs such as Greg Collier and Carl Brown to curate a local harvest menu with live music and knowledge from the very farmers growing the food. The Farm to Fork event involves Q&As, guided tours and education about sustainable farming practices. The farm — which is home to fruits, veggies, goats, bees, chickens and more — is hosting an educational summer camp for kids at $225 from July 22 to July 26.
Sun Raised Foods
Location (of storefront): 20035 Jetton Road Suite D, Cornelius, NC 28031
When: Aug. 8, Aug. 24
Cost: $125
Instagram: @sunraisedfoods
The Sun Raised Foods team, with a storefront in Cornelius and a solar-powered farm in Biscoe is known for its lamb, specifically its award-winning lamb salami. This crew prepares and presents the lamb with four-course dinners and wine pairings across North Carolina. All this farm-to-table magic happens at a long communal table at restaurants and inns to foster that sense of connection.
On Aug. 8, Cille and ‘Scoe in Greensboro will host Sun Raised Foods for a lamb dinner, and on Aug. 24, Sun Raised Foods will host a farm-to-table dinner along with a cooking class in Boone. And if you’re looking to host your own farm dinner of 25 people or more, Sun Raised Farms can come to you — lamb, chef, service and all. Also, don’t miss its cooking classes.
This story was originally published June 20, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
