Saturday, October 5, 2024

Nearing 15 years, the Long Beach Urban Farm Dinner continues to uplift our best chefs

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The Long Beach Urban Farm Dinner—founded by Primal Alchemy owners Chef Paul and Dana Buchanan—is about to have its 14th dinner on Sunday, Sept. 22, at Organic Harvest Gardens.

Of course, there’s much more to the story than it being another ticketed dinner event.

long beach urban farm dinner
Dana Buchanan of Primal Alchemy Catering talks during the dinner’s tradition, Blow Your Own Horn Awards. Courtesy of business.

Wait—what is the Long Beach Urban Farm Dinner and what are the details with this year’s event?

The 14th Annual Long Beach Urban Farm Dinner will take place at North Long Beach’s much-loved Organic Harvest Gardens. Spanning 4PM to 8:30PM on Sunday, Sept. 22, tickets are currently available here.

And the chef lineup? Stellar:

  • Rich Mead, The Farmhouse
  • Pete & Maryann Lehmar, Orange County School of Arts
  • Paddy Glennon, Superior Seafood
  • Brad Neumann, Taste
  • Chad Phong, Battambong BBQ
  • Shea Enriquez, Alder & Sage
  • Arturo Enciso & Ana Belen Salatino, Gusto
  • Kristin Colazas Rodriguez , Colossus
  • Troy Hashimoto, Charity Event Chef Hero
  • Rod Dodd, Organic Harvest Gardens
  • Kyle Johnson, Market Lover
  • Amy Lebrun & Sara Kenas, Chefs at Large
  • Eugene Santiago, Union at the Compound
  • Sandra Tellez, Rancho Sabor
  • Brandon Hall – Thyme Well Spent Catering
  • Melissa Jones – Sasa’s Culinary Journey/ Bountiful

Joining the chefs for pours will be Prosecco tastes with Jeremy Dugan of (the absolutely awesome) Wine Country, beer pours from Harmony and Levi Fried of (the absolutely awesome) Long Beach Beer Lab, and mocktails from Thea Mercouffer of (the absolutely awesome) Wicked Wolf.

long beach urban farm dinner
The first Long Beach Urban Farm Dinner in 2010. Courtesy of Primal Alchemy Catering.

The Long Beach Urban Farm Dinner drew inspiration from a similar dinner running to this day.

The Ecology Center down in San Juan Capistrano hosts one of the most respected and loved dinner fundraisers in SoCal, The Green Feast. While the center mostly hosted educational activities like field trips, its farm dinner is what sets it apart. It’s what Jonathan Zaidman, director of engagement at the Ecology Center, calls “an immersive culinary and agricultural experience meant to foster a closer connection between people and the food system.”

“For Paul and myself, we sat there at this amazing dinner on this amazing farm, with all these Orange County chefs being highlighted with their work—and we were amazed,” Dana said. “And we asked ourselves, ‘Why not do this ourselves? Why not bring this to Long Beach?'”

And come 2009, they began planning their inaugural Long Beach Urban Farm Dinner for 2010 at The Growing Experience. Under the graciousness of Jimmy Ng, the farm dinner exploded before eventually finding its current home at Organic Harvest Gardens in North Long Beach.

Chef Arthur Gonzalez
Chef Arthur Gonzalez making spaetzle for the 2014 Long Beach Urban Farm Dinner. Courtesy of Primal Alchemy Catering.

Even more, the dinner’s driving force is uplifting our best chefs.

The history of chefs alone that the Long Beach Urban Farm Dinner brings is astounding.

The much-missed Chef Justina Fenton from Shortnin’ Bread, the bakery that was far ahead of its time in introducing Long Beach to quality baked goods and handmade ice cream. Chef David Coleman, the man that lifted Michael’s on Naples (which continues to thrive under Chef Eric Samniego) and Chianina (which closed in 2021). Chef Katherine Humphus, who oversaw BO-beau at what many felt was its height in DTLB. There was Chef Dave MacLennan, who oversaw James Republic before it turned into a rather sad hotel bar. Long before scoring a Michelin star at his Heritage space, Chef Philip Pretty was on hand to represent the Restaurant Which Shall Not Be Named.

And yes, Chef Art Gonzalez, the lauded talent behind Panxa, Roe, and The Hideaway, was an oft headliner before his untimely death in 2022.

And Chef’s Roll Apparel? Owners and partners Carlos Garcia and Aron Williams have been providing commemorative aprons and chef coats since almost the beginning.

long beach urban farm dinner
Musician Alyssandra Nighswonger [center] has been a staple for the Long Beach Urban Farm Dinner. Courtesy of Primal Alchemy Catering.

And it wasn’t just the food—Long Beach Urban Farm Dinner showcased some of our city’s best creators and artists.

“Music has always been a huge component of the dinner,” Dana said. “Bill Child DJ’d the very first event and many after that. And Alyssandra Nighswonger? Another human who is inherently tied into the dinner because she has really been the one to craft the music.”

Music is an essential cog to the dinner: Always live, always local talent, the music that wafts through the gardens as you peruse greens, tomatoes, fruits, and herbs makes for what is nothing short of idyllic. It doesn’t stop with Bill or Alyssa either: Glitterfox (aka Bearcoon), MOVE, Jon Zell and Rachel Albright, Fellow Robot, and Pollen Collective are just a handful of the local musicians that have appeared at the Urban Farm Dinner.

“And the first handful of years?” Dana said. “We had Long Beach artist Karen Garrison do a live painting of the dinner that we auctioned off at the end of the night… It’s a legacy I am deeply proud of and I hope this year, people will feel the same.”

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The 14th Annual Long Beach Urban Farm Dinner will take place at Organic Harvest Gardens. Spanning 4PM to 8:30PM on Sunday, Sept. 22, tickets are currently available here.

Brian Addison
Brian Addison
Brian Addison has been a writer, editor, and photographer for more than a decade, covering everything from food and culture to transportation and housing. In 2015, he was named Journalist of the Year by the Los Angeles Press Club and has since garnered 25 nominations and three additional wins. In 2019, he was awarded the Food/Culture Critic of the Year across any platform at the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.

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