Featuring Chef & Restauranteur Charlie Keller
Bring your sweetheart to the farm for an exquisite evening, filled with super fresh farm offerings, oysters from Val Leitner of Oyster Catcher Shellfish, and a specialty wine pairing featuring natural wines. This will be a truly memorable evening under the oaks.
Charlie Keller made his foray into cooking at Johnson & Wales University, studying at both their Providence and Denver campuses. After graduating, he headed back home to New York and began cooking for some of the best restaurants in Manhattan, including Ouest, West Branch, Stone Park Café, and others. Later, Keller founded a successful catering company that is still going strong under the leadership of his founding partner. He then started on a decade-long stint of opening multiple restaurants in New York and Long Island, and co-owning one: The Rex Burger & Lobster. Soon after that Charlie and his wife moved to Gainesville and he began work with Pyramid Hotel Group in the conceptualization of Covey Kitchen & Cocktails at Hotel ELEO. He opened Covey to great success, earning a Top 100 spot in Yelp’s best restaurants country-wide. Charlie is now working on projects in Gainesville and in New York, and relishes the opportunities to cook for Swallowtail’s Farm dinners.
Swallowtail has been an intrepid pathfinder in the Floridian farm to table movement. Since its inception in 2009, the farm has collaborated with brilliant local chefs, fellow producers, musicians, brewers, non-profits and artists to bring authentic elevated dining experiences to our community. In a hurried, disposable culture, we believe that reconnection with our food offers refreshing and uplifting meaning. These dinners are a full-circle experience, where you will be treated to an experience of a meal - out in the fields and pastures as living plants and animals, in conversation with the farmers who have raised it, the chefs who have prepared it, and a community to share it with. There is simply no way to eat any fresher. Swallowtail uses zero chemicals in fields or pasture, nor with any of our animals. We are Animal Welfare Approved Certified by AGW, and are doing all of our work in the pursuit of regenerative land stewardship.
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Tickets are all-inclusive, including gratuity. This magically immersive experience includes
an open-bar curated selection of local craft beers, kombucha, farm-grown teas, and organic or biodynamic wines
a tour of the farm with farmer/founder Noah Shitama
an exquisite, one of a kind, multi-course dinner curated by our extraordinary guest chefs
live music by some of our favorite local musicians
dining en pleine aire under the ancient oaks of old Rochelle.
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We proudly serve brews from our local craft breweries and certified organic/biodynamic wine. For the safety of our guests, we suggest that you either arrange for a designated driver within your party or plan for a driving service to get you home safely.
This event is hosted on a working farm, thank goodness! Please dress according to the weather and wear proper footwear; we suggest flat, close-toed shoes or boots. These are plein aire dining events, so please bring layers so that you can be as comfortable as possible throughout the evening.
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Tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE and NON-TRANSFERABLE within 10 days of the event. Reservations are rain or shine. We will offer a credit toward a future dinner in the rare event of a cancellation due to an extreme weather event. Dinner credits must be used within 12 months of the original purchase date. If we must postpone or cancel the event due to unforeseen circumstances, we will provide notice at least 24 hours prior to the event. If the event is rescheduled, it will be held the following day (Sunday) at the same time.
Dietary Needs: please email us at [email protected] upon purchasing tickets so that we can work to accommodate your request. Most dietary needs can be accommodated.
**NO PETS**
