Did you know that Des Moines hosts a handful of incredible farm-to-table dinners around the metro area? Residents like me tend to overlook how close we are to beautiful, sprawling farms and once in a lifetime experiences that are only a half hour’s drive outside of the city.
In bigger metros it could take hours to drive to a location as gorgeous as The Barn at Lone Oaks Farm and enjoy hyper-local farm-to-table dishes made by local chefs for their dinner series. We were lucky enough to attend the fifteenth dinner in their series and experience the magic. Here’s what our first impressions were.
Words + photos: Corinne Hastings, Des Moines Contributor
A Picturesque Winterset Experience
The Barn at Lone Oaks Farm
It’s impossible to discuss the Lone Oaks Farm Dinner Series without first talking about the beautiful setting that inspired it. The hand hewn oak barn is nearly 200 years old and was rescued and relocated to Lone Oaks Farm in 2016 from just down the road.
Luann Gilman, who owns the property with her husband Pete, shared that the barn itself is what inspired the dinner series. They placed the barn facing the rolling hills of restored prairie that they are passionate about preserving.
Luann knew she wanted to share the gorgeous scenery and host dinners in the barn, but wasn’t quite sure how to make it happen. A friend later sent her an article about Chef Aaron Holt. She reached out to him and soon after the Dinner Series came to fruition.
The Dinner Series
The Lone Oaks Farm Dinner Series is a hyper-local, farm-to-table dinner experience where local chefs create custom menus formulated around what’s in season in central Iowa, and ingredients from Lone Oaks Farm itself are regularly incorporated into the meals. While the majority of the dinners have been prepared by Chef Aaron Holt, other well known chefs from the Des Moines Metro are also featured throughout the series.
The dinner series is typically BYOB. Luann works with the staff at Gateway Market to create a wine pairing list to share with attendees. She considers this a reference for guests more than a guide—she made sure to note that no one will mind if your wine is from Trader Joe’s!
While the food is certainly a standout feature for the Lone Oaks Farm Dinner Series, the atmosphere, the views, and the overall experience is really what sets this dinner apart from anything you could experience in Des Moines metro.
Our First Impressions
It feels like there’s a little bit of magic in the air at Lone Oaks Farm. From the Edison bulb lit path that leads to the gorgeous restored barn, to watching the sunset over a beautiful native prairie. Paired with enjoying a unique dining experience led by renowned local chefs, the Dinner Series is an unrivaled experience that is well worth the price tag.
The food is just as noteworthy as the views. You can taste the intentionality in the ingredients in every bite. The dinner we attended had four courses from Chef Aaron Holt and each course was paired with wine from MTGA Wines. I have nothing but rave reviews for every course, but one standout for me was the tomato chutney with the arancini (yes, I am still having dreams about it). Every bite that I had was delicious and full of flavor.
It can be easy to forget how lucky we are to be surrounded by so much agriculture here in Des Moines, great produce is so readily available for us, and the Lone Oaks Farm Dinner Series does a wonderful job at highlighting that.
Best For
Special occasions and date nights. There are a limited number of dinners every summer, but if you are looking to “wow” someone in your life, this is the dining experience you should take them to.
Our Favorite Part
The atmosphere. This is truly farm-to-table dining. You’re eating ingredients that are just yards away from you, all while sitting in an 1850’s barn made of hand carved beams and the rolling hills of Madison County in front of you. It’s unparalleled.
Side note – If you’re not so outdoorsy (like myself) and worried about things like bugs, they even provided bug spray!
We Have a Crush On
The Up-and-Comers Dinner in September. This dinner showcases talented young chefs from the Des Moines area. Each chef gets the opportunity to create their own course for the meal. Both Luann and Chef Holt mentioned how exciting and special this dinner is every year which made me immediately add it to my calendar for the fall.
Book a future dinner at Lone Oaks this year!
Check out the later-this-summer dinners that are still available at the link above. Keep up with all the exciting dinners happening and more by giving them a follow on Facebook and Instagram!
Where Should Des Moines Girl Go Next?
What’s new in the Des Moines food scene? Got a place you want us to try? Des Moines Girl is always looking for opportunities to highlight locally-owned restaurants in the area. Shoot us a message if you’d like to suggest where we go next!
