Chef's Dinner Table Presents... Farmhouse Dinners!

159 Middlefield Road, Durham, CT 06422

Chef's Dinner Table invites you to celebrate our new partnership with Gastler Farm, a historic family farm in Durham, Connecticut. Chef Julie Carrión and farm manager Leah Gastler have collaborated on a series of Farmhouse Dinners to celebrate the best produce picks of the season! Canapés  and four courses will be professionally paired with an exquisite wine program.  Menus are designed to highlight the peak crops of the season, including custom floral arrangements created for each evening. 

For this installment, we look forward to Peony's Peak, the optimal time to see these gorgeous flowers in full bloom!  With a vintage feel to the table settings, floral china, and lacy linens, the menu will highlight late Spring vegetables, both cultivated and wild.  Peony arrangements on the tables will be for sale to guests as they depart, with proceeds supporting the farm's continuity.

As you enter the grounds, you will be greeted by a reception and passed canapes with tours of the fields, led by Leah Gastler, farm manager, who maintains her family traditions in this historic property, with its stone wall builds, gorgeous flowers, and verdant gardens.  Amidst decorations of works by local artists and artifacts gathered over many years of life in an idyllic setting, diners will gather at an intimate farm table to enjoy a memorable meal, lovingly prepared and served by our team.  You will be surrounded by like-minded individuals who also like to eat, drink and be merry without being too fussy about it.  Or, as we like to say: "There are no strangers here, only friends we have yet to meet".  

Note: all food, drink and gratuities are included with your ticket purchase, so you don't need to worry about settling a bill at the end of the night.

THE MENU

Canapés

Deviled Eggs~ pickled vegetables

Cucumber Rolls~ smoked trout mousse and caviar

Country Pâté ~ rhubarb chutney, butter brioche

Artichoke and Cheese Croquette

1st Course

Poached Asparagus ~ lump crab meat, herb emulsion, gathered greens

2nd Course

Black Sea Bass~ Spring pea flan, chanterelle mushrooms

3rd course

Dark Chocolate and Rhubarb Tart ~ strawberry rose custard

ABOUT THE CHEF

Chef Julie Carrión spent the early years of her culinary career in New York training under Top Chef Master Anita Lo, and then Montreal-based chef Normand Laprise of Toque, before accepting a position at Restaurant Daniel, the year that Daniel Boulud won back his coveted fourth star from The New York Times. She was the Executive Chef for a culinary non-profit called The Kitchen at Billings Forge in Hartford, now called Forge City Works.  There she created a job-training curriculum for underserved communities, opened two bakery cafe locations, and an off-premise catering  business.  After nearly a decade with Yale University as Executive Chef, catering to the university’s President and elite guests, Julie is now the Culinary Director of Chef’s Dinner Table, a private dining venue and culinary salon in New York City.  A resident of central Connecticut, she became enchanted by Gastler Farm when she was introduced to Tim Gastler before his passing in 2023.  They dreamed up the farm dinners together, and now his daughter Leah keeps the dream alive!

ABOUT GASTLER FARM

Gastler Farm has been a working farm for several generations and contains a Smithsonian-registered garden.  From 1937-1990 Gastler Farm was locally famous for their pansy fields, which blanketed the front fields with color every Spring. Charles H. Gastler bred his own unique strains of pansy seed, known for their large faces and robust stems, and the farm became a springtime destination for CT residents, including Katharine Hepburn! Leah Gastler is the 4th generation to bring new life and business to Gastler Farm. As a classically trained violist, started in the event business hosting classical music concerts in the farmhouse through a non-profit that she founded: Kalmia Garden Chamber Music and Arts Foundation, which continues its annual performances this Spring.  Leah is passionate about big ideas and creative endeavors, and loves pouring her energy into creating a space for such ideas to flourish. At Gastler Farm, she is able to marry her innate love of nature and plants, with the expansive energy of human creation, curating a space that both inspires and gives opportunity for ideas to be realized. 

FAQs:

Do you accommodate dietary restrictions?

• Yes. Please email Info@ChefsDinnerTableNYC.com with your dietary needs with at least 3 days notice. With less notice, we will undertake our best effort (but cannot guarantee) to accommodate your dietary restrictions.

Is there a dress code?

• Nobody will be barred at the door for their garb (unless they come in tank-tops and sandals!). The tone of the evening will be somewhere between smart-casual and elegant. 

Are there any ID requirements or an age limits to enter the event?

• Guests must be at least 21 Years of age with valid ID.

What is the refund policy? Is my registration/ticket transferable?

• While tickets are not refundable, they are transferable to anyone of legal drinking age. If you are unable to use your ticket, we will undertake to re-sell your ticket on a best-efforts basis subject to a 20% service fee.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

• No. (just have some ID handy)

Where can I contact the organizer with additional questions?

• Please email Info@ChefsDinnerTableNYC.com