Farm-to-Table: Stays with Genuinely Local Food

In an age where many of us are growing increasingly disconnected with our food sources, a true farm-to-table meal is the definition of luxury. Across America, these are properties that place local, seasonal dining as their highest priority– each with their own distinct regional flavors. 

These hotels, ranches and lodges not only provide excellent service and flavor, they’re intimately connected to the soil that produces the food on your plate. From private dinners to cooking classes with award-winning chefs, these are some of our favorite culinary-focused properties.

SingleThread Farms

Healdsburg, California

SingleThread Farms is home to both a five-room luxury inn and a Michelin-starred restaurant– arguably the most acclaimed in California wine country. 

The restaurant draws seventy percent of its produce from the property’s own 24-acre organic farm just a few miles away from SingleThread. Sonoma Valley’s long, sunny days and misty cool nights are famously ideal for vineyards, but also allow many other local crops to thrive. Tended by Head Farmer Katina Connaughton, the SingleThread farm includes a greenhouse, chicken coops, an heirloom fruit orchard, olive trees, beehives, and a cattle paddock. 

Suggested Itinerary: Sonoma and Mendocino: A Farm-to-Table Road Trip

Blackberry Farm

Walland, Tennessee

Nestled in a secluded corner of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, Blackberry Farm is one of America’s most celebrated intimate luxury hotels. The property consists of a pastoral 4,200 acres, with a farm, bakery and creamery on-site. Cheese, vegetables, honey and cider are all produced at the farm– exemplifying the use of simple, pure Tennessee ingredients. Blackberry Farm has three fantastic restaurants to best sample this ultra-local fare.

As for accommodation, the rooms range from elegant estate rooms to entire five-bedroom houses. All are adorned with decor that incarnate the sophisticated, rural warmth of the entire property (read: fine art, charming prints and stone chimneys.)

Tutka Bay Lodge

Homer, Alaska

The menu at Tutka Bay Lodge is a love letter to Alaskan cuisine, bursting with flavors like wild salmon and foraged berries. The lodge sits in a private cove within a rugged 9-mile glacial fjord at the edge of the Kachemak Bay State Park. 

Led by Chef Kirsten Dixon, Tutka fully utilizes their unique location by sending out foragers to search for wild edibles on the property, as well as care for the greenhouses and gardens. Guests are invited to participate in the lodge’s sustainable food-based practices, from foraging along the tideline themselves to engaging in a Tutka Bay Cooking School class. 

Suggested Itinerary: Luxury Alaska Adventures on the Kenai Peninsula

Los Poblanos

Albuquerque, New Mexico

By Sergio Salvador

Los Poblanos is what rustic daydreams are made of. The adobe ranch property initially was solely focused on corn production during its beginnings in the 1930’s, but has since evolved to include the most authentic farm-to-table guest experience in the Southwest. 

Informed by the daily harvest, Los Poblanos cuisine is constantly evolving with the seasons and celebrates the foods indigenous to New Mexico’s Rio Grande Valley. What is not home-grown on the property is carefully sourced from various nearby farms. Los Poblanos menus feature a delightful blend of culinary influences, from traditional Spanish and Native American preparation to contemporary takes. 

Suggested Itinerary: Back to the Future in New Mexico

Maison Madeleine

Breaux Bridge, Louisiana

Maison Madeleine perfectly captures the warm hospitality of Louisiana’s Cajun country– as well as the area’s rich culinary traditions. 

This bayou bed and breakfast doesn’t have a traditional restaurant. Instead, they host a Secret Supper Series where renowned chefs and musicians come together to create a magical, al fresco meal. You also can join a Maison Madeleine cooking class and learn to prepare Cajun classics like crawfish étouffée or chicken and sausage gumbo before enjoying the fruits of your labor.  

Suggested Itinerary: The Best of New Orleans and Cajun Country

Zapata Ranch

Mosca, Colorado

Zapata Ranch marries their upscale guest experience with their working ranch setting in every aspect of their operations– including dining. 

Chase Kelley spearheads the culinary team at Zapata, tasked with feeding hungry ranch staff and guests alike. Kelley brings upscale dining experience to the metaphorical (and literal) table, while culinary team member Dylan Taylor contributes open range cooking expertise. 

The Zapata team benefits from a deep understanding of their local food source– especially when it comes to bison from Zapata’s own herds. Beyond the limits of their own stock, Chef Kelley works closely with other local farmers and ranchers.

Suggested Itinerary: Luxury Family Adventure in Colorado