Spice Acres Plated Landscape Dinner

I'm still working on drafting my Cleveland Dining Bucket List, but one item that has been on there for several years is attending a Plated Landscape Dinner from Spice of Life Catering Co.

Luckily, when this year's schedule was released, a friend emailed me with an invitation to join her and her husband for one. It was just what I needed to finally pull the trigger and attend. For the first time, they are all being held on the Spice Acres farm.

We were greeted by a tractor...

...pigs...

...and a cocktail. We were off to a good start.

The evening began with a cocktail hour in the Pines, a wooded area with live music, high top tables, appetizers, and bug spray. Mr. H and I started to poke around the farm a bit, before the official tour began.

Then, it was time for Chef/Owner Ben Benenroth and his Farm Manager to take the group around the farm's grounds.

This included two food stations, with wine pourings. At the first, we enjoyed house andouille sausage and pickled items. At one point I looked down, and I had some friends gathered at my feet.

I must have looked like a sucker for a pup face, and I could tell that they were hoping I'd drop a little sausage their way!

At the next station, we noshed on some mini steamed pork buns with a fermented rhubarb glaze, while we got to hang out with the chickens.

They currently have about 250 chickens. Wine in hand, delicious food, animals, a gorgeous evening...I was pretty much in heaven.

But, then it was time to head to the barn for the main courses.

It was a beautiful, rustic setting, and I can see why weddings are hosted here.

They have fields of flowers planted too. It's Spice's goal to be able to provide your catering, cake, florals, and venue all in one.

We settled in for the Spice Acres Head Lettuce Salad with a caramelized fennel Spruce dressing.

The main course was served family-style, so I didn't snap any pictures. But the Spice Acres Porchetta and Carolina gold rice with mushrooms were a big hit. We finished the meal with a Woolf Farm Strawberry Napoleon.

Good food, good wine, good conversation, a gorgeous setting, and feeling the passion radiating from Ben and his staff just made for a perfect summer night.

As of writing this post, most of the dinners are sold out. However, it looks like Thursday, August 4th and Thursday, October 13th are still open.

I'm so glad that I finally attended one. At $150 a person, it can feel steep, but it's worth every penny.

Spice Acres
9570 Riverview Road
Brecksville, OH 44147