Zoe-Ann Bartlett throws a lot of parties.
From author meet-and-greets to cooking classes to themed Sunday suppers, the owner of Intentional Table is a pro at bringing people together. Her secret? She swears by the table.
On Saturday, Aug. 29, Bartlett will set an especially long one — approximately 56 feet — for a “Northwest Dining Experience” at Sweetlife Farm.
Now in its third year, the annual dinner highlights the magic of Bob and Nancy Fortner’s home and the bounty of local purveyors. Guests enjoy farm-fresh fare by the light of the full moon, under twinkly lights and a stunning grape arbor.
“It’s kind of a romantic evening,” Bartlett said.
Her inspiration for the dinners came from Jim Denevan’s Outstanding in the Field series. Bartlett attended one of the open-air feasts in 2005, and was blown away by the experience — breaking bread with 50 people on a remote isthmus an hour north of Seattle.
“It was a really different way to appreciate food and where it came from,” she said.
But as OITF’s fame grew, the gatherings swelled in size and lost some of their charm, Bartlett said. So she caps her dinners at 60.
“I wanted to keep [my dinners] manageable, to not make it so formulaic. I change the details every time.”
Bartlett’s lips are zipped when it comes to this year’s theme and musical entertainment, but there are some constants.
The menu is based on whatever is in season — last year, Bartlett sourced ingredients from seven different island farms — and features many of the Fortners’ own handcrafted products, which include smoke-infused olive oil,
Dr. Bob’s bitters, jams and seasonings. Bartlett also harvests from the Sweetlife garden at the Fortners’ request.
“[We told Zoe] we’d love to have you pick the herbs, edible flowers, whatever we might have, and incorporate them into your dinner and presentation,” Nancy Fortner said.
“People make that connection with food, and it encourages [them] to go home and plant. It’s empowering the ways food nourishes us; it’s more than just nutrition.”
While touring the property, guests actually get to watch Bartlett’s staff prepare the meal.
“So everybody feels like they’re a part of it,” Fortner said.
The farm has a variety of cooking surfaces — a smokehouse, an outdoor grill, a wood-fired oven — and Bartlett tries to use them all. When it’s time to eat, she rings a large wind chime to summon guests to the table.
“We put a little ribbon around everything, so that people can’t stake out their seats and sit next to the people they came with,” Fortner explained.
And half-way through the dinner, guests are invited to switch seats.
“It creates this wonderful connection among people. They all just feel so energized and inspired and they linger for a long time.”
The Northwest Dining Experience will take place at Sweetlife Farm, 9631 Summer Hill Lane, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29. Tickets cost $150 and include wine and a multi-course dinner. They can be purchased online at www.intentionaltable.com or in person at 124 Madrona Lane.
