Summer To-Do List! Max Chef to Farm Dinner Series at Rosedale Farm & Vineyard

OK…my bad. I’m truly embarrassed to say, (and filled with regret) that Max Chef to Farm dinner series launched in 2009, and I just FINALLY made it to one of these events this past week. The series is a partnership between Max Catering & Events and Rosedale Farms & Vineyards in Simsbury, CT.

Driving up to Simsbury, through lush fields, is delightful, but turning into Rosedale’s farm, and following the road back through the vineyards to the elegant tent resting between the vines, is truly a treat. The Max Hospitality team are industry pros and their Culinary Director and Managing Partner of Max Catering & Events: Hunter Morton alongside Max Chef to Farm Executive Chef Steven Michalewicz, delivered a meal that was perhaps, one of my favorites of 2026.

The dinner theme was Argentine Asado, selected due to my love affair with the outdoor cooking over open flames, we experienced on a recent trip to Buenos Aires. However, their calendar of themed dinners, festivals and collaborations can be found here, and incudes favorites such as Corn/Maize, Ode to Tomatoes, BBQ, Bluegrass & Brews, Lobsterfest and Hoptoberfest, so you can select one that fits your taste.

Rather than developing a menu first and sourcing ingredients afterward, Max Chef to Farm builds menus around what farmers were harvesting at peak quality, and this was VERY evident in every dish of our 5 course menu as well as the absolutely wonderful passed apps. It is worth noting that this dinner is an excellent value at $129 as the portions were very generous and the apps just kept coming. These included light and delicate Yucca fries, creamy deviled eggs, and perfectly seasoned lamb meatballs to name a few.

Live music is featured at all of these dinners, and as we settled in with our welcome cocktail, watching the chefs prepare and plate in the distance, with a setting sun, it was hard to not feel gratitude for the beauty and sense of place around you.

Rosedale Farms & Vineyards is a fifth-generation farm, established in 1920 and operated by Marshall Epstein as well as his family and their team. Not only do they provide a beautiful, natural setting, but they provide the vegetables, fruit and wine for the Max chefs, who allow these ingredients to shine.

From the lovely flakey crust and banging Chorizo in the Empanada, to the Humitas Stew, made with farm fresh tomato, summer squash, sweet corn, basil, peppers & parm, every dish featured ingredients that screamed Summer. There were a few moments where I actually closed my eyes to savor the taste, after the long Winter, and say to myself “this is what a tomato should taste like.” “This is what corn should taste like.”

An Enslada De Palominos De Primavera came next with grilled sweet Argentine shrimp from Gulf Shrimp Company, the reddest, juiciest tomato, hearts of palm layered with Avocado in a cilantro lime vinaigrette.

And the final course was the Grilled Asado Skirt Steak with a tangy citrus marinade, uber-crispy garlic potatoes in a chimichurri sauce. After watching chef work on this at the grill throughout the evening, I had high expectation, and it did not disappoint.

At this point, a massive storm rolled in, but the food was so damn good, the guests just kept right on eating.

For dessert, we enjoyed Flan with grilled peaches, and rolled off to our cars happy and at peace.

View upcoming events and purchase your tickets here.