Join us for a special honey pairing dinner on Thursday, October 10th at The Barn at Lone Oaks Farm! We’re excited to welcome Iowa's Honey Sommelier, Katie Flinn, along with Chef Aaron Holt of Catering by Doolittle Farm. Katie will share her fascinating story and guide us through the tasting of 4 artisanal honeys. Chef Aaron will incorporate these honeys into each of the honey adorned courses, creating a foodie filled evening like none other (menu coming soon!) We'd love to have you at our table.  

A little more about Katie and Chef Aaron ~  Katie Flinn is the founder of Milk & Honey Orchard and Apiary near Indianola, Iowa. She discovered her fascination with honey during her tenure in the Air Force, collecting unique jars of honey from around the world - each one exhibiting the unique flavor of the terroir. After her retirement from the Air Force, she enrolled in the Honey Sensory Education program in Italy, completely immersing herself in honey study. She continues to visit Italy three times yearly for honey sensory studies and is working toward her PhD in Gastronomy with an emphasis on food anthropology and honey culture at Boston University. Katie is able to identify the botanicals bees gather their nectar from to create unique artisanal honeys and has achieved the title of Honey Sommelier (Iowa's one and only). In addition to her studies, Katie is working to help veterans suffering from PTSD through apitherapy - an alternative therapy using bees and bee products.

Named the Iowa Restaurant Association’s 2018 Chef of the Year, Chef Aaron Holt has years of experience in the kitchen, most recently at RoCA as executive chef. Aaron's accolades include winner of the 2018 Iowa Restaurant Association’s Chef of the Year award, 2019 Morsel Combat Peoples Choice award and 2022 Taste of Elegance award.

Aaron runs Doolittle Farm, an organic farm growing seasonal fruits, vegetables, micro greens, and edible flowers in Story City, Iowa, and will soon host dinners in his own 1905 farmhouse. The Doolittle Farm is a 61 acre Iowa century farm located in Story City, Iowa. The farm was established in 1905 by Chef Aaron’s great-grandparents on his mothers side, William and May Doolittle. In 2018 Aaron took over ownership of the property and started growing produce to support his chef career. He now operates Catering by Doolittle Farm, a farm to table catering and personal chef business. Aaron’s goal is to turn his families farm back into what it was over 100 years ago, the type of farm our great grandparents would recognize, practicing “Regenerative Agriculture” and working to provide a sustainable food future. Catering by Doolittle Farm takes the best of what Iowa has to offer and provides memorable and delicious dining experiences.  

"To focus on unifloral honey is to define a palette experience unlike any other. Taste the Terroir."

Wine pairing suggestions are available at Gateway Market in Des Moines.

The Menu:

First: Honey tasting with local cheeses and accompaniments

Suggested Pairing: Vingt Mars Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine, France

Second:  Black locust honey vinaigrette / roasted veggie salad  / honey-whipped feta / pesto

Suggested Pairing: Blackwater Underdog Chenin Blanc, South Africa

Third:  Blueberry honey glazed pork / squash puree / crispy Brussels-honey glazed bacon-slaw / micro green salad

Domaine de Vigier Syrah, Ardeche, France

Main:  Dandelion honey smoked shaved prime rib / fall risotto / pea tendrils

Tapestry Red Blend, Paso Robles, California

Dessert: Chestnut honey creme brûlée / honey glazed berries / edible flowers

Thelema Muscat Late Harvest, South Africa