Black Cat Launches Permanent Version of Its Farm Dinners in Longmont

"I love being here to cook, and having this as my workplace is magical," Eric Skokan told Westword in 2022 as he was working toward making farm dinners a permanent fixture at Black Cat Farm in Longmont; his cooking had just made him a James Beard award semifinalist for Best Chef in the Mountain Region.

In 2020, Skokan, who also owns Boulder restaurant Bramble & Hare, began hosting dinners at his farm as a way to survive the pandemic. The events were a hit. "We had created this great opportunity that was fun and flexible enough, that was also a good fit for the community," Skokan said. "It was a win-win, and we knew we wanted to do it permanently."

To make the dream a reality, he officially ended service at Boulder's Black Cat, the eatery he'd opened in 2006, and used the space to expand Bramble & Hare.
"After nearly four years of navigating brutal physical and permitting challenges, the farm dinners that we briefly launched at our homestead in 2020 are back — permanently," reads an October 21 Instagram post. "We look forward to hosting you at Farm Dinners 2.0 for decades."

Work to transform the farm into a true farm-to-table dining destination included building a parking lot and private event space, making pathways, and adding handicap access and better bathrooms.

"Our farm dinner experience, the culmination of a dream we have stoked for most of our professional lives, invites guests to savor the culinary pleasures of our 500-acre organic farm while dining on the farm itself," the post explains. "Each party enjoys its own private dining room, a glass-walled cabana containing a vintage — and working —wood stove. When it’s warm, pergola dining is also an option. Views of rolling fields dense with vegetables, sheep wandering pastures and stunning vistas of the Continental Divide contribute immensely toward the experience."
Reservations are now being accepted for parties of eight or more, with dates available on October 22, 23 and 27 for a prix fixe dinner priced at $150 per person. More dates will be added in the future, though there is no set schedule yet.

The plan is to open reservations to the public the week of November 12. Once the farm is serving on a regular schedule, the plan is to open reservations every Monday morning for the following week. "Once the week’s reservations sell out, we won’t open reservations again until the following Monday. For reservations beginning in mid-November, we will offer an OpenTable link," the post notes.

Black Cat Farm is located at 9889 North 51st Street in Longmont. For more information, email events@blackcatboulder or visit blackcatboulder.com to sign up for its email list.