There’s nothing quite like sitting at an elegant table setting and having artfully plated, delicious dishes served to you. When the waiter tells you where the food was raised, how it was tended carefully and prepared lovingly by the star chef in the kitchen, the pleasure of the dish goes beyond the sensual. It also warms the heart and fills one with a sense of pride for Hawaii’s farmers and chefs.

In our daily lives we see those pristine products on display under white tents at farmers markets, harvested just before we purchase and cook them in our own kitchens. But how many of us know who those farmers are and what they did to cultivate such wonderful food?

Back in the late 1990s, Jim Dene­van was pondering all those questions. The Santa Cruz, Calif., chef was already sourcing his ingredients locally and inviting farmers to his restaurant to speak to diners about their work.

In 1999, Denevan brought all his thoughts and experiences together to start Outstanding in the Field, a culinary caravan that brings together chefs and farmers all around the globe to create gourmet dinners on site at farms.

The roving outdoor restaurant will make stops this month on Kauai and Oahu.

On Jan. 24, Denevan and crew will hit Olana Organic Farm in Kilauea, Kauai, where farmer Tim O’Connor and chef Ron Miller of the Huki­lau Lanai in Kapaa will present a four-course meal with wine pairings. Though the menu isn’t completely set, Miller plans to use pork from Kane­shiro Farm, root vegetables from Olana, Kunana Dairy goat cheese and locally caught fish.

On Jan. 27 chef Ed Kenney will join Gary and Kukui Mau­na­kea-Forth at MA‘O Organic Farms in Wai­anae. The theme of their dinner is "Fire & Earth," or food cooked over open flames. Kenney will utilize an imu, wood-burning oven and wood grill to prepare roast vegetables, local lamb and kale-and-bean soup.

Last year, both farms held some of the first Outstanding in the Field dinners in Hawaii, designed so farm visitors have their meal at one long table dramatically set amid fields of produce. The dinner is preceded by a farm tour.

"It was fantastic," recalled O’Connor, owner of Olana for 12 years. "It gave diners a tangible experience. They literally dined where the food came from. It felt wonderful to make that connection for them."

Kauai resident Tanya Temme attended Olana’s farm dinner, where the meal was served between a citrus grove and herb garden, and chefs cooked in a farm shed.

"It was not just a dinner; it was an education about farmers and their vision. You make connections between food, health, how food is grown and how people eat," said Temme. "The dinner was a highlight for me for months afterward."

Denevan’s interest in farms stems from his older brother’s work growing organic apples. Having worked the orchard as a teenager, Denevan not only understood the hard work of farming, but also that the farm could be a beautiful place for an event.

In the 1990s, he said, "I thought chefs were getting a lot of attention, but to me the back story of the food was fun and interesting. It seemed the time was ripe to do an agricultural dinner. Interest was growing, and I wanted to be a part of that."

At the time, no one was doing farm dinners on a regular basis, so Denevan’s Outstanding in the Field broke new ground.

"At the first event it was really profound to see the farmers appreciated at the place they worked," he said. "Seeing my brother struggle with agriculture all those years, I took this on as a mission."

The first year was a modest success, with three events of 40 or so people in attendance. A couple of years later, in 2001 in San Francisco, the dinners took off.

"At that point I thought we could bring this to the whole country, so I bought a cheap van. It broke down all the time, but it got us across the country," he said.

Now in its ninth year, Outstanding in the Field has organized more than 11,000 dinners in 37 states. Dinners have also been held in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands.

"It’s kind of a culinary circus," Denevan quipped.

In fact, Outstanding in the Field has gained a following that literally tours with them.

"I was surprised. There were three or four couples who had specifically traveled here for this dinner, based on the reputation of Outstanding in the Field," said O’Connor.

"There’s enrichment for all attendees. Off-island visitors are curious about the various aspects of growing food in a tropical environment. Kauai folks know what’s available seasonally, but they can learn the specifics of what it is we grow and how we grow it."

Miller, chef-owner of Huki­lau Lanai, said the event will be educational for his kitchen crew, because he buys as many products locally as possible.

"The goal is always to try to look on Kauai, then the outer islands, then the mainland. But we rarely import," he said. "It’s getting better every year."

MA‘O, which operates as part of a social enterprise program promoting youth leadership and community building through land-based endeavors, will receive a greater portion of profits from their dinner. Denevan said he wanted the event to help support the organization.

"We do a few of these each year. It’s rewarding to be part of furthering their program," he said.

Gary Maunakea-Forth said that at $220 a seat, he realizes tickets to the dinner are pricey, but after last year’s event he thinks it’s an experience not to be missed.

"Visiting a farm is not a regular occurrence, but it should be a natural thing," he said. "The community should be involved with farms. The table is where the celebration of the harvest and hard work culminates."

Kenney agrees.

"This is one of those things that, for the food movement, are hot-button topics that are great to even just talk about: youth reconnecting to the garden, an organically run farm. But until you actually experience it, it’s rhetoric. Being there, the feeling of it, tasting the food — it’s the intangible aspect that words don’t explain," he said.

"A key to the sustainability equation is the social aspect. Food brings people together. Coming together, breaking bread where the food is grown — that connects the dots."