Head Out to Swank Farms for the Annual Table Dinner Series December 18

Here's one thing to put on your New Year to-do list: Attend a Swank Table dinner. No South Florida season is complete without at least one trip to Swank Specialty Produce for its annual farm-to-table pairing series.

Now in its fourth year, the Loxahatchee-based farm will once again be offering an exciting new season of on-farm dining events taking place every month from December through April.

And just what is it that makes these dinners so special? More than just another pairing pop-up, Swank Table dinners are able to transport you from your hectic South Florida lifestyle to a peaceful, pastoral night of food, wine, cocktails, and more.

This season, Swank Specialty Produce owners Jodi and Darren Swank will host nine al fresco dinners with an impressive roster of local and nationally renowned chefs offering up their culinary talent, each one paired with an impressive lineup of farmers, artisanal producers, sommeliers, mixologists, microbreweries, distillers, and organic winemakers to produce multicourse meals showcasing produce and ingredients fresh off the farm.

The dinner, served family-style with six guests per table, is often touted as the ultimate farm-to-fork dining experience and includes a tour of the farm, meet-and-greet opportunities with the dinner's chef lineup, expertly prepared cocktails, wine paired by a sommelier, and live entertainment.

An added bonus: Swank Specialty Produce will be donating a portion of the proceeds from each dinner to local charities.

The 2017 season of farm-to-table dinners kicks off at 4 p.m. on December 18 with Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's Kuro, NYY Steak, and Council Oak Steaks & Seafood team, continues with Chinese New Year- and Valentine's Day-themed events, and finishes off with a pig-themed dinner.

Dubbed "Big Flavors, Open Skies: A Night with Seminole Hard Rock and Coconut Creek," guests will be served a five-course pairing dinner prepared by Kuro executive chef Alex Becker, who New Times recently named one of the best chefs in Broward County.

The evening will also feature the restaurant's pastry chef Ross Evans, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood executive chef Brian Doyle and sommelier Juan Horta, and the resort’s banquet chef Giovanni Genao and executive sous chef David Ray Roach. Rounding out the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek team are NYY Steak restaurant’s executive chef Matt Zappoli, butcher shop manager Walter Apfelbaum, general manager Noel Morreale, casino banquet chef Jarrod Campbell, and banquet manager James Manuel.

Tickets for the event are $160 per person, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Flipany, a charity dedicated to empowering youth and their families through physical activity, nutrition, raising awareness, and creating policies for a healthier community.

This season, other notable Swank Dinner Table participants include Adrienne Grenier of 3030 Ocean at the Harbor Beach Marriott, Michael Bloise of Ocean2000 at Fort Lauderdale’s Pelican Beach Resort, Brian Rojas of Fooq’s, and Top Chef  winner Jeremy Ford of the Matador Room, among others. For additional information and the full series schedule, visit swankspecialtyproduce.com.

Swank Specialty Produce is a hydroponic farm offering fresh Florida produce. For the last 15 years, the farm has been best known for helping to grow the farm-to-table movement by providing a variety of herbs and vegetables to green and farmers market stands and local chefs across the region.

Swank Specialty Produce. 14311 North Rd., Loxahatchee; 561-202-5648; swankspecialtyproduce.com.

Nicole Danna is a food writer covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on the BPB New Times Food & Drink Instagram