YETI’S Wild PDR Series at SingleThread Farm

It was an unremarkable day in Southern California when I received the email. Sitting in the usual stop and go traffic on the 101 South heading to Downtown Los Angeles, I put my car on adaptive cruise control as I passively began checking my email messages.

There was something about one message in my inbox that caught my attention. It’s almost like it glowed, beckoning me to open it.

So, I did – and began reading:

On Sunday, October 19th, YETI’s ‘Wild PDR’ dinner series returns – this time at SingleThread Farm in Healdsburg, California – featuring an all-star lineup of chefs and friends whose culinary roots stem from around the world. YETI’s version of a PDR (private dining room) means getting outdoors and cooking over fire under the open sky.

This celebration of California ingredients begins with a late-afternoon welcome cocktail, a raw bar from Santa Barbara’s Sea Stephanie Fish, and a round of passed appetizers before guests take their seats for a communal 5-course meal. The menu will highlight California seafood and the amazing, seasonal produce of Katina Connaughton and SingleThread Farm before culminating in a showstopping, Asian-inspired whole hog main course.

“Wow” – I took a sharp inhale.

I checked the date and time stamp on the email. I’d received it three hours before I opened it. I sighed. Was there a seat available? Was I available? My finger clicked the Open Table link on an off chance there was still a seat available.

Automatically, Open Table assumed that I was inquiring for two seats. Which – not surprisingly – weren’t available.

But – what about just one for a solo diner? I held my breath and adjusted my search. Within moments, the answer was yes. It was almost like the seat was waiting for me.

And a few clicks later, it was mine.

YETI’S Wild PDR Series at SingleThread Farm

KYLE & KATINA CONNAUGHTON | SingleThread Farm – Inn – Restaurant, California
STEPHANIE MUTZ | Sea Stephanie Fish, California
VALERIE CHANG | Maty’s, Florida
MONIQUE FISO | Hiakai, New Zealand
NI & ANNA NGUYEN | Sap Sua, Colorado
DON NGUYEN | Khoi Barbecue, Texas

Sunday, October 19th

Welcome Cocktails

BUILT FOR THE ORCHARD (Vodka, Gin, Apple, Fennel, Citrus) and SONOMA ROOTS (Rye, Benedictine, Cocchi Americano, Beet, Buttermilk, Citrus)

Raw Bar By Sea Stephanie Fish

STEPHANIE MUTZ | Sea Stephanie Fish, California
with SEA URCHIN, OYSTERS (Grassy Bar oysters from Morro Bay), MUSSELS ESCABECHE
& Habanada Mignonette, Cocktail Sauce and Barrel Aged Ponzu

PASSED APPETIZERS

of MANUKA SMOKED HALIBUT, SPINY LOBSTER, SMOKED BEEF SHORT RIB
& HABANADA WITH VERMILLION ROCKFISH

Dinner

First Course: SingleThread

KYLE & KATINA CONNAUGHTON | SingleThread Farm – Inn – Restaurant, California
KANPACHI CRUDO (Smoked tomato ponzu, cucumber, lemon verbena)

Second Course: Hiakai

MONIQUE FISO | Hiakai, New Zealand
SAUTEED ABALONE (with Horopito, Lemon, Potato Puffs)

Third Course: Maty’s

VALERIE CHANG | Maty’s, Florida
ROASTED SEASONAL PUMPKIN (with Pumpkin Huancaina, Pumpkin Chips)

Main Course: Khoi Barbecue & Sap Sua

NI & ANNA NGUYEN | Sap Sua, Colorado
DON NGUYEN | Khoi Barbecue, Texas
VIETNAMESE WHOLE HOG FEAST (Banh Hoi Fermented Mustard Greens, Pickles, Vietnamese Sauces, Cabbage)

DESSERT

ANNA NGUYEN | Sap Sua, Colorado
Pandan Pudding with 5 Spice Roasted Quince

Reflections

I arrived at The Madrona straight from a morning flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco. I checked in and enjoyed a glass of wine before quickly changing into my evening attire and then slipping into the hotel car, bound for SingleThread Farms.

As the car pulled up and I stepped out, I felt a spark of excitement for what awaited me.

Walking through the archway and into the expanse, I will admit – I was slightly nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. But, I knew that the food and wine were going to eventually outweigh any feelings of my awkwardness of being solo.

I walked into the tent, taking it all in. In order to do something with my hands, I walked over to the bartender, handing out drinks. After a light conversation in explaining between the two different options, he handed me a branded Yeti tumbler, filled with my first drink of choice.

Plus, I complimented his beautiful shirt. He told met that the graphics were hand painted and that he’d purchased the shirt from a store in Santa Rosa called Hot Couture-Vintage Fashion.

As I moved around the space, I actively focused on overcoming my temporary shyness by capturing the moments. I tried to converse with friendly faces – and even got into a conversation about where next to visit in the Caribbean.

The overwhelming answer?

Turks and Caicos.

I also met and exchanged small talk with Dwight Smith – a host on the show Bake Master Battle on the Food Network. We had a powerful and very emotional conversation about representation and witnessing Black Excellence. Funny enough, we’d noticed each other and knew that we would eventually have a conversation together. And what a moment it was.

Similar to my experience during In Conversation: Top Chef’s Kristen Kish and Alyse Whitney at Now Serving Bookstore, there was a part of me that felt a deep sense of “Yes – you will gain this – and more.” In talking the Dwight, I felt a strong sense of deja vu that felt similar to me being in Kirsten’s presence.

Because they did, I can see it – and I will.

I told Dwight that I saw him – fully – and appreciated him in the moment. Because, in seeing him – I saw myself and where I was headed in the near future.

Our conversation was cut short when I noticed the chefs were lining up in front of the group, with Kyle Connaughton of SingleThread standing right there, poised to speak to us.

As Kyle introduced us to the chefs, he celebrated the success of Katina’s vision of the farm, which surrounded us.

“We tell the story of every day. We work to connect people with the food system.”

Kyle Connaughton

Watching Kyle and Katina’s energy together was magnetic. There was a warm and powerful confidence shared between them.

Another meaningful quote that Kyle mentioned is that – as he approached 50 years of life – he only had one wish. To – in his words – “get rad.” It was simple – and yet memorable.

Kyle introduced YETI’s Culinary Community Marketing Manager – Doc Noe – through an anecdote of their snowboarding adventures in Japan together. As I began snowboarding earlier this year, it resonated with me. As Doc explained YETI’s vision of the “wild private dining room” series to the group, I reflected on the importance of diversity – through creative vision and cuisine.

Upon concluding the opening remarks, we were led from the opening tent to the dining tent.

I arrived and found my seat at the table marked with my number from check in. As I settled in, I took in the scene around me – the thoughtful presentation and rustic elegance left me momentarily speechless, perfectly setting the tone for the evening ahead.

Kyle and Katina’s home stood just beyond the tent – a striking structure of dark wood and clean modern lines, at once grounded and luxurious against the lush, expansive landscape of the farm.

At times, dogs meandered through the farm. Their presence was a small, joyful interruption before they were softly guided back.

The rose bushes bloomed brilliantly against the golden light of autumn. The farm itself was glorious, as rows and rows of vegetables brought the farm to our tables.

The wine for the evening – poured from both the SingleThread’s private label and additional bottles – reflected the intimate, rooted spirit of the place.

Each course at YETI’S Wild PDR Series at SingleThread Farm was an experience in pleasure.

True, beautiful, brilliant culinary pleasure.

This – the whole experience  felt like a memory I didn’t want to have in the past. Because, I wanted to hold and keep it in the forefront of my mind, in the present.

As the sun set beyond the trees, the evening blossomed into something transcendent. Around me, under the tent at SingleThread Farm, conversations flowed between influencers, local residents from San Fransisco, and further.

Truly, dining alfresco here felt deeply personal. It felt like a rare balance of intimacy and elegance, both refined and grounded.

Each dish told a story, carrying influences from Florida, New Zealand, Texas, Denver, and Vietnam. It was a vibrant reflection of America’s culinary mosaic. In a world often divided by ideology, this meal felt like a quiet act of unity.

Diversity wasn’t just represented. It led the way, shining through flavor, craft, and conversation.

At one point, I got up and stood next to the giant YETI barbecue, the open fire raging. Conversing with Ni & Anna, I asked them about the changing cuisine landscape in Denver, the challenge of White approval and working with shifting expectations and staying true to your vision.

Standing beside the chefs, watching them work over the open flame in the Northern California air, I was reminded that food connects us far more deeply than it separates us.

This – I solidified, is the thread I want to continue weaving through my writing: capturing moments where food becomes a bridge between people, stories, and place. It may not always be as grand as YETI’s Wild PDR experience. But the essence remains the same: an honest, human connection expressed over good food.

Earlier that night, while savoring the incredible spiny lobster during the appetizers portion of the evening, another event guest turned to me and said, “This is life well lived.”

Truly, I couldn’t help but agree.

And I thought about that statement from a few angles. It wasn’t alway like this for me. I remember one particular early trip to Napa, in my early 20s, when I would go wine tasting and then stay at a Motel 6 that had the cheapest rate. During one memorable trip, I called my friend Amanda, amused that a guy asked me if I wanted to buy some drugs while I walked to my room for the night. But, I knew that I wanted to understand, to learn and to be a part of the rarefied air of luxury and pleasure.

Still, even then, I knew I wanted more. I wanted to learn, to immerse myself in the world of luxury and refinement – not as an outsider, but as someone who truly belonged there. I clung to that vision relentlessly. I shared my budding passion for wine, culture and travel with my friends, even when I had just $10 in my bank account. Deep down, I knew those early experiences – the curiosity, the courage, the audacity as a young black female to insert myself in certain spaces – were shaping the woman I would become.

And now, here I was – on a Sunday afternoon in October.

Here.

Yes, there’s a socioeconomic journey. But there’s also something deeper: access earned through intention, through community, through vision – like being on the SingleThread mailing list because I previously dined there with Johann. Then, finding myself invited to moments like these.

Most importantly, though, I recognize this truth: I have an unwavering vision for my life and the way I choose to cultivate it.

I do not need male validation. I do not need society’s permission.

I will not say “Yes, but that’s not for me” because of my skin color or my gender.

I deserve pleasure. I deserve luxury. Unapologetically.

And I apologize for absolutely nothing.

Realizing all of that – through one reflective statement – proved that I was on my right mission. To live my life – fully and beautifully – through food, conversation, and shared humanity. America is at its best when diversity leads the way, and the language of food becomes the medium where cultures and memories converge. This was perfectly clear as I stood in the Northern California air, talking with the chefs, laughing with fellow guests, eating vegetables freshly picked from the garden.

And that, to me, is the truest expression of America.

Our strength is born not from sameness, but from the beauty of our collective diversity, found in the endless, delicious act of living together.

And that’s the beautiful thing about America.

We are stronger through diversity.

And weaker without it.

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