A quarter-century ago, Chef Eric Skokan found himself having dinner at a country restaurant in the Basque region of France. After ordering, he was struck by the sight of a staff member preparing the meal in a way he wasn’t used to. “I saw her walk out and harvest things,” he said.
At the time, Skokan was executive chef at the Stanley Hotel, managing more than 20 people in the kitchen and ordering ingredients by the forklift load. But this intimate operation stirred something in him.
“This was literally a paradigm shift,” he recalls. He turned to his wife and partner, Jill, and declared, “When I grow up one day, this is what I want to do.”
Fast-forward to today, and Skokan has realized that vision through the extraordinary farm dinner experience at Black Cat Farm, a 500-acre spread north of Boulder. A James Beard Award-nominated chef, Skokan is also known for his Black Cat and Bramble & Hare restaurants in downtown Boulder, which feature ingredients cultivated on the farm.
The term “farm-to-table” is often loosely defined, but Black Cat Farm brings it to life in a way that echoes Skokan’s Basque inspiration. This isn’t a chef popping down to the farmers market, picking up a few things and calling it good. Many ingredients are grown, raised or milled on-site.
Skokan, who has a second home in rural Italy, cites the Italian concept of agriturismo as another influence. Agriturismo offers visitors a chance to enjoy seasonal fixed menus made from ingredients produced directly on the farm.
“Menus with the broadest possible range of ingredients” is how Skokan describes his offerings. He notes that winter yields as much as summer, especially since some guests mistakenly believe colder months mean fewer ingredient options. “We don’t want people to wait for summer,” he said.
While Black Cat Farm is a working agricultural operation, the dining spaces are anything but utilitarian. Guests enjoy dinner in one of seven private cabanas — each resembling a cross between a greenhouse and a cozy mountain cabin. Inside, sturdy wooden tables are adorned with eye-catching textiles and gold-rimmed vintage china. Seats are draped with sheepskins. A wood stove glows nearby, with stacked logs ready to go. Each cabana even includes a wireless speaker so diners can pick their own soundtrack.
Upon arrival, staff set a tone of attentive hospitality, offering a warm mug of cider, optionally spiked with butter and whiskey. Since the night of my visit was especially chilly, staff promptly ushered guests into the cabanas, where a quartet of starters was already waiting.
The first course featured a sourdough donut with Black Cat’s duck liver foie gras interpretation, lamb kefta meatballs, rye crackers accompanied by tuna tartare, and a garlic flan. The meatballs had classic Middle Eastern flavors of preserved lemon, parsley and olive — a perfectly seasoned nibble with a surprisingly delicate texture.
The rye crackers — made from grain grown and milled on the farm — offered a crispy complement to the tuna’s silkiness and buttery flavor, accented by subtle saffron gelato and rose aioli. The garlic flan arrived in half eggshells nestled in a grassy bed, topped with pickled mustard seed and citrus.
My favorite course followed: melt-in-your-mouth pork belly served with crisp-tender gai lan, a type of Chinese broccoli grown on the farm. Why gai lan? Skokan said he wanted to offer a hearty but unique winter vegetable. The dish also featured shaved, smoked scallops, contributing a briny undertone, along with ginger and house-made noodles composed of wheat flour and ground wild rice. This indigenous grass is one of Skokan’s experiments, which began when he tossed a handful of rice into one of the farm’s ponds.
Next came warm sourdough bread made from the farm’s wheat. The salted butter alone would have been enough, but freshly made mozzarella topped with a tomato walnut fondue and shallot purée raised the bar. Alongside was a simple but substantial salad of refreshing arugula and radicchio, tossed with blue cheese and shaved beets.
The main course serendipitously featured one of my favorite cuts: lamb shank braised in buttermilk. The lamb and pork served that evening were both raised just 500 feet from the cabana. The shank came with a hearty sunchoke purée and a sorrel sabayon. Typically, sabayon is associated with dessert, but this savory interpretation — made with lemony greens — balanced the richly flavored meat and its fall-off-the-bone texture.
Sourdough made a welcome return in dessert, this time in an apple cake dressed with almond nougatine and candy apple mousse. The dish was nicely balanced — not too rich — and both the mousse and cake highlighted fresh fruit flavor. The meal ended warmly, with fruit-filled chocolates and rosehip chamomile tea.
The most memorable meals blend top-shelf culinary craft with unforgettable experiences, ambience and excellent service. Black Cat Farm dinners exceed that standard. But perhaps most importantly, they live up to the bar set by Chef Skokan himself: Speaking of his farm dinners, he said, “First and foremost, it’s an experience of joy, contentment and relaxation, and being taken care of while enjoying a delicious meal.”
If you go
Four-course, fixed-menu chef’s tasting dinners are available Wednesday through Saturday evenings. Reservations open Mondays for dates up to three weeks in advance. Prebooking is available for parties of six or more. Dinner is $155 per person, with wine and cocktails available for an additional cost. Dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice. Reservations and additional information are available at opentable.com/black-cat or by calling (303) 444-5500.
Dinners at the farm are such a great experience. We first went during Covid and again shortly after it re-opened with official approval. It’s just such a joy to see food served the way it should be – seasonal, hyper local, and just plain fussed over. It’s funny that Chef Erik joked that this is what he wanted when he grew up – because I told my wife the same thing :^)
So wonderful, but like nearly everything else in Boulder, accessible only by the few who can afford it. So sad that we’ve turned into just another classist paradise.
Cmon Jay you have to splurge once in a while mate! 😋
The Skokan family are the epitome of that old saying – “salt of the earth. “ They are simply the finest, kindest, most creative and hard-working humans you could ever hope to meet. And don’t even get me started on the food that is grown and served at their establishments. When I first ate one of Eric’s meals at The Gold Lake Inn I told my husband I would eat anything that this chef put on my plate. 25 years later and it’s still one of my absolute truths in life.