Fall in North Carolina at Mandolin Farm

Last weekend, I attended cocktail hour at Mandolin Farm for the perfect evening of food, drinks, and scenery. The cocktail hour preluded the Fall Farmer’s Dinner, which is a family style dinner at the gorgeous farm, and proceeds went to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC to help support relief efforts from Hurricane Florence. Mandolin is an amazing restaurant in Raleigh, and Chef Fowler sources produce from his working farm in north Raleigh.

We were welcomed to the farm with twinkle lights, a beautiful tables cape with fresh flowers, and delicious Hors d’oeuvres and drinks. The wine and beer choices were all North Carolina labels, which nods to the North Carolina heritage of Mandolin.

Angela, Courtney, Glory, and I had a great time strolling the winding driveway and exploring the property. One of favorite parts of the evening was petting the pygmy goats and I even held a chicken. I loved how excited Courtney was and it was the first time Angela pet a goat, so it was a memorable experience!

I ate about 10 of these mini BLTs, oysters and deviled eggs, which are some of my favorite Southern food staples.

Chef Fowler hosts farm dinners seasonally to welcome guests to the farm for a tour of the property, Hors d’oeuvres, and dinner. It is a truly dreamy evening, and it is perfect for a date night or a girls’ night.

And if you haven’t checked out Mandolin for dinner yet, I hope you will! It is absolutely delightful and I truly love Chef Fowler’s vision and his philanthropy.

For cocktail hour, I wore this maxi dress that I snagged from Amazon Fashion with my favorite Frye boots, these amazing fringe earrings from Etsy, my David Yurman bangles (1 & 2), and this blue nail color perfect for fall + my favorite lip color (see more here).