Provenance

We are often asked. We do not answer.

The house works with a single producer: a smallholding in West Marin we are contractually obliged not to name. The arrangement is exclusive, perpetual, and was concluded in the summer of 2024, eighteen months before service began.

The partner is not a chain. The partner is not a co-operative. The partner is, in Olin's words, "a temperament more than an enterprise." We ask that you not press the staff for further detail.

"I cannot speak about the arrangement. I can say I am proud of it."
— The Producer, name withheld at request

The diet is calibrated weekly between the chef and the producer. It is unusual. It is, we believe, decisive. What goes in is what comes out, and we are particular about both. Olin describes the practice as closed-loop gastronomy. He considers it the only honest form.

• — Heritage barleys from a single field outside Petaluma
• — Fermented apples (Gravenstein, second pressing) from one orchard in Sebastopol
• — Marcona almonds, hand-shelled, never roasted
• — Tomales Bay sea-lettuce, harvested at the spring tide
• — Spent grain from a brewery in Point Reyes Station, delivered Tuesdays
• — On feast days: a small ration of Périgord truffle

Water is from a single spring on the property and is tested quarterly. Stress is monitored. Sleep is, to the extent possible, protected.

Collection is made by hand, at cold-stream temperature, three times each day — at sunrise, at midday, and at the close of the working hours. Material is decanted into food-grade vessels of the producer's own design and is on the pass at the house within forty minutes of harvest.

Nothing is frozen. Nothing travels by air. Nothing is touched by a gloved hand that has touched anything else.

Every harvest is independently assayed at an accredited laboratory in Berkeley. Certificates of analysis are retained on premise and are available, in person, by written request. Guests who wish to inspect them are welcomed warmly and seated quietly in the library.

We are able to confirm the following. The source is not industrial. The source is not imported. The source is not synthetic, cultured, or printed. The source is not, contrary to a piece published in The Annex Review in the spring of 2026, equine. The source is not from more than one individual. The source is not the result of financial incentive directed at the producer. The source is not, to our knowledge, subject to any active regulatory proceeding. The source is not from a minor. The collection process does not constitute a medical procedure under California statute.

On matters of religious or dietary law: the source has not been classified by any major authority. We have written to several. We have not yet had a reply we feel comfortable publishing.

Is it from an animal?

The chef prefers not to characterise it.

Is it from more than one source?

We work with one partner. We have always worked with one partner.

Is the partner human?

The partner is a smallholding in West Marin.

Could you elaborate?

We could. We will not.

May I visit the property?

No.

Is the health department aware of the arrangement?

The relevant agencies have been notified of our operating category. The category was determined by us.

Are guests informed of the nature of the central ingredient?

Guests are invited to review the menu prior to service. The menu is in front of you now.

Is the ingredient legal to serve?

We are not aware of a law that specifically prohibits it.

Has anyone ever asked to stop mid-meal?

We do not discuss individual guest experiences. We can confirm the soufflé has a completion rate of 94%.

Is the producer compensated?

The arrangement is one of mutual regard.

It is the chef's view that to answer is to diminish the work.