You’re invited to a Harvest Dinner featuring a distillery tour, multi-course dinner from Chef DeAngelo Newson of Dining with Dee, and a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from local producers. Every bite and sip supports The Land Connection, helping us build a more robust and resilient local food and farm system, from soil to supper plate.
The event will start at 5:00pm with a distillery tour by the Glazik family. Dinner will begin at 6:00pm.
All proceeds benefit The Land Connection’s work growing community-based food systems in which every farmer has the opportunity to protect our environment by growing food in a sustainable manner and every person has access to local, nutritious food.
Menu
Course 1: Sweet potato soup with parmesan crisp, toasted breadcrumbs, and herb oil
Course 2: Radicchio & pumpkin salad with tahini dressing
Course 3: Duck confit agnolotti with orange beurre blanc, aged balsamic, pickled red onion, and shaved Brussels
Course 4: Porchetta with creamy polenta, braised greens, and pork jus
Course 5: Goat cheese with housemade pepper jam and grilled focaccia
Course 6: Pumpkin spice tartlette with edible flowers
Dinner and beverages will include ingredients from the following local producers:
Bangkok Thai Farm
Ben and Molly’s Farm
Berries & Flour: Bakery and Harvest Goods
Cloud Mountain Kombucha
Country Cottage
Cow Creek Farm
Grovestone
Janie’s Mill
Joy of Illinois
Old Bakery
Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery
Silver Tree Spirits
About the Chef
DeAngelo Newson, known affectionately as Chef Dee, is the creative force and heart behind Dining with Dee, a private chef and catering company based in Champaign, Illinois. Classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta, Chef Dee brings refined technique, soulful flavors, and a passion for hospitality to every event he curates. Together with his wife and business partner, Stephanie, the duo share over 30 years of combined culinary experience, creating a unique balance of elegance, warmth, and precision in every dining experience.
For Chef Dee, food has always been more than just a meal—it’s a language. As he loves to say, “Salt is the microphone for food to speak.” That philosophy drives his approach: letting quality ingredients and thoughtful preparation shine, while crafting dishes that feel both elevated and approachable.
At Dining with Dee, the mission is simple yet powerful: to bring fine dining to your dining room. Whether it’s an intimate in-home dinner, a milestone celebration, or a curated tasting experience, Chef Dee and Stephanie customize every menu to reflect the season, the guests, and the occasion.
Beyond the kitchen, Dee and Stephanie are proud parents to three beautiful daughters. When they’re not cooking for clients, they can often be found gathered around the stove at home, creating meals together as a family. It’s this blend of professional excellence and personal connection that makes Dining with Dee more than a business—it’s a way of life built on love, family, and unforgettable food.
About Silver Tree Spirits
Silver Tree Beer & Spirits is handcrafted from the ground up. Inspired by Irish brewing and distilling style, Silver Tree takes their home-grown grains and turns them into Illinois alcohol with an Irish twist.
Founded by three farm boys that started making biofuels in high school, the brothers quickly learned there was more than cow feed to be made with the grain their family produced. They started crafting their own beers and the quality started making a reputation for their home brewed drinks. After making a deal selling wheat to a brewery in Illinois, they realized they could add value to the farm doing what they already enjoyed; creating premium drinks for people to enjoy.
Silver Tree is currently distilling the following products: Down East Vodka (their pilot product), Heartland Wheat Whiskey, Ringneck Rye Whiskey, Cow Creek Bloody Butcher Bourbon, Silver Tree Distillers Select, and Tilles Four Grain Whiskey.
