From Our Farm to the Pendennis Table
A Louisville dinner, an Indiana family farm, and the quiet pride of seeing grass-fed Dexter beef honored at the table.
By Mya Goodman
There are some evenings that stay with you.
Not because they are fancy, although this one certainly was. Not because the food was beautiful, although it absolutely was. But because for a moment, something you have worked for quietly, day after day, gets seen.
Last Thursday, Mark and I took Savahna and Eva to dinner at the Pendennis Club in downtown Louisville. For our family, Thursday night dinner there has become a sweet little tradition. It gives the girls a reason to dress up, gives us all a reason to get into the city, and gives us a few hours to enjoy being together around a beautiful table.
The Pendennis Club has its own long Louisville story. Founded in 1881, it is one of those historic city clubs where the walls seem to remember generations of conversations, dinners, celebrations, and Kentucky traditions.
But what has made it special to us is not only the history. It is the people.
Over time, we have gotten to know Francis, the Director, and Executive Chef Andrew Smith, a well-known Louisville restaurateur whose talent in the kitchen is something truly special.
The staff has also gotten to know us, our family, and our farm.
Recently, Mark and I brought Chef Andrew several pounds of beef from Goodman’s Greenbriar Farm to sample, including hamburger and steak from our grass-fed Irish Dexter cattle. We were excited, of course, but also a little nervous. When you raise cattle yourself, when you care for them daily, when your family has worked the land for generations, sharing your beef with a chef of that caliber feels personal.
That evening, we walked into the dining room expecting to order from the menu. Our table was waiting, and almost immediately I noticed Francis over in the bar area speaking with one of the staff members. A few moments later, Mark was brought a special drink: Kentucky bourbon flavors with sweet bitters of cherry and orange, but made non-alcoholic just for him.
Mark does not drink, and Francis remembered.
That small detail touched me before dinner even began.
Then we were told Chef Andrew had prepared a meal especially for our family.
Stuffed shells made with Goodman’s Greenbriar Farm hamburger.
From Our Farm to the Pendennis Table
The first course came out: stuffed pasta shells made with our Goodman’s Greenbriar Farm hamburger, plated beautifully with bright sauce, herbs, and shaved cheese. When the plate was set in front of me, the aroma was immediate. I felt like I had been transported straight to Italy.
All I could say was, “Wow.”
It was rich, fresh, comforting, and elegant all at once. And knowing our beef was tucked inside those beautiful shells made it even more meaningful.
Then came the main course, featuring our steak. The plate was gorgeous: steak, vegetables, sauce, and all the care you expect from a chef who understands not only food, but presentation. I took one bite and stopped.
Again: wow.
I turned to my family and said, “Can we hire Chef Andrew to come teach me how to prepare our steaks?”
Mark, being Mark, smiled and said, “You make beautiful roasts, honey.”
And I said, “I know. But I’ve never made our steaks taste this good!”
We all laughed, but I meant it. There is something remarkable about seeing an ingredient you raised with your own hands elevated by someone who truly understands it.
The evening finished with creme brulee, and it was every bit as lovely as the rest of the meal.
But what meant the most was not simply the dinner. It was the kindness behind it. Francis and Chef Andrew made the evening feel like a tribute to our family, our cattle, and the work behind Goodman’s Greenbriar Farm. They believe in what we are doing. They believe in our farm. They believe in the clean, grass-fed beef we are raising from Irish Dexter cattle, a breed that has been part of our family’s life for generations.
Dexters sometimes get “shorted.”
That is a Dexter joke, by the way.
They may be smaller cattle, but they are mighty. The beef is clean, lean, flavorful, and raised with care. Grass-fed beef is often known for being leaner than conventional beef and may contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and other beneficial nutrients. For us, though, it is also about knowing where the food came from, how the animals were treated, and the hands that did the work.
It is not every day a small Dexter farm gets to see its beef served in such a prestigious setting, prepared by such a talented chef, and enjoyed around a table with the people we love most.
It was an honor. Truly.
Mark was so proud, and he deserved that moment. We both did. Farming is hard work.
Raising cattle well takes patience, commitment, and heart. We love our cattle, we love our farm, and we are grateful when others see the value in what we are trying to build.
From our farm to the Pendennis table, the evening became more than a dinner. It reminded us that the daily work at Greenbriar Farm carries meaning beyond the pasture.
Pendennis Club historic image: Wikimedia Commons public domain image.
Grass-fed beef nutrition background: Union of Concerned Scientists, Greener Pastures.
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