Fall is For Red Sauce

Fall Is for Red Sauce

As the air turns crisp and the leaves begin to change, Taste of Great Oak Manor invites guests to gather around the table for a weekend inspired by the comfort, craft, and tradition of red sauce.

This fall edition is led by Matt Adler, a James Beard Award semifinalist and longtime steward of Italian cooking whose work is rooted in regional traditions, thoughtful technique, and the joy of shared meals. Chef Adler brings a deep respect for southern Italian cuisine—where sauces simmer slowly, ingredients speak clearly, and food is inseparable from family, memory, and place.

Over the course of the weekend, guests will experience immersive group meals prepared by the Great Oak Manor culinary team in collaboration with Chef Adler, alongside cooking demonstrations, tastings, and fireside conversations that explore the role of red sauce in Italian and Italian-American kitchens. From rustic classics to seasonal interpretations, the weekend celebrates the flavors that define fall: slow-cooked tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, herbs, and the patience required to let something truly good develop.

Designed to be intimate and welcoming, Fall Is for Red Sauce offers guests the chance to learn, taste, and connect—whether through hands-on moments in the kitchen or lingering conversations by the fire. It’s a weekend that honors tradition without pretense, inviting everyone to slow down, pour a glass of wine, and savor what happens when time and care are essential ingredients.

$500 per person
Event Activity Fee sold separately from room accommodations.

Chef Matt Adler began his culinary career with the Altamarea Group in 2009 at Convivio, a Michelin-starred, New York Times three-star restaurant, where he rose to Chef di Cucina specializing in southern Italian cuisine. In 2013, he relocated to Washington, D.C. to serve as Executive Chef at Osteria Morini, helping shape the restaurant’s identity and menus through close collaboration and a shared commitment to regional Italian cooking.

Beyond his work with Altamarea Group, Chef Adler is also the Chef-Partner behind Caruso’s Grocery, an Italian-American eatery he helped launch in 2021, now operating two successful locations. His cooking is deeply informed by extensive travel and study throughout Italy, particularly southern regions and Sicily, where he continues to draw inspiration from local ingredients, time-honored techniques, and the everyday rituals of cooking and eating.

Chef Adler’s work reflects a belief that great food doesn’t need to be complicated—it needs to be honest, intentional, and meant to be shared.