Join us for a Farm to Table Dinner at City Roots Farm featuring Chef Kristian Niemi. Ticket includes wine pairings and four courses.

Kristian Niemi’s path toward chef and restaurant owner holds several surprising turns, the first being his time as a Farsi translator for U. S. Army intelligence units. His love of cooking, nurtured at home in Minnesota by his grandmother and mother, was stoked by tasty mess hall meals. When he landed in Charleston, SC, the one-time hobby slowly began to reshape into a fulfilling career. After time at several local restaurants, he traveled home to Minnesota to attend the University of Minnesota and, in his senior year, St. Paul College’s Culinary School. Armed with a historic preservation architecture degree, he traded the bureaucracy and red tape of municipal project work for the hot creativity of the restaurant industry.

As the first general manager of The Blue Marlin, Kristian saw a need for more high quality dining options and became chef and co-owner of Mr. Friendly’s, a Southern-infused staple in Five Points. After much success, Kristian brought a new form of chic, casual dining to the Vista scene through Gervais and Vine, a tapas and wine bar which quickly landed on the pages of Wine Spectator. Next came Solstice, which brought fine dining from fresh local ingredients to the fast-growing Northeast region. Today, his love of rustic Italian cuisine and wine shines in Forest Acres through Rosso Trattoria Italia, a restaurant where attention to craft and local sourcing have made it an instant classic. Along the way, Kristian brought Columbia food lovers closer to fresh, local food sources by co-founding the All-Local Farmers’ Market in 2005.

Kristian and his wife, Heather, live in Shandon with two furry kids, Corgis Mason and Rudy. His reliable support of local nonprofits and groups, love of animals and unflagging promotion of the local ice hockey scene make him more than a valued member of our community. Now, he’s more like those who inspired his career all those years ago. He’s family.

Menu will feature:

American Harvest Cocktail: Purple Haze (Purple Haze carrot juice, American Harvest Organic Spirit, ginger syrup, lemon juice)

First Course

Tuscan Kale Soup with Caw Caw Creek Chorizo and Poached Manchester Farms Quail Egg Crostini


Second Course

Wood-Grilled SC Coastal Fish (to be determined by Our Local Catch) over Giant White Beans, Arrabiata Sauce, Cippoline Balsamico and Mixed Greens


Third Course

Pistachio-crusted Venison over Roasted Carrot Anson Mills Polenta with Fire-Roasted Vegetables