join me for my first culinary retreat!
oregon wine country | october 17-19, 2025
Last summer, at the start of my not-so-short sabbatical, I had a bit of an identity crisis. Coming out the other end of launching my cookbook, I started to feel lost. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be doing, or rather, who I was supposed to be after such a monumental project. Does writing one cookbook mean I should be writing more cookbooks? Am I a “cookbook writer” now? And am I missing some big, ephemeral opportunity if I decide I’m not? As much as I enjoyed writing the book (and I really, really did), the idea of jumping into several years of doing it all again left me, at the time, more anxious than excited. And because I get to have all the fun of writing about pasta and developing recipes here on Substack, I didn’t immediately miss the book-writing process. But you know what I did miss? Cooking for people. Creating experiences that foster connection over a shared love of food (mostly pasta). Selfishly using those experiences to make my own new friends, too. All the core reasons that I started Pasta Social Club seven years ago, but which had slowly been forgotten.
Not anymore! This year I’m recommitting to the social part of Pasta Social Club. And in that vein, I am absolutely thrilled to announce the first-ever Pasta Social Club culinary retreat. That’s right: This fall, I’m hosting a weekend getaway full of great food, great wine, and—most importantly—new friends. We’ll be heading to the idyllic Willamette Valley in the heart of Oregon wine country, and staying at Inn The Ground, a luxury bed & breakfast nestled in the picturesque hillside above a working regenerative farm.
The weekend will offer a balance of food-focused experiences and time to relax and unwind in a beautiful setting. There will be communal dinners, winery visits, farm tours, pasta-making and -eating (of course!), and time to explore the neighboring historic town of McMinnville, all while connecting with fellow food lovers.
More information (itinerary! tickets!) follows below and is also available in more detail on my website here.
I hope you’ll join me in Oregon this fall; I can’t wait to meet you!
—Meryl
The First-Ever Pasta Social Club Culinary Retreat
When: Friday, October 17 to Sunday, October 19, 2025 (timed to National Pasta Day!)
Where: Inn The Ground, in Oregon’s Willamette Valley
Who: Limited to 14 guests
How: For more information and to purchase your ticket, click here.
Friday, October 17
Afternoon Check-In: Our weekend begins with time to settle in at the hotel and enjoy the beautiful surroundings at your leisure. Each guest will receive a welcome bag from me, full of some of my favorite Italian pantry and pasta-making goodies.
Dinner at Humble Spirit: In the evening, we’ll enjoy a multi-course dinner at Inn The Ground’s farm-to-table (but actually, because we’re on a farm!) restaurant, Humble Spirit, then return to the hotel to relax by the fire. (PS: Humble Spirit is a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist!)
Saturday, October 18
Farm Tour: After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll tour the 23-acre Tabula Rasa Farms, which has been devoted to the permaculture and regenerative agriculture movement since 2015.
Winery Visit: The afternoon will be spent visiting one of the area’s best wineries, with a wine tasting focusing on Italian varietals and a light lunch. Then we’ll head back to the hotel to relax before dinner.
Pasta-Making & Family-Style Dinner: This evening I’ll be hosting a casual pasta-making class in the hotel’s open kitchen, where we’ll cover how to make pasta dough and a variety of shapes. Then we’ll cook up what we’ve made and enjoy our pasta alongside other family-style dishes. Plenty of time to eat and hang out!
Sunday, October 19
McMinnville: After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll head over to the neighboring historic town of McMinnville to explore their quaint markets, cafés, and shops before we go our separate ways.
Tickets Include:
Private Accommodation: Single or double room accommodations featuring a king-size bed, adjacent queen-size sleeper sofa, a private patio, and a spa-style shower.
Exclusive Property: We’ll have Inn The Ground and the neighboring Farmhouse property all to ourselves!
Food & Beverage: All communal meals and beverages, including daily breakfast and dinner at Inn The Ground’s farm-to-table restaurant, Humble Spirit.
Welcome Bag: A welcome gift bag with some of my favorite Italian pantry and pasta-making products.
Food-Focused Activities: Culinary experiences such as a regenerative farm tour, local wine tasting, pasta-making class, and time to explore historic McMinnville.