Doing the right thing rarely comes with a trophy, but in Sonoma County, it sometimes comes with a snail.
This week, 21 restaurants, farms and producers across the county were honored with the 2025 Snail of Approval from the Russian River and Sonoma County North chapters of Slow Food.
At the heart of these awards is a simple, almost old-fashioned ideal: food that is good, clean and fair for everyone. The Snail of Approval isn’t just about what’s on the plate, but about the daily, often unseen work of nourishing the land, the people who grow and serve the food, and the communities that gather around it.
For Jeremy Clemens of Gabacool pizza pop-up, the award is an acknowledgment of all the invisible work behind every slice: the local sourcing, the waste-reducing, the effort to build something that feels more like a neighborhood hangout than a business. It’s a recognition of the choices he and his partner, Michele Querin, make long before the dough ever touches the oven.
“Gabacool has always been about more than a transaction; we want it to feel like a neighborhood hang. When we’re using local ingredients, it’s also a way of showcasing the people and farms behind the food,” Clemens said. “‘Good, clean and fair’ really resonates because it reflects not just what you buy and cook, but how you operate: how you treat your team, your guests, your partners and yourself.”
Other 2025 winners include Chad’s Soup Shack, Ceres Community Project and Petaluma’s Lunchette. They join a growing list of Snail of Approval recipients scattered across the county.
To select awardees, Slow Food officials visit restaurants and producers, seeking sustainability, ethical sourcing, a gentle footprint on the land and a sense of connection to both culture and community.
“It was an arduous process to get the approval,” said Naomi Crawford, owner of Petaluma’s Lunchette, a multiyear winner who went through the process of officially renewing her Snail of Approval recommendation for 2025.
“The committee examined all of our invoices and watched our service to see if we truly walked the talk of what Slow Food means. We are so committed to our local ag network and work so hard to message the importance of that to our community,” Crawford added.
For Clemens, the win is more than a plaque on the wall.
“It’s an instant signal to guests — both new and returning — that we care,” he said. “We care enough to choose local, organic and sustainable ingredients whenever possible, use compostable packaging and take extra steps to reduce waste.
“As a mobile pop-up, that kind of immediate recognition of quality and values really matters,” he added.
Winners of the eighth annual Snail of Approval awards will be honored at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol. Tickets and details are available on Eventbrite.
2025 Snail of Approval award recipients
Restaurants and food producers
The Beet Restaurant & Wine Shop: In a town with just a handful of restaurants, this casual cafe stands out for its carefully sourced lunch, dinner and brunch menus, along with a curated wine list. 116 E. First St., Cloverdale. 707-669-5080, cloverdalebeet.com
Ceres Community Project: On the verge of opening a new 20,000-square-foot facility in Santa Rosa, Ceres continues to create medical meals tailored for healing, each one built around ingredients chosen for their restorative power. ceresproject.org
Chad’s Soup Shack & Catering: Chad is a fixture at local farmers markets, ladling out seasonal soups and chowders. Insiders know to show up early for his homemade biscuits and gravy — a morning bonus. Available most Saturdays at the Santa Rosa Farmers Lane market, 1501 Farmers Lane. chadssoupshack.com
Fishetarian Fish Market: The draw here is seafood pulled from local waters, and there’s almost always a line for oysters, fish and chips, and fish tacos. 599 Highway 1, Bodega Bay. 707-875-9092, fishetarianfishmarket.com
Gabacool Provisions: New York-style pies made with local ingredients and a whole lot of doughy passion. Their Giuseppe was one of my favorite dishes of 2025. Locations and times at instagram.com/gabacool_provisions.
Hot Drops: Small-batch fermented hot sauces heating up Sonoma County. hotdropsauce.com
Knights Valley Wagyu: The remote Sonoma County ranch raises Wagyu cattle for some of Wine Country’s most prestigious restaurants. knightsvalleywagyu.com
Little Saint Restaurant: A plant-based cafe, music venue and bottle shop all in one, with vegan pastries and comforting classics like mushroom bourguignon. Their Healdsburg farm keeps things close to home. 25 North St., Healdsburg. 707-433-8207, littlesainthealdsburg.com
The Redwood: A natural wine bar and cafe that punches well above its weight. The food is outstanding, the wine selections thoughtful, and it feels right at home on this list. 234 S. Main St., Sebastopol. 707-861-9730, theredwoodwine.com
Valley Bar + Bottle and Valley Swim Club: Chefs Emma Lipp and Stephanie Reagor have drawn national attention for their intentional menus and have just been named James Beard Award semifinalists. 487 First St. W., Sonoma. 707-934-8403, valleybarandbottle.com; 18709 Arnold Drive, Sonoma. 707-243-3032, valleyswim.club
Farms and markets
Cloverdale Certified Farmers Market, Cloverdale
Dahlia & Sage Community Market, Cloverdale
Front Porch Farm, Healdsburg
Little Saint Farm, Healdsburg
Jupiter Foods, Petaluma
Tenfold Farmstand, Petaluma
Guerneville Certified Farmers Market, Guerneville
Longer Table Farm, Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market, Santa Rosa
Beverages
Ambix Spirits, Sebastopol
Renewals for 2025
These businesses went through the Slow Food Snail of Approval process again for renewal: Americana Santa Rosa, Bernier Farms, Black Pig Meat Co., Black Piglet, COOKIE…take a bite!, Corner Project, DaVero Farms & Winery, Diavola Pizzeria & Salumeria, Estero Café, Gold Ridge Organic Farms, Handline, Laguna Farm, Lunchette, Red Horse Pizza, Seven Moons Farm, SingleThread Restaurant, Sunray Farm, Tierra Vegetables and Tilted Shed Ciderworks.