BiteClub’s Giving away TWO sets of TWO Tickets
Two winners will receive two tickets to the Grand Tastings at Artisano on November 19, 2011.
To win, tell me your FAVORITE artisan food in Sonoma County — whether that’s bread, cheese, charcuterie, chocolate, beer…whatever. LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW. You must use a real email address for me to contact you.
I’ll select two winners based on my favorite answers on Friday, Nov. 18 at 10am. Full RULES HERE.
With the crush of September and October’s busy harvest schedule now behind us, it’s time to celebrate and relax. Artisano, held Nov. 19 from 11am to 4pm is an intimate, curated walk-around tasting of small production artisan wine and food from throughout Sonoma County. And by curated, we mean the good stuff.Now housed at the Vintner’s Inn, chefs and winemakers plan to bring their A-game to this sip and nibble event featuring top-notch cheesemakers, charcuterie, chocolates, micro-production wines, beer and chef demos along with art and live music.
Wines from Acorn, Capture, Cartograph, PreVail, De Novo, Skipstone, Stark, Reynoso and Pech Merle. Restaurants: Affronti, Dry Creek Kitchen, Diavola, Estate, Jackson’s, John Ash, Mugnaini Wood Fired Pizza, Petite Syrah, Spoonbar and Girl & The Fig. Plus: Achadinha Goat Cheese, Bellwether Farms, Bleating Heart Chesese, Dry Creek Peach and Produce, Delice de la Vallee, Jim town Store, Laura Chenel, Marin French Cheese, Redwood Hill, Salt Side Down Chocolates, Skipstone Ranch, Sonoma Chocolatiers and Terra Sonoma. Bear Republic offers up beer and chefs John Toulze (girl and the fig), Brian Anderson (Bistro 29) and pastry chef Shelly Kaldunski demo throughout the afternoon.
The event is a benefit for Slow Food Sonoma County, with a portion of the revenue going to help School Garden Projects in Cloverdale, Geyserville, Healdsburg, Windsor and Santa Rosa.
Artisano 2011, artisano.org
Tickets: $65 in advance, $75 day of event.
Friday, Nov 18, 11-4pm, Vintners Inn Event Center: Vintners’ Inn Event Center – John Ash & CO.
You haven’t lived until you’ve tried Nightingale’s focaccia bread in Forestville. They use a traditional wood fired oven. It’s a wonderful place to visit to see a perfect little bakery and the people there are wonderful too. Once, I stopped to pick up bread for an out of town friend and they hadn’t opened yet. They opened up and sold me some focaccia bread. My friend, of course, loved it. She has many other breads but the focaccia is my favorite. I love the way they wrap it too. It’s worth driving to Forestville for a visit. Nighingalesi is the essence of what is artisan Sonoma County,
I’m not sure what happened to my posting yesterday. It went something like this…
My favorite Artisan indulgence is stopping at the SRJC Culinary Cafe for a delicious morning scone or coffee cake, or picking up a loaf of their many varieties of rustic bread, all baked by up & coming stars of the local foodie phenomenon. I love to walk by the window and see all the ambiscous chefs whirling their magic. It’s interesting to experience the difference in quality from the beginning of a semester vs. toward the end. It’s all good, though!
(Hope I’m not too late for the entry)
My favorite artisan food in Sonoma County hmmm I would have to choose “Bread” and not just any bread AMAZING bread from Wild Flour Bread Bakery in Freestone. They bake their organic breads in a big wood fire brick oven. The breads come out piping hot with their beautiful thick crusts just waiting to be eaten 🙂 My two favorites are their cheese fougasse and sticky buns both simply amazing!!
You haven’t lived until you’ve tried Nightingale’s focaccia bread in Forestville. They use a traditional wood fired oven. It’s a wonderful place to visit to see a perfect little bakery and the people there are wonderful too. Once, I stopped to pick up bread for an out of town friend and they hadn’t opened yet. They opened up and sold me some focaccia bread. My friend, of course, loved it. She has many other breads but the focaccia is my favorite. I love the way they wrap it too. It’s worth driving to Forestville for a visit. Nighingalesi is the essence of what is artisan Sonoma County,
I’m not sure what happened to my posting yesterday. It went something like this…
My favorite Artisan indulgence is stopping at the SRJC Culinary Cafe for a delicious morning scone or coffee cake, or picking up a loaf of their many varieties of rustic bread, all baked by up & coming stars of the local foodie phenomenon. I love to walk by the window and see all the ambiscous chefs whirling their magic. It’s interesting to experience the difference in quality from the beginning of a semester vs. toward the end. It’s all good, though!
(Hope I’m not too late for the entry)
My favorite artisan food in Sonoma County hmmm I would have to choose “Bread” and not just any bread AMAZING bread from Wild Flour Bread Bakery in Freestone. They bake their organic breads in a big wood fire brick oven. The breads come out piping hot with their beautiful thick crusts just waiting to be eaten 🙂 My two favorites are their cheese fougasse and sticky buns both simply amazing!!
Tucked away in a Sutter Clinic Medical Bldg. you will find Chloe’s French Cafe. Their homemade breakfast croissant sandwiches to jump start your day with a cup of Joe. Their fresh artisan sandwiches are just the best in the county, esp.their scrumptious Curry Chicken Salad and Roast Beef sandwiches. Their bakery section is filled with sweet goodness, I always try the sliced cake with macaroon on top sometimes with pistachio flavor, chocolate fondant, palmiers, and their lemony tarts. I am always tempted to try each one of their wide array of mouth watering sweets, they are all irresistible.
Local foods….how I appreciate the many choices,
Pliny the Elder, Spring Hill butter, Straus creamery,
the burrata at Rosso and the Preston olive oil, could it be a neurosis?
I love the food, the people, the products of Sonoma County’s greenery!
Tucked away in a Sutter Clinic Medical Bldg. you will find Chloe’s French Cafe. Their homemade breakfast croissant sandwiches to jump start your day with a cup of Joe. Their fresh artisan sandwiches are just the best in the county, esp.their scrumptious Curry Chicken Salad and Roast Beef sandwiches. Their bakery section is filled with sweet goodness, I always try the sliced cake with macaroon on top sometimes with pistachio flavor, chocolate fondant, palmiers, and their lemony tarts. I am always tempted to try each one of their wide array of mouth watering sweets, they are all irresistible.
Local foods….how I appreciate the many choices,
Pliny the Elder, Spring Hill butter, Straus creamery,
the burrata at Rosso and the Preston olive oil, could it be a neurosis?
I love the food, the people, the products of Sonoma County’s greenery!
Wow, that’s really tough question!
There are two things I look for in Artisan food; the first is the absolute passion and commitment to quality that the artists bring to their craft from the ingredients, to the packaging and marketing. The other thing I look for is something unique and exclusive that artist has crafted, something that helps it stand out and even if you tasted it blindfolded you would recognize it straight away.
With those factors in mind it’s still very hard to choose a favorite so I’m going to list two:
Saint Benoît Yogurt – http://www.stbenoit.com/
This stuff is incredible, the flavors are subtle yet intense, the quality is exceptional and the packaging is gorgeous. These guys really care about what they are doing.
Black pig meat co. http://blackpigmeatco.com/
These guys know what makes memorable Bacon! It cooks perfectly and the salty sweet flavor is instantly recognizable as Black Pig.
If I have to choose 1 as the ultimate faveorite it has to be Black Pig, simply because I like bacon so much.
Wow, that’s really tough question!
There are two things I look for in Artisan food; the first is the absolute passion and commitment to quality that the artists bring to their craft from the ingredients, to the packaging and marketing. The other thing I look for is something unique and exclusive that artist has crafted, something that helps it stand out and even if you tasted it blindfolded you would recognize it straight away.
With those factors in mind it’s still very hard to choose a favorite so I’m going to list two:
Saint Benoît Yogurt – http://www.stbenoit.com/
This stuff is incredible, the flavors are subtle yet intense, the quality is exceptional and the packaging is gorgeous. These guys really care about what they are doing.
Black pig meat co. http://blackpigmeatco.com/
These guys know what makes memorable Bacon! It cooks perfectly and the salty sweet flavor is instantly recognizable as Black Pig.
If I have to choose 1 as the ultimate faveorite it has to be Black Pig, simply because I like bacon so much.
Ver Jus and Saba from Justin and Karin Miller at Terra Sonoma. From their Garden Creek Ranch in Alexander Valley, Justin and Karin have introduced us to the wonders of this traditional Italian treat. Ver Jus is literally “green juice” from wine grapes harvested in late July (August this year!), and can be used in the same way as a mild vinegar. Saba is a sweet syrup made from the leftover skins after the harvest, and is wonderful as a glaze on pork or in desserts! Williams Sonoma recently found (and now stocks) their Ver Jus, but many local chefs have been using it for years. Truly an artisan food, as the only employees are Justin, Karin, and a few of the ranch workers.
LOVE verjus. I drink it straight.
Guayaki teas in Sebastopol, A great chance to get your caffeine fix in a healthy and local way!
My favorita artisano…Seghesio Family Tables…a food and wine experience that is welcoming, approachable, and educational that offers the best of Sonoma-style hospitality while demonstrating how wines made in balance can be easiily paired with a variety of simply prepared foods…family recipes and Chef Peter Janiak’s menu changes monthly as do the wines…allowing visitors to return often without a duplicated experience!
As others have said, there are so many to choose from it is hard to say….but there are two here in Sonoma that pop into my mind. Jalisco Tortillas, which are sold at Glen Ellen and Sonoma Markets as well as out of the factory/restaurant near to the old Bonanza Ford place (now Staples). I always go there to buy mine, you can watch the women making them and buy them warm and oh so fresh. The flour tortillas are big and thin and unbelievably flavorful. The corn are fabulous as well. The best part is they give you a warm, just off the press tortilla to munch on with your purchase. They are extremely reasonably priced as well.
Next are Prima Vera tamales, made by Karen and Jose Velasquez (El Molino, Boyes Hot Springs). Karen started making these all vegetarian tamales and selling them at Farmer’s Markets. Now they are delivered to markets (we carry them at Fresh by Lisa Hemenway). The basic roasted chile with jack is really good as are the butternut squash and white corn/zucchini, but my personal favorite has to be mushroom/spinach. They also make delicious salsa and chips, but their guacamole is to die for. It is topped with some of the roasted chipotle salsa.
Ver Jus and Saba from Justin and Karin Miller at Terra Sonoma. From their Garden Creek Ranch in Alexander Valley, Justin and Karin have introduced us to the wonders of this traditional Italian treat. Ver Jus is literally “green juice” from wine grapes harvested in late July (August this year!), and can be used in the same way as a mild vinegar. Saba is a sweet syrup made from the leftover skins after the harvest, and is wonderful as a glaze on pork or in desserts! Williams Sonoma recently found (and now stocks) their Ver Jus, but many local chefs have been using it for years. Truly an artisan food, as the only employees are Justin, Karin, and a few of the ranch workers.
LOVE verjus. I drink it straight.
Guayaki teas in Sebastopol, A great chance to get your caffeine fix in a healthy and local way!
My favorita artisano…Seghesio Family Tables…a food and wine experience that is welcoming, approachable, and educational that offers the best of Sonoma-style hospitality while demonstrating how wines made in balance can be easiily paired with a variety of simply prepared foods…family recipes and Chef Peter Janiak’s menu changes monthly as do the wines…allowing visitors to return often without a duplicated experience!
As others have said, there are so many to choose from it is hard to say….but there are two here in Sonoma that pop into my mind. Jalisco Tortillas, which are sold at Glen Ellen and Sonoma Markets as well as out of the factory/restaurant near to the old Bonanza Ford place (now Staples). I always go there to buy mine, you can watch the women making them and buy them warm and oh so fresh. The flour tortillas are big and thin and unbelievably flavorful. The corn are fabulous as well. The best part is they give you a warm, just off the press tortilla to munch on with your purchase. They are extremely reasonably priced as well.
Next are Prima Vera tamales, made by Karen and Jose Velasquez (El Molino, Boyes Hot Springs). Karen started making these all vegetarian tamales and selling them at Farmer’s Markets. Now they are delivered to markets (we carry them at Fresh by Lisa Hemenway). The basic roasted chile with jack is really good as are the butternut squash and white corn/zucchini, but my personal favorite has to be mushroom/spinach. They also make delicious salsa and chips, but their guacamole is to die for. It is topped with some of the roasted chipotle salsa.
Black pig salumi at Zazu! There is a reason why John and Duskie were dubbed king and queen of pork. From farm to table it embodies the best Sonoma County has to offer.
The food at Diavola. Pizza is delicious, with homemade salumi, sausage and locally sourced products is just what defines Sonoma County. The rest of the menu reflects what is fresh, local and delicious. Some of the best fish and meat dishes I’ve had recently have been there, carefully prepared. And, you can take it home. Dino and crew clearly love what they do, and feeding people. It’s a tribute to our Italian roots, as well this generation’s interpertation of same.
We are so fortunate to live where we do!
My favorite artisan item is a Ahumado salsa. After cutting his culinary chops in some great restos, Mateo Granados took a small moving van and loaded it with kitchen equipment. He has unloaded it loaded and set up shop in all the local farmer’s markets across Sonoma, at one point or another. He’s really the original, pop-up or mobile chef around here and has feed us some delicious tamales and other Yucatan specialties. He also makes and bottles his own salsas and recently opened a great spot in Healdsburg.
Anyway, the salsa is fabuloso! It is one of 4 different salsas but this one is the best in my book. It is described as “Deep and dark, showcasing habañeros smoked in traditional Yucatán style over local oak, sweetened ever-so-slightly with local carrots and Preston Olive oil. This savory sauce has a subtle smoky flavor with hints of tamarind and tropical ripe mango. Best served with meats and wild game roasted medium rare, plus natural fat or cool cheeses”.
I hope to win and see Mateo and his salsas are at Artisano!
Matanzas Creek Winery is my favorite place to taste wine and to snack on the MOST AWESOME Peanut/Toffee/Champagne Brittle ever to be created. I cannot visit this place without purchasing this bagged GOLD – and especially during the holidays when it’s such a GREAT hostess gift (wrapped beautifully too), stocking stuffer or, you know, to help you keep shopping during that great holiday shopping marathon. (crunch, inhale)
The toffee is just the right amout of love put into this brittle and the light, crunchy texture of this sweet luscious treat gives it just the right amout of kick to make you want MORE. The caramel color of each broken off piece looks like golden honey captured in glass – and the smooth yet crunchy texture is a delight dancing around in your mouth. Warning: you could easily eat all the toffee right there at the register – it’s THAT GOOD. Bite into it, lick it or suck on it – any way you decide to enjoy this treat is a different experience that will have you addicted in no time. Even people that ‘don’t like sweets’ fall in love with this delightful find. Toffee – at a winery? Who knew?
No two bags are the same and if you’re lucky, you’ll find some stashed near the register on the left side of the winery as you enter the building. Not only do your eyes feast on the tasting room’s layout and festive decor, but the wine tastings and the other edible lavender items in the winery are just enough to leave you wanting this tasty, sweet, holiday-licious snack — TOFFEE — as you leave.
I always make sure my super-loved ones get this snack in their holiday stockings or office desk/inboxes – and they KNOW that if they get a coveted bag of this mouthwatering gold that they have been VERY, V E R Y good this year.
Black pig salumi at Zazu! There is a reason why John and Duskie were dubbed king and queen of pork. From farm to table it embodies the best Sonoma County has to offer.
The food at Diavola. Pizza is delicious, with homemade salumi, sausage and locally sourced products is just what defines Sonoma County. The rest of the menu reflects what is fresh, local and delicious. Some of the best fish and meat dishes I’ve had recently have been there, carefully prepared. And, you can take it home. Dino and crew clearly love what they do, and feeding people. It’s a tribute to our Italian roots, as well this generation’s interpertation of same.
My absolute favorite local artisan product is Taylor Maid Coffee. I wake up at 6:00am every weekday morning and the first thing I do is make a French press of their amazing organic coffee. Not only do I appreciate the benefits of the caffeine, but their coffee is so rich and decadent that it has become a guilty pleasure and a well-deserved treat before I start my day. It never fails to put a smile on my face.
If I had to pick a favorite single origin coffee, it would be their El Imposiible from El Salvador. It is only available March through August, and I wish I could drink it year round! The flavor is deep and complex, and probably the best coffee one can purchase locally.
Besides Taylor Maid’s amazing product, I also appreciate the company’s commitment to using recyclable and biodegradable materials to package their products, as well as offering discounts to those who choose to refill their coffee tins at stores such as Whole Foods, Oliver’s Market, or their shop in Sebastopol. I feel so fortunate to have this specialty, artisan, sustainable product in my own backyard!
Artisana….that should count Clover Stornetta milk and products hands down. No one could top those Clo’s billboards you see in 101 and other corridors. I just love… CLO ahead, MILK my day 🙂
For me, and this is no easy decision, my hands-down favorite artisan product is Redwood Hill Farm’s Crottin. It stands alone (no pun intended) as one of the best cheeses this county produces. And the fact that they are family owned and operated and have remained committed to producing this and other delicious goat milk products (for more than 30 years) right here in Sonoma County places high on my list of artisan and slow food companies. It adds up to family, quality, place and dedication.
Oh, this one is easy. It’s the wine. We moved here for the lifestyle, and wine is a huge part of that for us. We’ve been to many wineries, large and small, and they all have their pros and cons; but for me, nothing beats a chat with a winemaker who is so excited to share his latest Russian River Pinot Noir. He can’t talk long, because there’s work to do in the cellar, but he’s so happy that you enjoy what he has put in that bottle. Specifics? Why not someone who will be at Artisano? Ulises Valdez. We attended an open house at his winery last summer and chatted with Ulises. It’s easy to see why he is so well-loved throughout Sonoma County, and there wasn’t a wine there that didn’t reflect his passion for winemaking. What’s not to love?
Honestly when it comes to great Artisan food in Sonoma County I say go basic. McClelland’s Dairy’s European Style Organic Artisan Butter. We all know that the best ingredients make the best food so why not use the best butter you can, now that we have a Local producer of such a high quality essential I can keep my butter lust closer to home. In truth I prefer it as a finishing butter for my compound butters and for spreading on biscuits, but I do find it showing up and improving more and more of the dishes in my kitchen.
hands down, Della Fattoria bread. anyone can afford a loaf of kalamata bread. it is a meal unto itself yet it can be paired with any of our terrific local cheeses, butters and wines, greens or meats and provide a meal for the gods a hobo can afford.
Picking just one is nigh impossible. I’m going to go with the Meyer Lemon yogurt by St. Benoit. Love our selection of local artisan creators, and growers. So Lucky to live here!
We are so fortunate to live where we do!
My favorite artisan item is a Ahumado salsa. After cutting his culinary chops in some great restos, Mateo Granados took a small moving van and loaded it with kitchen equipment. He has unloaded it loaded and set up shop in all the local farmer’s markets across Sonoma, at one point or another. He’s really the original, pop-up or mobile chef around here and has feed us some delicious tamales and other Yucatan specialties. He also makes and bottles his own salsas and recently opened a great spot in Healdsburg.
Anyway, the salsa is fabuloso! It is one of 4 different salsas but this one is the best in my book. It is described as “Deep and dark, showcasing habañeros smoked in traditional Yucatán style over local oak, sweetened ever-so-slightly with local carrots and Preston Olive oil. This savory sauce has a subtle smoky flavor with hints of tamarind and tropical ripe mango. Best served with meats and wild game roasted medium rare, plus natural fat or cool cheeses”.
I hope to win and see Mateo and his salsas are at Artisano!
My two favorite artisan foods have to be Duck Leg Confit from Sonoma-Artisan Foie Gras Farms, it’s amazing!!!!
The second would be anything at Wild Flour Bread. Although I am partial to the sticky buns and chocolate cherry scones! Other wonderful breads are The Egyptian (pear, fig and candied ginger), and The Bohemian (apricot, orange and pecan).
Plus the drive out is beautiful, and the grounds are perfect for an afternoon outdoors!!!
Opps just one???
It would have to be the Sticky buns at Wild flour!!!
I find it rather difficult to pick just one since we have been very fortunate here in this area because of the many wonderful artisan foods that Sonoma county have to offer us. So….. Then I’ll have to pick “Bread”. But the bread that I am talking about is not just any bread, is a kind of bread that you can only find in “Preston”of Dry Creek. (not to mention the wines which are so yummy!)
Speaking of wonderful this is it! This bread is organic, have the perfect texture inside and out, the crust have a wonderful crunch that makes you snack for more. I hope my words about this wonder bread don’t double Lou Preston work load, nor make it for me impossible to find. But this a true artisan wonderful bread!
Matanzas Creek Winery is my favorite place to taste wine and to snack on the MOST AWESOME Peanut/Toffee/Champagne Brittle ever to be created. I cannot visit this place without purchasing this bagged GOLD – and especially during the holidays when it’s such a GREAT hostess gift (wrapped beautifully too), stocking stuffer or, you know, to help you keep shopping during that great holiday shopping marathon. (crunch, inhale)
The toffee is just the right amout of love put into this brittle and the light, crunchy texture of this sweet luscious treat gives it just the right amout of kick to make you want MORE. The caramel color of each broken off piece looks like golden honey captured in glass – and the smooth yet crunchy texture is a delight dancing around in your mouth. Warning: you could easily eat all the toffee right there at the register – it’s THAT GOOD. Bite into it, lick it or suck on it – any way you decide to enjoy this treat is a different experience that will have you addicted in no time. Even people that ‘don’t like sweets’ fall in love with this delightful find. Toffee – at a winery? Who knew?
No two bags are the same and if you’re lucky, you’ll find some stashed near the register on the left side of the winery as you enter the building. Not only do your eyes feast on the tasting room’s layout and festive decor, but the wine tastings and the other edible lavender items in the winery are just enough to leave you wanting this tasty, sweet, holiday-licious snack — TOFFEE — as you leave.
I always make sure my super-loved ones get this snack in their holiday stockings or office desk/inboxes – and they KNOW that if they get a coveted bag of this mouthwatering gold that they have been VERY, V E R Y good this year.
It changes on a pretty regular basis but right now my favorite local artisan food is Muscovy duck from Salmon Creek Ranch. I’m particularly fond of the duckling legs and thighs. Sooooo good! Picked up some of the feet for my dog to gnaw on, but he never got the hang of it and just ran around with the thing in his mouth.
I’m infatuated with the Bohemian Creamery. All their cheeses are very good but the Bo Peep is calling me with dulcet tones. I used to swear by Andante but she won’t sell locally anymore.
Favorite artisan food, hands down for me, is Spring Hill Jersey Organic butter. I used to think butter was .. you know BUTTER! How can you really have butter taste different from one to the next? Well, as soon as I tried their butter samples at the Farmer’s Market I was SOLD. I always bring a friend with me and convince them to share a pound with me. Then the rest of the week I come up with “reasons” why I must have butter on everything. Love it.
My favorite artisan food! That’s easy. Farm fresh eggs from pastured poulty raised by John Kearns of Healdsburg Farm Fresh Eggs and Produce! (and yes, I confess, he is my son!) Every time I crack a truly farm fresh egg into the frying pay and see that golf-ball sized orange yolk, I am greatful to live in Sonoma. Seeing his 200+ hens flying around our pasture brings continual enjoyment to our lives. I’m grateful that we live in a place where people appreciate the local meat, vegetables and dairy products available at our farmers market and support the local small farmers – like my son – working hard to produce food the “old-fashion” way with respect for their animals and land.
My favorite artisan food is…Cheese! (Closely followed by beer!). Perish the thought of going to Europe for the Best of the Best of either one.Goat cheese? Hated it! Now, thanks to Sonoma County’s best, I LOVE it! Beer? Never drank it much. Now, thanks to Sonoma County’s best, I LOVE it too…so, since I’m a very vocal convert, pick me!!!
SPECIFICS! I like specifics.
For beer: Racer 5 from Bear Republic…when I drink beer, I want BEER!
For cheese: Bellwether Farms…The more it’s aged, the better I like it!
Also, although i thought it was a “given”, the amazing Pinots and Zins, (the Sauv. Blancs are pretty good too!). Too tough to pick a specific winery, though…
I agree, it is definitely hard to pick one. My absolute favorite would have to be Russian River Brewing Co’s Consecration. It tastes incredible! Unlike any other beer I’ve ever had. I saw an interview with Vinnie a while back that showcased how he has created a custom system of inoculating the sour beers that really convinced me (even more) that the man is a genius.
Close runner ups: Sheana Davis’ Delice de la Vallee Cheese and Café des Croissants croissants with fruit in them.
COWGIRL CREAMERY, Mt. Tam cheese.
Burrata stuffed with Goat Curd at Rosso Pizzeria Wow!
We are so lucky and blessed to live, work and play in Sonoma County and have access to such wonderful artisan foods. My personal favorites are the cheese, bread and charcuterie options to delight our taste buds. With such wonderful farms, organic produce and creative talents here in the county how could we go wrong with flavors, textures and taste! If forced to select one …it would be cheese. I tend to choose goat cheese over cow.
I absolutely love Artisan Bakers in Sonoma. They have wonderful freshly made breads with cheese and roasted garlic baked right in. Super delicious.
Favorite artisan food….wow it’s so hard to pick just one. I would have to say CHEESE would be at the top of my list followed very closely be bread! I have a saying with cheese, the smeller the better! There is no cheese I won’t try! I would love to go to this event! Pick me please!
My absolute favorite local artisan product is Taylor Maid Coffee. I wake up at 6:00am every weekday morning and the first thing I do is make a French press of their amazing organic coffee. Not only do I appreciate the benefits of the caffeine, but their coffee is so rich and decadent that it has become a guilty pleasure and a well-deserved treat before I start my day. It never fails to put a smile on my face.
If I had to pick a favorite single origin coffee, it would be their El Imposiible from El Salvador. It is only available March through August, and I wish I could drink it year round! The flavor is deep and complex, and probably the best coffee one can purchase locally.
Besides Taylor Maid’s amazing product, I also appreciate the company’s commitment to using recyclable and biodegradable materials to package their products, as well as offering discounts to those who choose to refill their coffee tins at stores such as Whole Foods, Oliver’s Market, or their shop in Sebastopol. I feel so fortunate to have this specialty, artisan, sustainable product in my own backyard!
Artisana….that should count Clover Stornetta milk and products hands down. No one could top those Clo’s billboards you see in 101 and other corridors. I just love… CLO ahead, MILK my day 🙂
For me, and this is no easy decision, my hands-down favorite artisan product is Redwood Hill Farm’s Crottin. It stands alone (no pun intended) as one of the best cheeses this county produces. And the fact that they are family owned and operated and have remained committed to producing this and other delicious goat milk products (for more than 30 years) right here in Sonoma County places high on my list of artisan and slow food companies. It adds up to family, quality, place and dedication.
Oh, this one is easy. It’s the wine. We moved here for the lifestyle, and wine is a huge part of that for us. We’ve been to many wineries, large and small, and they all have their pros and cons; but for me, nothing beats a chat with a winemaker who is so excited to share his latest Russian River Pinot Noir. He can’t talk long, because there’s work to do in the cellar, but he’s so happy that you enjoy what he has put in that bottle. Specifics? Why not someone who will be at Artisano? Ulises Valdez. We attended an open house at his winery last summer and chatted with Ulises. It’s easy to see why he is so well-loved throughout Sonoma County, and there wasn’t a wine there that didn’t reflect his passion for winemaking. What’s not to love?
Honestly when it comes to great Artisan food in Sonoma County I say go basic. McClelland’s Dairy’s European Style Organic Artisan Butter. We all know that the best ingredients make the best food so why not use the best butter you can, now that we have a Local producer of such a high quality essential I can keep my butter lust closer to home. In truth I prefer it as a finishing butter for my compound butters and for spreading on biscuits, but I do find it showing up and improving more and more of the dishes in my kitchen.
hands down, Della Fattoria bread. anyone can afford a loaf of kalamata bread. it is a meal unto itself yet it can be paired with any of our terrific local cheeses, butters and wines, greens or meats and provide a meal for the gods a hobo can afford.
Picking just one is nigh impossible. I’m going to go with the Meyer Lemon yogurt by St. Benoit. Love our selection of local artisan creators, and growers. So Lucky to live here!
My two favorite artisan foods have to be Duck Leg Confit from Sonoma-Artisan Foie Gras Farms, it’s amazing!!!!
The second would be anything at Wild Flour Bread. Although I am partial to the sticky buns and chocolate cherry scones! Other wonderful breads are The Egyptian (pear, fig and candied ginger), and The Bohemian (apricot, orange and pecan).
Plus the drive out is beautiful, and the grounds are perfect for an afternoon outdoors!!!
Opps just one???
It would have to be the Sticky buns at Wild flour!!!
I find it rather difficult to pick just one since we have been very fortunate here in this area because of the many wonderful artisan foods that Sonoma county have to offer us. So….. Then I’ll have to pick “Bread”. But the bread that I am talking about is not just any bread, is a kind of bread that you can only find in “Preston”of Dry Creek. (not to mention the wines which are so yummy!)
Speaking of wonderful this is it! This bread is organic, have the perfect texture inside and out, the crust have a wonderful crunch that makes you snack for more. I hope my words about this wonder bread don’t double Lou Preston work load, nor make it for me impossible to find. But this a true artisan wonderful bread!
It changes on a pretty regular basis but right now my favorite local artisan food is Muscovy duck from Salmon Creek Ranch. I’m particularly fond of the duckling legs and thighs. Sooooo good! Picked up some of the feet for my dog to gnaw on, but he never got the hang of it and just ran around with the thing in his mouth.
I’m infatuated with the Bohemian Creamery. All their cheeses are very good but the Bo Peep is calling me with dulcet tones. I used to swear by Andante but she won’t sell locally anymore.
Favorite artisan food, hands down for me, is Spring Hill Jersey Organic butter. I used to think butter was .. you know BUTTER! How can you really have butter taste different from one to the next? Well, as soon as I tried their butter samples at the Farmer’s Market I was SOLD. I always bring a friend with me and convince them to share a pound with me. Then the rest of the week I come up with “reasons” why I must have butter on everything. Love it.
My favorite artisan food! That’s easy. Farm fresh eggs from pastured poulty raised by John Kearns of Healdsburg Farm Fresh Eggs and Produce! (and yes, I confess, he is my son!) Every time I crack a truly farm fresh egg into the frying pay and see that golf-ball sized orange yolk, I am greatful to live in Sonoma. Seeing his 200+ hens flying around our pasture brings continual enjoyment to our lives. I’m grateful that we live in a place where people appreciate the local meat, vegetables and dairy products available at our farmers market and support the local small farmers – like my son – working hard to produce food the “old-fashion” way with respect for their animals and land.
My favorite artisan food is…Cheese! (Closely followed by beer!). Perish the thought of going to Europe for the Best of the Best of either one.Goat cheese? Hated it! Now, thanks to Sonoma County’s best, I LOVE it! Beer? Never drank it much. Now, thanks to Sonoma County’s best, I LOVE it too…so, since I’m a very vocal convert, pick me!!!
SPECIFICS! I like specifics.
For beer: Racer 5 from Bear Republic…when I drink beer, I want BEER!
For cheese: Bellwether Farms…The more it’s aged, the better I like it!
Also, although i thought it was a “given”, the amazing Pinots and Zins, (the Sauv. Blancs are pretty good too!). Too tough to pick a specific winery, though…
I agree, it is definitely hard to pick one. My absolute favorite would have to be Russian River Brewing Co’s Consecration. It tastes incredible! Unlike any other beer I’ve ever had. I saw an interview with Vinnie a while back that showcased how he has created a custom system of inoculating the sour beers that really convinced me (even more) that the man is a genius.
Close runner ups: Sheana Davis’ Delice de la Vallee Cheese and Café des Croissants croissants with fruit in them.
COWGIRL CREAMERY, Mt. Tam cheese.
Burrata stuffed with Goat Curd at Rosso Pizzeria Wow!
We are so lucky and blessed to live, work and play in Sonoma County and have access to such wonderful artisan foods. My personal favorites are the cheese, bread and charcuterie options to delight our taste buds. With such wonderful farms, organic produce and creative talents here in the county how could we go wrong with flavors, textures and taste! If forced to select one …it would be cheese. I tend to choose goat cheese over cow.
I absolutely love Artisan Bakers in Sonoma. They have wonderful freshly made breads with cheese and roasted garlic baked right in. Super delicious.
Favorite artisan food….wow it’s so hard to pick just one. I would have to say CHEESE would be at the top of my list followed very closely be bread! I have a saying with cheese, the smeller the better! There is no cheese I won’t try! I would love to go to this event! Pick me please!