Foodievents

The Inaugural Good Food Awards, and a Month of Events, Kick Off This Weekend

We’re living in very artisan times, dontcha know. And the first annual Good Food Awards and subsequent Good Food Month — celebrating artisanal American products in seven categories — kicks off Friday with an awards ceremony hosted by grand dames Ruth Reichl and Alice Waters. This is followed Saturday by a public tasting at the Ferry Building, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, of 45 of the 71 winning products in the categories of charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, pickles, preserves, coffee, and beer. Update: Ms. Reichl actually won’t be making it…

As we mentioned before, the events are organized by some Slow Food Nation people, and the Ferry Building event in particular is likely to be jam packed with foodinistas and foochebags from around the Bay. But you’ll have multiple chances to taste winning products and meet the food crafters throughout the month, starting next week with chocolate and coffee week. That is followed by cheese and preserves, from January 24 to 30; pickles and charcuterie from January 31 to February 6; “immigrant food week” from February 7 to 13 (so far this is anchored by a salsa tasting event at La Cocina); and S.F. Beer Week from February 11 to 20.

Among the finalists are local stars like Ritual Roasters, Blue Bottle, Berkeley’s Café Rouge (for their smoked beef tongue) and Sonoma’s Girl and the Fig (for their coppa and their pimenton salami). Click below for a full list of local finalists, and we’ll let you know who wins next week.

Earlier: Café Rouge and Girl and the Fig Top Charcuterie Finalists in Good Food Awards [Grub Street]
Ruth Reichl to Judge, Alice to Host Good Food Awards in January [Grub Street]

The Inaugural Good Food Awards, and a Month of Events, Kick Off This Weekend