Think of the Good Food Awards as the straight-A honor roll for artisan producers. For 10 years, the San Francisco–based food foundation has been lauding indie food products for craftsmanship and flavor as well as social and environmental responsibility. Such artisanal goods—beer, spirits, preserves, coffee, and more—must first meet specific requirements before being considered for a Good Food Award. For example, a coffee roaster must be able to transparently trace its beans to the farm source. A brewer should prioritize water recycling and waste reduction. Meanwhile, this stuff has to taste good: it passes blind tastings by grocers, makers, farmers, journalists and chefs, aka the folks who know what they’re talking about.
Over 2,000 entries from all 50 states are submitted each year (and, ahem, Guam and Puerto Rico too). This year, 403 products have been whittled down to just over 200 national winners, which were announced this month. While Texas nabbed four awards total, half of those winners hail from Dallas: Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters and Park Lane Pantry.
As we reported in our feature Roast of Dallas: The Definitive Coffee Guide, Oak Cliff Coffee Roaster owners, super couple Shannon and Jenni Neffendorf, have been walking the walk for years. They pride themselves on being good stewards of the environment, whether it’s helping farmers they source from improve their processes or maintaining transparent transaction practices with all they do business with. They even bring their four children along on sourcing trips. And, yes, they also make a damn fine cup of coffee (we even use their roasts in the D Magazine office).
“Finding a viable version of her favorite snack, granola, proved elusive. Ultimately, the longtime baker decided to go the DIY route in her Preston Hollow kitchen. Free of gluten, soy, dairy, and GMOs, her original recipe is crafted with premium organic ingredients: whole-grain rolled oats, nuts, coconut flakes, unsulfured apricots, cranberries, medjool dates, and walnuts. Cinnamon adds spice, while grated orange peel delivers citrusy brightness. Liquid monk fruit, with its zero-glycemic index, is the healthy stand-in for sugar.”
All Texas winners:
Vista Brewing, Stonewall Belgian Lambic-Style Ale with Texas Peaches, Driftwood, Texas
Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters, Carmen Geisha
Park Lane Pantry, Granola
Treaty Oak Distilling, Ghost Hill Bourbon and Waterloo No. 9 Gin, Dripping Springs, Texas
