Sonoma County Harvest Fair reveals winners of professional food contest

After two weeks of intense tasting and judging, the Sonoma County Harvest Fair Professional Food Competition has announced this year’s winners, with Oliver’s Market, the Bear Republic Brewing Company and Thai Time Asian Bistro emerging as a few of the big winners.

During the Harvest Fair at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa Oct. 2-4, all of the contestants will be serving tastes of their foods in the Grand Tasting Pavilion alongside the wine and cider tastings. Best of Show winners will also showcase their award-winning entries to the public during the reception for the Awards Dinner on Sept. 27 at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts.

Repeating its win in 2014, Oliver’s Market of Santa Rosa came out on top of the hotly contested Appetizers category, snagging the Best of Show Appetizer (Shrimp and Dungeness Crab Bisque) as well as Best Use of Seafood (Sesame Crusted Ahi) and Best Use of Sonoma County Wine (Crispy Confit of Liberty Duck Leg with Trentadue Port).

The Bear Republic Brewing Company of Healdsburg won the Sweepstakes Appetizer award for the most points accrued in the contest. In the appetizer category, it also won Best Use of Cheese (Mac & Cheese), Best Use of Beef (Wild Mushroom Burger) and Best Use of Fruit (Mission Fig Stuffed with Pesto Cream Cheese).

Another consistent winner, Thai Time Asian Bistro of Santa Rosa, won three appetizer awards: Best Use of Poultry (Chicken Satay Burger), Best Use of Goat (Mussaman Goat) and Best Use of Pork (Grilled Pork Salad).

Finally, first-time competitor Rosso Rosticceria & Eventi of Santa Rosa won Best Use of Olive Oil (Spicy Fried Chicken).

“I saw a lot of comfort food (in the appetizers),” said Anne Vercelli, coordinator of the Professional Food Competition. “There was mac & cheese, fried chicken, braised short ribs and chili ... these foods have been around a long time.”

Rosso Rosticceria also won Best of Show Deli (Pulled Chicken Sandwich). Best of Show for a Topping/Sauce went to Heritage Food of Sebastopol (low-sugar Plum Jam), and the Sweepstakes Deli award went to Mama Tina’s Ravioli of Windsor.

“There were lots of interesting sandwiches, including tri-tip, burgers and chicken,” Vercelli said of the Deli entries. “There were several types of ravioli: artichoke, spinach, cheese ... Pasta was definitely popular.”

Two consistent award-winners from past competitions split the top awards for Bread: Costeaux French Bakery of Healdsburg won Best of Show Professional French Bread (Ciabatta) and Village Bakery of Sebastopol won Best of Show Professional Specialty Bread (Seeded Sourdough).

“Both bakers are quality oriented,” Vercelli said. “There was also a gluten-free bread on the table, made by Village Bakery, and I saw cinnamon-nut bread, one by Village and one by Costeaux.”

Oliver’s Market swept both of the top awards for Cakes and Pastries, winning Best of Show Decorated Cake (Wedding Cake) and Best of Show Cake (Pomegranate Mousse with Chocolate Decadence Brownie).

“There was a contrast in texture, with the softness of the mousse and the firmness of the chocolate brownie,” Vercelli said of the Best of Show Cake. “It tasted good ... and it had a lot of visual appeal.”

There were four big winners in the Individual Dessert Awards: Bear Republic Brewing Company for Best Use of Local Products (Rum Stout Ice Cream Sandwich), Bert’s Desserts of Petaluma for Best of Show Dessert (Blueberry Mousse), first-time contestant Beaujolais Granola of Santa Rosa for Best of Show Candy (Panforte) and Village Bakery for Best of Show Cookie (Linzer Cookie).

“There were a number of mousses of various flavors - chocolate, pomegranate, blueberry and pumpkin,” Vercelli said. “For candies, we had a lot of truffles with interesting flavors, such as tamarind and honey, Scotch, passion fruit, gingerbread, tart cherry and balsamic, and cardamom.”

The top two Dairy Product awards, not surprisingly, went to two companies from the Petaluma region. Weirauch Farm & Creamery of Penngrove won Best of Show Cheese Product (Melusina, a natural rind, cow’s milk cheese aged less than six months). Petaluma Creamery of Petaluma won Best of Show Other Dairy Product (Meyer Lemon Ice Cream).

“There were 17 entries in ice cream from five companies,” Vercelli said. “There was the traditional vanilla and chocolate, then lots of interesting and creative flavors: lavender, pumpkin, Meyer lemon, toffee crunch, cookies and cream, cherry chocolate chunk, orange sherbet, malted milk balls and strawberry balsamic.”

B.R. Cohn Winery of Glen Ellen, always a strong competitor, won Best of Show Vinegar (Raspberry Champagne Vinegar).

The olive oil was judged back in May, to ensure freshness of the oils. Best of Show went to Ferrari-Carano (Harvest 2014 Estate Olive Oil, a blend of Italian varietals Frantoio, Coratina, Leccino and Pendolino olives).

For a complete list of winners or more information, go to harvestfair.org.