adventures of an american housewife in the south of france

FoodBuzz Blogger Fest Re-cap

Last Saturday, Kate, Darcy and I attended the Taste Pavilion at the 2nd Annual FoodBuzz Blogger Festival.  Held downtown at the Metreon, the event was full of amazing food and drink vendors hoping to be featured on food blogs.  We stayed for a few hours, sampling almost every dish and checking out quite a few wines.  Here were my personal highlights:

Three Twins

image from Three Twins facebook page

This is actually the second time I have had the pleasure of trying Three Twins rich and creamy organic ice cream.  A local Bay Area company, Three Twins has some killer flavors, including my favorite, Mint Confetti.  Three Twins runs 3 scoop shops, sells tubs wholesale to several local restaurants, has limited retail distribution of their pints, and a large presence at the Saturday Berkeley Farmer's Market.  But don't worry if you are not a Bay Area resident, you can order these delicious treats online from all 50 states.

JAQK Cellars

image taken from JAQK Cellars facebook page

I recently discovered this boutique winery during my job search and was happy to see their booth at the Pavilion.  JAQK Cellars is a limited production wine company from Napa/San Francisco that has a fun and innovative approach to wine tasting and wine clubs.  Using their play on Jack, Ace, Queen, King, their wines boast names like Black Clover Merlot, Her Majesty Chardonnay, and Soldiers of Fortune Syrah.  I had the opportunity to try the Syrah and it did not disappoint!  With notes of black cherry, hints of white pepper, and a smokey aroma, it fit my favorite type of flavor profile.  I would love to try out some of the other varietals.

Saag Asiago-Fennel Smoked Chicken Sausage

image taken from www.saags.com

This was truly the high point in my afternoon!  Spicy and hickory smoked with just the right amount of aged Asiago cheese, these sausages really hit the spot.  Now owned by Hormel Foods, Saag's started out as a small San Francisco Bay Area manufacturer.  They have a large range of products:  condiments, lunch meats, sausages, turkey breasts, etc.  They were also handing out a delicious looking recipe for Baked Gnocchi with Asiago Fennal Sausage that I am hoping to try out soon!

O Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

image from ooliveoil.om

Based in Petaluma, California, O Olive Oil Company is another Bay Area purveyor of artisanal olive oils, vinegars, and tapenades.  What makes their olive oil unique is that during the manufacturing process, the ripe Mission olives are crushed with organic citrus fruits to create some delicious flavors.  We tried the Meyer Lemon Olive Oil which was absolutely delightful.  Other flavors include blood orange, ruby grapefruit, jalapeño lime, and more.

479° Popcorn

image from 479popcorn.com

I had seen this popcorn all over Whole Foods but had never tried it.  Popcorn is one of my favorite foods, but I am boring and like traditional, good old fashioned salt and butter flavor.  I was not sure how I would feel about some of the crazy flavors 479° has like Chipotle Caramel + Almonds, Madras Curry Coconut + Cashews, and Vietnamese Cinnamon Sugar.  I tried them all and they were fantastic!  My favorite flavor is probably the most ordinary:  Black Truffle + White Cheddar, but that's typical for me.  You may be wondering, what's with the name 479°?  Well, according to their package, 479° is the ideal temperature for popping corn!  Who knew?!

Bison Brewery Honey Basil Ale

image from bisonbrew.com

Bison Brewery is an organic brewery located in Berkeley with a storied past.  Today they sell organic beer in 12 states and hope to expand even further.  At the Taste Pavilion, Bison Brewery was sampling a few flavors, including their seasonal Honey Basil Ale.  After tasting this refreshing, slightly herbal elixir, we begged and pleaded with the staff to make this a permanent offering!  Apparently they are considering upgrading the flavor from seasonal to regular but you'll have to stay tuned! Have you ever had the opportunity to try any of these products from the Taste Pavilion?

4 Responses to “FoodBuzz Blogger Fest Re-cap”

  1. The Taste Pavillion was fantastic. The guys from Saag Natural Sausage paired my Organic IPA with the sausage you reviewed above; fantastic. I’m guessing the Honey Basil will indeed be year round come spring so check out my facebook page Bison Organic Beer for updates!

  2. Hi,

    Thank you for the write up!

    Three Twins is now available in 35 states. We are available pretty comprehensively through the natural food channel on the West Coast, Whole Foods in the Rocky Mountains, The Fresh Market throughout the East Coast and a handful of independent stores in New York City.

    We’re launching a new website next week that will tell more of our story.

    My best,
    Neal

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