November 24, 2015 – Who are YOUR local heroes? We of course mean food and drink heroes here—your favorite chefs, farmers, vintners, brewers, food artisans, market operators and food-related nonprofits—and we want to know! To cast your vote, please give it some thought and CLICK HERE TO VOTE.
Voting will only take a couple of minutes, and the winners will be featured in the Spring 2016 issue of Edible Monterey Bay. To win, nominees must be based in Monterey, Santa Cruz or San Benito Counties. Voting closes at midnight on December 23, so don’t delay!
EMB’s Local Heroes have included all the top foodies and farmers in the Monterey Bay Area. Check out the list of past winners below and share the love by nominating other deserving locals.
2015 Local Heroes
Best Farmer – Jeff Larkey / Route 1 Farms
Best Chef/Restaurant – Jeffrey Weiss / Jeninni Kitchen + Wine Bar
Best Food Purveyor – Colleen Logan / Savor the Local
Best Beverage Artisan – Discretion Brewing
Best Pastry Chef – Ron Mendoza
Best Non-Profit – Angela Farley / Teen Kitchen Project
Best Food Artisan – Tabitha Stroup / Friend in Cheeses Jam Co.
2014 Local Heroes
Best Farmer – Jeff Larkey / Route 1 Farms
Best Chef/Restaurant – Brad Briske / La Balena
Best Food Purveyor – Scott Roseman / New Leaf Community Market
Best Beverage Artisan – Emily Thomas / Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing
Best Non-Profit – Nancy Birang and Karen Haralson / Nourishing Generations
Best Food Artisan – Tabitha Stroup / Friend in Cheeses Jam Co.
2013 Local Heroes
Best Farmer – (tie) Tom Broz / Live Earth Farm & Jamie Collins / Serendipity Farms
Best Chef/Restaurant – Kendra Baker and Zachary Davis / Penny Ice Creamery
Best Food Purveyor – Scott Roseman / New Leaf Community Market
Best Beverage Artisan – Tim Clifford and Adair Paterno / Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
Best Non-Profit – (tie) Darrie Ganzhorn / Homeless Garden Project & Willie Elliot McCrae / Second Harvest Food Bank
Best Food Artisan – Tabitha Stroup / Friend in Cheeses Jam Co.
2012 Local Heroes
Best Farmer – (tie) Phil Foster / Pinnacle Organics & Jamie Collins / Serendipity Farms
Best Chef/Restaurant – Tony Baker / Montrio Bistro
Best Food Retailer – Tony Baker / Baker’s Bacon
Best Food Artisan – Tony Baker / Baker’s Bacon
Best Non-Profit – (tie) GMO-Free Santa Cruz, MEarth, and Everyone’s Harvest
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
