Special: Good Food Awards Marketplace, Part Deux

Coco Delice was my first stop on the Confections tour. Founder Dennis Kearney and I started our businesses at about the same time (he in the East Bay, me on the Peninsula). It was nice to have a few minutes to chat about his success and growth. His Bison Black Magic beer bonbon was a winner.

Coco Delice chocolates

All smiles and so much fun to meet, the Miami-based Venezuelan confectioners Cacao Art won for their Tupelo Honey and Cardamom bonbons. These bonbons have a creamy, flavorful ganache and a nicely thin, crisp couverture.

Cacao Art tupelo honey and cardamom bonbons

Fruition Chocolate, from upstate New York, won in both the bean-to-bar Chocolate category (Dominican 70%) and the Confections category. Their Confections winner, Brown Butter Bourbon Caramels, are shown here.

Fruition's Brown Butter Caramels

Videri Chocolate Factory‘s winning product was actually their 90% Dark Chocolate Ecuador Camino Verde — a powerful, rich dark chocolate. Pictured here are three other chocolates in their product line: Dark, Dark Milk, and Dark with Sea Salt. And they’re located in my sister’s new hometown — Raleigh, NC. Hmmm… road trip?

Videri small chocolate bars

What do building wood boats, making craft chocolate, Humboldt County, and letterpress packaging have in common? Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate! What a fun and interesting conversation I had with founders Adam Dick and Dustin Taylor. Not to mention several tasty samples of their winning 72% Belize, Toledo bean-to-bar chocolate. Their attention to detail is evident is every aspect of their work.

Dick Taylor chocolate bar

And a must-have closer look at the custom mold design for their bars:

Dick Taylor chocolate bar

After all of that chocolate, I needed something a bit savory on my palate. Loved the Downer Brown cheese from Blackberry Farm in Tennessee! Again… road trip?!

Downer Brown cheese from Blackberry Farm in Tennessee

Of course, have to shout out to a local favorite, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company in Marin county. Their Toma is creamy and addictive.

Point Reyes Toma cheese

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