It’s been almost two-and-a-half years since Slow Food Nation set up shop in San Francisco. Filling the void is the Good Food Awards, “the first national awards platform to recognize American craft food.” In this DIY era, it’s no shock that there were over 780 submissions from 41 states in categories from coffee to preserves to chocolate. Of the finalists, there are surprisingly only 16 from around here (and out of these, only four are from SF).

On Friday, the awards program will take place at the Ferry Building and the winners, selected by a panel of 80 judges (80!), will be announced. What’s the criteria for winning a “Good Food Awards Seal 2011”? Something both delicious and sustainable of course. The awards program will be hosted Alice Waters. Le duh.

This event isn’t open to the public, I’m sorry to say, but on Saturday, 45 of the 71 winners will all be at the Ferry Building from 8 am to 2 pm displaying their goods for purchase. The awards also kicks off Good Food Month. Check out the website for more details. There's some cool happenings.

If this all sounds a tad Slow Foodish, there’s a reason. The awards are organized by the Seedling Projects, a social enterprise organization headed by Sarah Weiner, who spearheaded much of Slow Food Nation, and Dominic Phillips, food-event planner extraordinaire.

Here’s the list of the local producers that have made it to the finalist stage. I'm just polishing off one of the new Poco Dolce peanutbutter bars which I would hope throws in their hat for next year. Delicious is an understatement.

May the best product win.

Ritual Coffee Roasters (San Francisco)
Kenya Kiandu

Café Rouge (Berkeley)
Smoked Beef Tongue

The Girl and the Fig (Sonoma)
Coppa  and Pimenton Salami

Cowgirl Creamery (Marin)
Red Hawk

Fiscalini (Modesto)
Bandage Wrapped Cheddar

Nicasio Valley Cheese Company (Nicasio)
Nicasio Square

Point Reyes Farmstead (Pt. Reyes)
Point Reyes Farmstead Blue

Redwood Hill Farms (Sebastopol)
Cameo

Charles Chocolates (Oakland/San Francisco)
Salty Sweet Cashew Bar