[Updated: 3/22 with winners]

Slow Food Charleston is organizing an inaugural Snail Awards program to recognize leaders in the community that support the Slow Food movement. The event, set for Monday, March 21 from 6:00 to 9:00pm will take place at The American Theater.

For the event, there will be an awards ceremony that will announce the winners of the following award categories—The Activist, The Provider, The Artist (food & beverage categories), The Snailblazer, and The Place. There is also an award for The Legend ,which will be presented to Chef Mike Lata of FIG and The Ordinary, who was one of the original founders of the Slow Food Charleston chapter and is a starch advocate of supporting local foodways.  Lata will receive a custom trophy by Robert Thomas. Winners will receive a custom Le Creuset Dutch Oven with a custom snail knob crafted by Robert Morris.  The Snailblazer will receive a $1,000 cash prize.

Finalists and winners were chosen by a panel of esteemed judges including:

• Dr. David Shields, University of South Carolina, Slow Food Southeast Ark of Taste Committee Chair
• Stephanie Burt, The Southern Fork
• Jed Portman, Garden & Gun
• Patricia Agnew, Culinary Institute of Charleston
• Vanessa Driscoll Bialobreski, Farm to Table Event Co,
• Caitlin Etherton, Community activist

• Mike Lata, FIG/The Ordinary

The 2016 Snail Awards Finalists in each of the following categories are:

• The Activist:
  An individual or organization that is a spokesperson or voice for the Slow Food mission.
  • Germaine Jenkins, Fresh Future Farm
  • Nikki Seibert, DirtWorks Incubator Farm
  • WINNER: Charleston County Green Waste Program

• The Provider:
  A producer or provider of food at the most basic level.
  • Kerry & Mark Marhefka, Abundant Seafood
  • WINNER: Celeste Albers, Green Grocer
  • Greg Johnsman, Geechie Boy

• The Artist:
  An individual or business that is using refined skill with locally, sustainably soured ingredients to provide for the community. One winner will be recognized for work with food and another for work with beverage.
  • Food
    • Josh Walker, Xiao Bao Biscuit
    • Chris Stewart, Glass Onion
    • WINNER: Craig Diehl, Cypress/Artisan Meat Share
  • Beverage
    • WINNER: High Wire Distilling
    • COAST Brewing
    • Cannonborough Beverage Company

• The Place:
  A business that adheres to Slow Food principles in terms of its business practices and philosophies.
  • Wild Olive/The Obstinate Daughter
  • WINNER: Grow Food Carolina
  • Neighborhood Dining Group

• The SnailBlazer:
  The publicly-nominated award for an individual who is making strides in their own field to positively impact the Charleston community.
  • Chris Wilkins, Roots Baking Company
  • WINNER: Germaine Jenkins, Fresh Future Farm
  • Nikki Seibert, Lowcountry Local First
  • Kate DeWitt & Lindsey Barrow, Lowcountry Street Grocery
  • Frasier Block & Blue Laughters, Johns Island Farmers Market
  • Dr. Stephanie Zgraggen, Lime and Lotus Healing Center
  • Ann Marshall & Scott Blackwell, High Wire Distilling

A celebration of the winners will follow the ceremony featuring dishes by chefs Kevin Mitchell of the Culinary Institute of Charleston, Nico Romo of FISH, Lauren Mitterer of WildFlour, Jason Stanhope of FIG and Jacques Larson of Wild Olive  & The Obstinate Daughter, and John Fleer of Rhubarb in Asheville, North Carolina.

Beverages will be provided by High Wire Distilling, COAST Brewing, Westbrook Brewing and Vicario wines. McCarus Beverage Company is providing a toast to the winners to kick off the celebration of the awards. Entertainment will be by The V-Tones.

Tickets are $80 per person for members, and $90 per person for nonmembers and can be purchased at www.snailawardschs.com.

On Thursday January 21, 2016 at 6:30pm, Bay St Biergarten will host a delicious all-inclusive four course dinner created by executive chef Vaughn Collins featuring Charleston’s own Coast Brewing Co.

The menu for the dinner is as follows:

• Shrimp Bisque paired with Shreddin Wheat- an American wheat ale which consist of vienna malt, wheat malt, American hops and American ale yeast.
  • Why it works with bisque: the vienna malt lends a slight toastiness, the wheat gives the beer a higher protein content which allows for a fuller mouth feel, and the moderate hop content will cut through the creaminess of the bisque
• Arugula and crab salad with asparagus and tear drop tomatoes paired with 32/50 Kolsch- a traditional German ale which consist mainly of pilsner malt, a little bit of wheat, Kolsch yeast and a mix of German and American hops.
  • Why it works with this type of salad: The Kolsch yeast which calls for a cooler fermentation temperature, along with the use of pilsner malt allows the beer to be light bodied and crispy clean which does not over power the subtle flavors of the crab. The earthy character of the hops work very well with the arugula and asparagus, and the slight acidity of the beer matches the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Bourbon marinated filet with goat cheese risotto paired with Alterior Motive- a traditional German ale which consist of Pilsner malt, munich malt, a mix of German and American hops, and Kolsch yeast.
  • Why it works with beef and risotto: The munich malt provides a nice caramelized malty backbone which works with the caramelized beef. The hop character cuts through the rich fat of the beef and the creaminess of the the goat cheese risotto.
• German Chocolate Cake paired with Blackbeerd- a Russian Imperial Stout which consist mainly of 2 row malt, munich malt, caramel and roasted malts, smoked malt, oats, American hops and American ale yeast.
  • Why it works with this dessert: The full dark body and slight sweetness work well with the richness of the chocolate. The oats provide a nice silky mouth feel and the hops help to balance out the sweetness of the dish.

Menu is subject to change. 
Tickets are $50/person and can be purchased at www.BSBbierdinner.com  Only 30 tickets available.