The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) Fancy Food Show, presented Jan. 19–21 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, is considered the annual harbinger of things to come: prominent flavors, trends in lifestyle and nutritional choices as well as new products and innovations. This year, 1,350 exhibitors from 35 countries and regions were sprawled across the massive convention center, and the aisles teemed with attendees looking for the next great thing.

Vying for the position were approximately 80,000 different products, including a plethora of cheeses, candies, coffees, teas, cured meats and condiments of every stripe. Naturally, the North Bay was well represented with all types of original food and drink products.

Healthful snack foods encompassed a large category at this year’s show. Wild California, from Petaluma, introduced its crisps, a cross between a cracker and a chip; made with dried fruit, toasted seeds and spices, they’re low in fat and full of fiber, and are made with ingredients from the Golden State. Popcorn from over 30 vendors was a huge force, and appeared in an abundance of flavors—some zany, some sweet and some downright questionable (dill pickle, sriracha, garlic and harissa, caramel macadamia, Vietnamese cinnamon, toasted sesame and seaweed.)

An unusual snack from the Good Bean in Berkeley introduced seven types of crispy, roasted chickpeas to the market. Savory flavors like sea salt and chili lime were delicious, sweet ones like chocolate not so much. Nuts were another expansive group under the snack heading. Perfectly toasted, candied, spiced or salted varieties were on display with cardamom cashews from Sante,
a taste highlight.

Spices, salts, herbs and rubs made up a big part of the condiment section. Organic, fair trade and whole spices singly sourced are a continuing trend. Napa’s own Whole Spice showcased its rice and grain seasoning blends with flavors like almond, cranberry and herbs, Moroccan harissa and Mexican mole. Widely regarded as a purveyor of the freshest spices in the North Bay, the company’s new blends are meal inspirations in an envelope.

The Spice Lab’s test tubes of colorful salts, sugars and herbs were also attractive, while the ground Madagascar vanilla powder from Lafaza offered a flavorful and alcohol-free way to use this important ingredient.

Hot drinks were a huge category at the show, with teas leading the way in fun and flavorful blends. Novato’s Republic of Tea rolled out its Downton Abbey label with the Grantham Breakfast and English Rose varieties, which received lots of attention. They also featured two biodynamic teas: Darjeeling from India and chamomile from Italy. Other interesting flavors in tea were chocolate Earl Grey, salted caramel and chai with a hint of coffee, making for indulgent afternoon sipping. Coffee in all types, both hot and cold, continues to be very popular. One of the most unusual was the Caffe Borsa hand drip, which comes in an envelope similar to a tea bag. It unfolds into a mini drip bag with arms that attach to your cup. Pour boiling water through and—voilà!—a perfectly brewed cup of Joe.

Two companies from the North Bay have created flours and oils using grape skins and seeds, the waste products of the wine industry. WholeVine of Santa Rosa offered tastes of its gluten-free cookies and crackers, made with flour of dried grape skins and seeds. Salute Sante from Napa sampled its grapeseed oils and introduced two new varietals in their flours, which are ground from the seeds. These products are surprisingly nutritious, contributing a boost of flavor, fiber and antioxidants.

Novato’s Navitas Naturals showcased its line of organic superfoods, including maca, goji, cacao and chia seeds for snacking and for use as ingredients in recipes guaranteed to increase health. Napacakes’ Panaforte garnered raves from tasters of this satisfying treat, considered the “original power bar.”

Among the thousands of products, cheese was a standout, and the North Bay sent many talented cheese makers from the flock. Point Reyes Farmstead had samples of its new Bay Blue, a tangy mouthful reminiscent of Stilton. The venerable Marin French Cheese Company showed off a few of its classic soft rind varieties to grateful samplers. These were just two of the many talented cheese makers from the tri-county North Bay at the show.

The San Francisco Fancy Food Show presents the classic and the novel in the specialty food industry, reflecting trends for the coming year.

For more info, see fancyfoodshows.com

The smoke billowing up through the trees is the first hint. Then the whiff of grilling meat confirms it: Buster’s Southern Barbeque & Bakery is just up ahead. Sitting at the very top of Napa Valley, Busters’ brings together bikers, wine snobs and families at the crossroads of Calistoga. Regularly voted by Bohemian readers as the best barbecue in Napa, one bite of the succulent tri-tip is all it takes to understand why.

Buster Davis cut his chops in the barbecue field in Southern California, perfecting family recipes for dry rub, sauce and cooking techniques. Twelve years ago, he headed north, taking over the rundown Jolly Kone ice cream store and spiffing up the property. The prep kitchen moved into the tiny ice cream dispensary, with the front windows remaining for ordering and pick up. An adjacent seating area is now closed-in, with heating and A/C added in the last couple years to provide year-round comfort. Along the perimeter of the horseshoe driveway are tables tucked in among the trees.

The heart of Buster’s is the barbecue pit, which was made by Davis’ brother. In a deep metal box with a grill rack that can be raised or lowered, an oak fire licks the meat, kissing it with mouth-watering wood-smoke flavor. It’s a style of cooking commonly associated with Santa Maria on the central coast of California, where cooking over coastal red oak has a rich history.

From the days of the ranchos some 150 years ago, when the vast central-coast inlands were covered with large cattle ranches and the land was still owned by Mexico, beef was cooked over open fires. The cuts were strung onto branches and roasted over pits of roaring oak, giving the meat a signature wood-grilled flavor.

Today, that time-honored style of barbecue is still going strong around the Santa Maria valley where tri-tip is king—and also up in Calistoga at Buster’s, where the tri-tip is the most popular item on the menu. Buster’s cooks between 35 and 50 of the football-sized hunks on busy weekends, slicing it thickly and serving it with their signature sauce.

The sauce sets Buster’s apart from other barbecue. It comes in medium and hot versions, and is served on the side so diners can dip and slather to their liking. Tangy, smoky and with a hint of spice, the medium is the most popular, while the hot sauce is not for the faint of heart—it’s got an incendiary kick that will have diners reaching for a frosty glass of Buster’s homemade lemonade. In fact, a big sign near the register states that there are no refunds or exchanges if the sauce is too fiery for customers; Buster’s wife, Barbara Jolly, says people have tried to return it after one bite.

Racks of beef and pork ribs are another popular menu item. (Gnawing on bones is a modern-day caveperson’s dream.) The beef ribs come chewy, with good flavor, and the pork ribs are juicy and luscious, falling off the bone with that signature wood-smoke flavor.

Rounding out the offerings are chicken, hot links and pork loin. Davis recently added pulled pork, simply because so many people kept asking for it. The pile of scrumptious shreds goes well with the slabs of garlic toast that come with every meal, and that hot sauce is the perfect accompaniment to put the tiger back in the tank.

Impeccable barbecue calls for tasty side dishes, and Buster’s doesn’t disappoint. The beans, in both baked and chili varieties, are velvety, with each bite setting up a craving for the next. Macaroni salad is a starchy foil for the juicy, spicy meats, as is the potato salad, bound with the right amount of good mayonnaise to make a creamy, satisfying mouthful. The coleslaw and three-bean salad are the only green vegetables on offer, piquant and tangy. The cornbread is moist and slightly sweet, an extra that must be ordered separately but well worth it.

Meats can be ordered as dinners, which include two sides and garlic toast; sandwiches served on the garlic toast that come with one side; or as combination plates with up to three grilled items sharing the plate with two sides. Another option is to get the meats to go, in whole or half portions for the tri-tip, racks of ribs, chicken or pork loin, and by the pint for the pulled pork or the piece for the hot links. Jars of barbecue sauce are for sale, and this writer highly recommends having some on hand for whatever’s cooking on your home grill. A dollop of Buster’s sauce makes everything taste just right.

Davis and Jolly are hoping to tear down the old Jolly Kone structure and erect a larger kitchen building to accommodate the growing business. Their restaurant is for people from all walks of life who appreciate good, rib-sticking comfort food. As one customer stated after wolfing down some of the finest barbecue in northern California: “It’s not a meal, it’s an experience.”

Buster’s Southern Barbeque & Bakery, 1207 Foothill Blvd., Calistoga. 707.942.5605.

The bib, the lemon, the fork, the stringy sea-flesh of unusual texture—ah, yes, it’s still crab season here along the coast. And though crab feeds come and go, largely advertised via plywood placards on the outskirts of small rural towns, this week’s feed at Lagunitas benefits Cinnabar Theater.

Indeed, the theater with the steep loping driveway doesn’t just open its mouth and sing—it also open its mouth and eats. The Cinnabar’s Chili Cook-Off is the stuff of legend, and their Taste of Petaluma event gets more popular by the year. So it’s no doubt they’re gonna open the curtain on a fine second-annual crab feed. Salad, bread and desserts round out the menu, with Lagunitas on the sudsy stuff.

Bring your own crab implements and support the arts on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at Lagunitas. 1280 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma. 5:30–8:30pm. $55. 707.763.8920.