Slow Food Seattle

We’re so excited to celebrate The Skagit Table as a Snail of Approval awardee!

In historic downtown Mount Vernon, Courtney Bourasaw and her team are creating food with deep intention, a place where every dish reflects a commitment to community, seasonality, and care. Nearly everything is made in-house from scratch, with menus guided by what’s fresh and available locally. From thoughtfully sourced breads and pantry staples to vibrant, nourishing meals free from seed oils and highly processed ingredients, their approach to “good” food is both grounded and inspiring.

Their commitment to “clean” is just as powerful. By sourcing locally first—even when it costs more—building real relationships with farmers, and asking important questions about how food is grown and raised, The Skagit Table is helping shape a more transparent and sustainable food system. Their use of freshly milled local grains, whole-animal and whole-plant cooking, and waste reduction efforts (including gleaning and sharing surplus food) points to a deep respect for both land and resources.

And at the core of their work is a strong sense of fairness. The restaurant uplifts farmers by paying fair prices, supports their team through living wages, mentorship, and meaningful workplace benefits, and opens doors through second-chance hiring. Their commitment to people extends beyond their kitchen through classes, collaboration, and community partnerships that strengthen the entire regional food network.

Whether you’re gathering for a seasonal meal, taking part in a cooking class, or simply stopping in, they will offer something special: Food that brings people together and reflects a better way forward.

Congratulations to Courtney and the team at The Skagit Table on this well-deserved recognition!

We’re delighted to introduce you to Fantello Farmstead Creamery, another of our incredible Snail of Approval awardees.

Fantello is a small dairy on the Enumclaw Plateau, where they craft raw milk cheeses using traditional methods that Paul Fantello and his original partner, Patricia, learned in France as they prepared to revive his grandmother’s dairy. It’s a family effort: Paul’s daughters, Angelina and Jacqueline, are deeply involved in day-to-day operations.

They keep about 40 Jersey cows and milk about 23 of them. We’re especially impressed that Fantello makes cheese exclusively from Jersey cow milk, even though its high butterfat content can make it more challenging for cheesemaking. To preserve the milk’s fat and delicate flavor, Paul and his family hand-pour milk into the vats.

Fantello received our highest marks for animal welfare and is Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World. The herd always has access to pasture and calves are given exceptional care: all calves receive the milk first and stay on the farm with their mothers during their first months of life.

The farm produces very little waste, returning whey and manure back to the land. Through regenerative grazing practices, the family has adapted their sloped rocky ground for strong summer forage, planting clovers, chicory, and drought-tolerant grasses, transforming summer grazing conditions.

Their work supports local foodways by keeping production transparent, seasonal, and deeply connected to place. They sell directly to the community through farmers markets and regional partners, helping strengthen local food systems and keeping small-scale agriculture viable.

“We believe great cheese begins with great milk, and great milk comes from healthy land, well-cared-for animals, and thoughtful stewardship. By focusing on low-impact farming, honoring traditional techniques, and avoiding excessive mechanization, we preserve the integrity of our milk and the character of our cheeses.”

Thank you to Paul and the entire Fantello family for doing such beautiful and delicious work. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

We’re thrilled to recognize Preservation Meat Collective with a 2026 Snail of Approval award!

Preservation Meat Collective is a small meat distribution company based in Seattle, with the mission of sourcing and bringing to market high-quality, non-GMO, antibiotic-free, humanely raised proteins from small, regenerative farms in the PNW.

Transparency is incredibly important to co-owners Travis Stanley-Jones and Sean So. They take pride in the products they purvey and dedicate the time to dutifully research, visit in person, and cultivate relationships with farms that share the same commitment to animal welfare and sustainable land management practices. They can wax poetic about various heritage breeds, their distinctive fat attributes, and higher nutrient densities.

Preservation Meat Collective sets itself apart from other meat distributors because over 95% of their meat is purchased as a whole carcass and broken down per customer requests, to both respect the animals and minimize waste. To this end, much of their time is spent educating customers on unique, less sought-after cuts and marketing every last part of each animal. To further reduce waste, they donate to local charities as well as host employee cookouts and will be establishing their own fat rendering operations.

Congratulations to Travis, Sean, and the team at Preservation Meat Collective on this well-deserved recognition!