What does it take to become an expert? Some say mastery requires 10,000 hours or 10 years of practice. But those are just numbers.

In the case of our local food and drink community, the mark of a true one appears to be love, whether that’s a love for mixing Prohibition-era cocktails, firing up a wood-burning oven, growing chardonnay grapes or making pasta. These all-stars also possess an uncanny ability to identify opportunity, the courage to take it and the tenacity to try again after failure. From restaurateurs, purveyors and farmers to coffee roasters, winemakers, media personalities and mixologists, these are the folks who saw a hole in the fabric of San Luis Obispo County flavor, and patched it with creativity, passion and grit.

Of course, none of them did it on their own; even an expert needs the right time, place, tools and support to succeed, and these people are no different. Nor are any of them finished learning, growing or experimenting. By branching out, they’ve inspired others to do the same, weaving an ever-more-diverse (and delicious) community around us.

Here, we profile the work of trailblazers who helped put San Luis Obispo County on the map, from Cambria and Paso Robles to Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach. We feel their influence each time we pour a cup of locally roasted coffee or dig in to a plate of fried chicken and waffles; we celebrate their determination each time we pluck an heirloom tomato or dine at our favorite neighborhood place.