Twenty years ago Peter Hoffman opened Savoy on a quiet corner in New York’s Soho district with a radical concept: great meals are created with ingredients sourced from local farmers.

Hoffman didn’t use local foods for political reasons.  “Building recipes from what was available, seasonal and local was what was most exciting to me in the creative process as a chef.”

“When Alain Ducasse was running the restaurant here in New York, he knew that great products come from close to home. Traditionally, the great three-star restaurants in France, especially in the 60s, were located in agricultural regions and were based on direct relationships with local farmers. That’s what we showcase at Savoy.”

The Best Chefs Are Inspired By Their Ingredients

“Whether you’re going to write a book or paint a picture, you start with a blank canvas or pad of paper.  I start with an empty pot and ask so what am I going to cook?  I am interested in what’s in season. What do I feel like eating today?  What are the traditional methods of preparation and combinations that are time honored that I can use? Some chefs like creating food and combinations that have never been created before. I like cuisines that have been cooked in certain ways for many generations.”

Turns out more and more chefs plan to follow Peter Hoffman’s lead. Local sourcing for restaurants was even identified as a “hot trend for 2010” in a national survey by The National Restaurant Association.

But what Hoffman really wants people to do is to value and take pleasure in the food they eat.  So brag about your new Tag Heuer watch or iPhone. But let’s be sure to equally savor the ephemeral joys of the table.