Where Would Michael Pollan Eat?

With farmer's markets sprouting in public squares across the nation, having a more direct relationship with our food – like shaking the hand of the farmer who grew or raised it – may seem like a new idea, but it's not. A century ago, more than 95 percent of Americans lived on farms, pulling food from the dirt for meals and supplying it to neighboring cities.

Today, a cadre of food thinkers is working to revive this connection. Few have had more of an impact than journalist Michael Pollan, whose bestselling books The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food have helped bring the words sustainable, local and organic into the everyday food lexicon. [For the newly initiated, sustainable farming includes nourishing and protecting the land, air and water used to grow the food as well as humane treatment of livestock.] "Almost every city now has a couple restaurants that are very tied into the local food community – that are shopping at the farmer's markets, that have farms raising meat for them sustainably," Pollan says. "Even in small towns, you're starting to find some interesting local food restaurants." Pollan shared with us eight of his favorite dining spots. The old adage says, don't shop when you're hungry. We think the same goes for reading – hope you've had a sandwich.

1. Savoy:  New York, NY

Chef Peter Hoffman and wife Susan Rosenfeld opened Savoy in a historic SoHo federal townhouse in 1990 with the idea of serving simple, traditionally prepared food reflecting the region's best produce, fish and meats, all changing with the seasons. Hoffman even rigged a bicycle to transport fresh produce from New York farmer's markets directly to Savoy's kitchen. Over decades, Hoffman has built relationships with farmers, ranchers, poultry producers and fishermen who supply the components of Savoy's award-winning dishes – from grass-fed lamb and sugar snap peas to Vermont suckling pig and wild sockeye salmon. For the restaurant's honey supply, Hoffman has taken local to new heights, literally, installing hives on the rooftop of his Manhattan home. Also an activist and educator, Hoffman spent 15 years on the Advisory Board of NYC Greenmarkets helping to develop standards that have been adopted by farmer's markets nationwide. 

  2. Restaurant Nora: Washington, D.C.

Restaurant Nora became the country's first Certified Organic restaurant in 1999, long before the term "sustainable agriculture" took up residence in the foodie lexicon. Nearly everything on Nora's menu comes from Certified Organic and biodynamic growers and producers – from the cucumbers in the chilled cucumber and dill soup to the grass-fed beef and Amish-raised veal. Herbs like rosemary, thyme and mint are grown in the restaurant's own garden, where staff also plucks a bounty of ripe apricots and nectarines to make cobblers, crisps and summer pies. Nora's menu changes daily to match farmer's market finds and suppliers' deliveries. When owner Nora Pouillon first opened her doors in 1979, she visited farms to pick up her produce because local farmers didn't yet deliver. She also introduced them to then-exotic crops like Belgian endive, baby head lettuces and arugula, even bringing them seeds from her native Europe. Nora's farm-fresh food and delicate preparations – sauces are pure reductions and she never uses butter cream – are enjoyed by a following of health-conscious environmentalists and politicians, including former President Bill Clinton. 

  3. Quince: San Francisco, CA

Situated in an old Pacific Heights apothecary, Quince has become one of San Francisco's most celebrated restaurants – earning a world-renowned star from the first edition of the San Francisco Michelin Guide in 2007. Chef and owner Michael Tusk and his wife Lindsay opened Quince in 2003, drawing on Michael's training in Italy and France and time spent under the tutelage of Alice Waters at Chez Panisse (the famed Berkeley restaurant that transformed a philosophy of eating local into a movement). The menu changes daily and is prepared using the freshest local produce, meat and fish carefully sourced from Northern California producers who've worked with Tusk for more than a decade. From the Sacramento Delta crawfish served alongside farm-fresh squash blossoms to the sheep's milk ricotta that oozes from fresh ravioli flavored with wild nettle pesto, ingredients available at their peak provide the ultimate inspiration for the restaurant's menu.