One Last Calçotada for Savoy

After being open for more than 20 years, Chef-Owner Peter Hoffman announced late Wednesday that he has decided to close Savoy Restaurant. With one the first restaurants in New York City to feature locally harvested produce from the Union Square Greenmarket, Hoffman has become a local icon of the farm-to-table movement.

Although Savoy will shutter on June 18th of this year, Hoffman explained in a press release that he intends to open a more casual eatery in the restaurant's SoHo location. "To everything there is a season, especially restaurants, and I Iook forward to introducing customers to the next one that will occupy this space. I’m not giving up my corner on Prince and Crosby; I’m just giving us a new canvas upon which to work.”

One of Savoy's most memorable aspects of is its 17-year-old dinner series program, which includes the inimitable Calçotada festivals. Each year, Hoffman and his staff celebrate the return of spring by hosting their version of a traditional Spanish Calçotada. The main feature of the event are the beautifully charred "calçots." In keeping with his locavore philosophy, Hoffman substitutes locally-sourced, specially curated leeks from Blooming Hill Farm. “They’re planted in the way that calçots are, in the fall," he noted last year. "They’re growing, then they winter, and start growing again in the spring. They have several months of growth on them instead of just a quick fix," he previously notes.

While Hoffman has cited economic struggles as the primary source behind closing Savoy, its sister restaurant, Back Forty seems to be thriving in the East Village. The concept for the new restaurant, which is set to debut in the fall, has yet to be determined, however Hoffman has expressed that the atmosphere will be more attuned to that of the more informal Back Forty. 

Savoy's final Calçotada will take place on May 9th.

The Daily Byte is a regular column dedicated to covering interesting food news and trends across the country. Click here for previous columns.

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