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The charter of the Chef's Collaborative 2000: Serving up responsibility

Larry Forgione was the star speaker at the conference. He described his search for top quality ingredients and the partnerships he had established with suppliers of fruits, vegetables, beef, game, fish and poultry. The audience clamored for details and the names and addresses of his sources; it is just these personal relationships between restaurateurs and small-scale farmers that continue to define the cooking of the first tier of chefs.

Alice Waters and Larry were among the early pioneers to exalt the almost limitless bounty of America, and soon many others were following their lead, matching American wines with distinctively American foods and spending enormous sums to design distinctive restaurant spaces.

Gradually, the identity of the chef became synonymous with the name of the restaurant itself. It is the chef who now defines the style not only of the food but of the restaurant itself.

The credo of every celebrity chef includes buying the freshest of seasonal ingredients in the local market. And all acknowledge that it is not the food alone, but the entire experience of generous hospitality that creates an evening of pleasurable dining. It is the chef/owners, too, who have defined the new casual-chic atmosphere in restaurants, replacing stuffy maitre d's with pretty girls in short dresses, and relaxing dress codes while establishing the highest standards of service.

The role of the celebrity chefs has changed the way guests view the dining experience. Guests demand and receive more, but it is the chefs who continuously elevate the standards and create the sense of surprise, excitement and pleasure. They are embracing the future by building on the strong foundation and heritage of our past agrarian and culinary traditions.

As they have gained stature and visibility, the chefs have assumed a pivotal role in the community. They spend countless hours raising funds for causes ranging from hunger projects to funding for everything from museums to hospitals. And they are making their voices heard as they bring to public attention many issues that will affect the nation's food supply. Already the Chef's Collaborative has an enrollment of 1,000 members, and their influence is having a major impact on the way we examine many issues affecting our attitudes towards our food choices. They have become a fine example of the power of a few to influence the opinions of many.