LESS THAN A YEAR after opening the 1540 Room, Chef Collin Clemons was named the city’s Best Chef. 

Here, the Ohio native, who has spent time in kitchens from Minneapolis to New Orleans to Austin, talks about reimagining the storied restaurant, located on the first floor of The DeSoto Savannah Hotel.

We wanted to explore this idea of the spice trade bringing folks from one part of the world to another, while honoring the fact that Savannah is a port city that has been a destination for travelers and sailors from around the world for hundreds of years. Our idea was that the restaurant could be a gathering place that blended global flavors with local ingredients.