Bruce Moffett grew up on a quiet street across from St. Luke's Church and has always considered Barrington his hometown.

The fondness he feels for this town has never faded, even though he now lives hundreds of miles away in Charlotte, N.C. 

Barrington, and to a larger extent all of New England, still play a key role in Mr. Moffett's life, influencing his work as a chef and restaurateur. Mr. Moffett owns three restaurants in Charlotte: Good Food on Montford, Stagioni, and Barrington's.

All three have built strong followings and solid reputations for good, locally-sourced dishes.

Mr. Moffett is now working on a new venture — he is crafting a book (he is considering titling the book "South by North") which will include more than 100 recipes from the native New Englander who now spend all his time cooking in the south.

Mr. Moffett said his love for cooking began years ago in his family's home in West Barrington. 

"I grew up in a family that liked to cook," he said. 

He learned all the basics in his family's kitchen and picked up plenty of advice while working at Wallis Seafood. After graduating from Barrington High School in 1983, he attended and later graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in political science.

Following college he went to work for John Chafee, but eventually realized his calling was in a restaurant kitchen. He went to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and later worked in number of top restaurants, including Boston's L'Espalier and Metropolis Cafe.

In 2000, he moved to Charlotte and opened Barrington's. He serves as executive chef at Barrington's and in 2009 was recognized as a James Beard Foundation Best Chef Southeast nominee. 

In 2009, Mr. Moffett opened Good Food on Montford. A year later, the tapas-style restaurant was named one of the top restaurants in Charlotte and was a James Beard semifinalist for best new restaurant.

Mr. Moffett opened Stagioni in 2013, an authentic Italian restaurant that features "classics with a fresh, modern twist."

The Barrington native said his restaurants rely on seasonal foods, and, whenever it's possible, he will try to bring some of his New England favorites to dinner plates in Charlotte. 

"When I see oysters from Rhode Island, I can't resist," he said. 

Mr. Moffett also said he loves to see someone from his hometown stop by one of his restaurants in Charlotte.

"It's a lot of fun when people from Barrington come in," he said.

When he's back in Rhode Island, Mr. Moffett likes to eat at a variety of restaurants — "I like to go the Matunick Oyster Bar, Persimmon. We still get Town Pizza. I like to go to Blount. I really enjoyed Table."