Welcome to my life as a vegetarian, day seven. Strange things are happening. I am living life as a vegetarian during the entire month of September. I am eating nothing with a face or a tail, and believe it or not, I’m still alive and breathing. The following is what I have learned, so far, [...]

I write this on the eve of one of the most daunting and challenging days of my life. The sword of Damocles is dangling above my head. I am encompassed by a sense of foreboding and live in fear that much wailing and gnashing of teeth is looming just around the corner. Our country might [...]

I’m not going to be one of those I-still-eat-chicken-and-fish vegetarians. I am going to be a die-hard, I-eat-nothing-with-a-face-or-a-tail vegetarian, a hardcore vegetarian, a no-turkey-with-my-tofu vegetarian. For the entire month of September, I will abstain from eating beef, pork, poultry, fish, or seafood of any kind— nothing with a face or tail. For those who have [...]

My friend David invited me to lunch at his club in Jackson. The club was nicely decorated and comfortable. In one room there was an upscale buffet and in another a salad bar. I don’t eat at many buffets. Actually, since my neighborhood Thai joint changed hands, I don’t eat any buffets. I have nothing [...]

I just took a trip around the world with my family. We ate in Italy first, then Japan on the first night, followed by Mexico, India, Austria, Viet Nam, China, Cuba, Morocco, France, with a few stops in different regions of America and at friends and family’s homes along the way. We were supposed to [...]

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 8:42am We hit Birmingham around lunchtime. I had a quick business meeting and then we went to Bottega for lunch. I am a fan of Frank Stitt and have eaten at Highlands Bar and Grill, often. The meals have always been great. Bottega was an overall disappointment– slow, unconcerned service, [...]

Someone, somewhere once said something about “the little things.” I don’t know who it was, why he said it, or what publication it was printed in after he said it. I don’t even know if it was a he. Maybe it was a she who talked about the little things in life. Nevertheless, I know [...]

Today I leave on a 10-day old-fashioned family road-trip vacation. We are loading up the family truckster and embarking on a 2,500 mile excursion that will take us through Nashville, Asheville, Winston-Salem, and up to Washington D.C. with the ultimate goal of taking my kids to see Paul McCartney in concert. We’ll spend a few [...]

For years I have said that if I were ever asked to choose a “last meal,” I would select my grandmother’s leg of lamb. With all due respect to my late grandmother, I am amending my last-meal appeal. Sorry, Mam-Maw, my last meal is coming from the French Laundry The beauty of eating a last [...]