One of the primary keys to success in the restaurant business is developing relationships— not only with your customers, but with your suppliers as well. Nowhere are relationships more important than with seafood suppliers. When my first restaurant, The Purple Parrot Café, opened in 1987 I had just moved home from a short stint in [...]

I field questions on a daily basis, some through public appearances and book signings, others through email, but most often during face-to-face encounters in the restaurants. This column will attempt to answer the questions that I am most often asked. Question: Do you really eat all of that food that you write about? Answer: Yes. [...]

Summer Sandwich Staples South Mississippi has four seasons— almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas. However, early summer has an entirely different “feel” than late summer. During the early days of summer, school is out. The entire season lies ahead. No more early mornings, no last minute cramming for exams, and no arguments over school [...]

When my wife meets people at one of my book signings or speeches, they say things such as, “Your husband is so funny, I’ll bet he keeps the whole family in stiches.” To which she replies, “Yeah, he’s a real hoot,” swallowing her sarcasm. My wife is my toughest audience, she’s seen it, heard it, [...]

This column might be the longest thank-you note I have ever written, but it is one that I was eager to pen. Two weeks ago I wrote a plea on behalf of the non-profit, Extra Table, soliciting donations for the victims of the F5 tornado in Smithville, Miss. The April 29th tornado left a three-mile [...]

“We are in the middle of the flow.” That is what Roy the Beekeeper told me last spring. I didn’t know what “the flow” was, but, being a brand new apiarist, I just went with it and faked my way through the rest of the conversation. I learned later that “the flow” is beekeeper shorthand [...]

If one had been watching the national news recently, he or she would have seen hour upon hour of coverage about the terrible tornado devastation that blew through the state of Alabama. The damage was catastrophic and our hopes and prayers are with all of the citizens of Alabama and the other states that were [...]

My friends and I are always comparing lists. I throw out questions such as, “What are your three favorite Beatles songs?” Or “What are your three favorite restaurants in New York?” Occasionally the questions become more specific, such as, “What is the best fish dish you have ever eaten?” Those types of queries are easy [...]

Last week I learned that the United States Department of Agriculture had revised their food pyramid. I grew up with the 1970s version of the food pyramid, and have always been intrigued by the chart— mainly because my diet has never been anywhere close to what Uncle Sam recommended. Actually, it’s not even a food [...]

The first time I sat at a communal table— other than at a family or school function— was also the first time I ever ate at K-Paul’s restaurant in New Orleans. I didn’t really like the concept initially, but in that restaurant, back then, one had no choice. It was one of the first times [...]