Featured Column
If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On
Music has been a constant companion throughout my life. It has accompanied me in times of joy and sorrow and…
Read moreLoblolly Stories
Ten Things I’ve Learned Opening a Bakery
I am opening a bakery today. Opening any style of restaurant is one of the most stressful activities one will…
Read moreIt’s A Tough Job but Somebody’s Got To Chew It
“No one trusts a skinny chef.” In my business— if you posess the body style I walk around with every…
Read moreNeck Deep In King Cake Development
It looks like 2023 will go down as the year of the king cake— at least in my book. I…
Read moreRSJ's New Orleans Favorites
RSJ’s New Orleans Restaurant Recommendations 2023
NEW ORLEANS— In a poll of national food critics I believe New Orleans would be listed among the top three…
Read moreRSJ’s Top 10 New Orleans Breakfasts
The following is the first in a summer-column series that will cover dining in New Orleans. Over the next four…
Read moreAn Engagement to Remember
This past weekend was a memorable one for our family. Our 26-year old daughter got engaged to her longtime boyfriend.…
Read moreRecent Columns
Pizza Ground Zero
BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— Naples is the birthplace of pizza. It’s an ancient and historic seaside city that can be a little…
Read moreBirthplace
PETROGNANO, ITALY— It’s true that there’s no place like home, and I deeply and dearly love my hometown of Hattiesburg…
Read moreOh, Jesse Where Art Thou? — A True Tight Spot
VALENCIA, SPAIN— It was a tight spot. Not in the figurative sense in which one is faced with a challenging…
Read moreSpanish Breakdown
MADRID— The motto of the Boy Scouts of America is to be prepared. That’s all well and good, except I…
Read moreBurgers I Have Known
There are long stretches in my life when I dedicated all my culinary focus, research, development, and meals to fine…
Read moreThe Best Job Ever
There are many emotions associated with parenthood. Joy and amusement come to mind immediately. The early responsibilities of parenting can…
Read moreNobody’s Poet
In the late 1990s I was asked by my local newspaper to write a weekly food column. I politely declined…
Read moreI Love This Business
In the 1985 Ron Howard movie, “Cocoon,” a group of senior citizens from a retirement home break into an abandoned…
Read moreFried Shrimp
The late great Ella Brennan, long-time matriarch of the New Orleans restaurant scene as head of the Brennan clan— and…
Read moreCakes Fit For A King
It’s king cake season. Those four words don’t carry a lot of weight across 90% of this country. Though in…
Read moreGood Morning, Hattiesburg
A few weeks ago, an interviewer asked, “Give me a typical day in the life of Robert St. John.” I…
Read moreNext Up in New Orleans
I have often wondered what it must have been like to have attended the Beatles first live performance as a…
Read moreRobert’s Top 10 of 2023
For the 25 years I have written in this space I have always reserved the final column inches of the…
Read moreThe Currency of Christmas
Everyone has a favorite holiday. Many of my friends are partial to Halloween. They have fond memories of trick-or-treating through…
Read moreNot Your Typical, Everyday, Run-Of-The-Mill Christmas Message
Let’s talk about failures. The holiday season may seem like a peculiar time to air personal disappointments but stick with…
Read moreCousin Jim
They buried my cousin last week. He was sent to his reward with full military honors in one of the…
Read moreMississippians Feeding Mississippians
It is said that Texans have an unparalleled pride for their state. My wife grew up there and my father-in-law…
Read moreIt Takes a Village (or at least a dedicated team)
There are a lot of factors that go into the process of writing, testing, re-testing, editing, photographing, re-editing, styling, re-re-editing,…
Read moreAll In the Family
BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— It could be said— and probably has often been said— that I am a slow learner. It took…
Read moreFrom A Hot Dog Cart
BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE— This week will mark the final week of my most recent work stint in Italy. I host tours in…
Read moreWhen In Rome (mostly)
BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— One of the travel codes I abide by is the when-in-Rome-do-as-the-Romans-do dining philosophy. No matter where I am…
Read moreTuscan Son
BARBERINO-TAVERNELLE, TUSCANY— I first came to this part of the world in 2011 on a three-week stopover with my wife…
Read moreIt’s All Lessons All the Time
It’s funny how at different ages I have assumed I had life completely figured out. When I was 19 no…
Read moreBreakfasts Abroad
PALAERMO, SICILY— Ten weeks out of each year I work over here leading tours of Americans through European countries. It’s…
Read moreIt’s Good Work If You Can Get It
“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth…
Read moreAn Engagement to Remember
This past weekend was a memorable one for our family. Our 26-year old daughter got engaged to her longtime boyfriend.…
Read moreWonderland
Everyone has a personal wonderland. When my brother visits a hardware store, a garden center, or a tackle shop he…
Read moreThe Blue Crab Invasion of 2023
Featured image: "Crabs" by Wyatt Waters, from our book A Southern Palate One of the most frequent questions I am…
Read moreRSJ’s New Orleans Restaurant Recommendations 2023
NEW ORLEANS— In a poll of national food critics I believe New Orleans would be listed among the top three…
Read moreMy Latest Addiction
Let's talk about addiction. I know what you’re thinking. Ol’ St. John is about to ramp up all that recovery…
Read moreIf These Walls Could Speak
“If these old walls could speak Of things that they remember well, Stories and faces dearly held” – Jimmy Webb…
Read moreHow Tuna Came to the Panhandle
WATERCOLOR, FLORIDA— Once a year I bring my wife, our kids, and their friends to the Panhandle of Florida to…
Read morePotatoes, Peas, Popcorn, and Pancakes (but not all at once)
A few weeks ago, I wrote that 2023 will go down as the summer of watermelon. I mentioned how I…
Read moreTen Things I’ve Learned Opening a Bakery
I am opening a bakery today. Opening any style of restaurant is one of the most stressful activities one will…
Read moreA Good Foot Forward
Last week I read an online article about feet. I can’t remember where I read it, or from which website…
Read moreWatermelon 2023
Cartoon by Marshall Ramsey If I were to make a list of my favorite fruits, it would be extensive. Peaches…
Read moreGood Things Come to Those Who Wait
“The best things in life come from patience.” – Author Unknown As a kid I grew up across the street…
Read moreHappy Birthday, America
If I were asked to rank the holidays my family and I celebrate, Christmas would go down as an easy…
Read moreMississippi
Texans are often recognized for the pride that they have in their home state. I get that. Not because I…
Read moreA Former Fruit Cart at A Century
Some people judge towns by their population. Others judge them by amenities such as parks and playgrounds. Many consider school…
Read moreIt’s A Tough Job but Somebody’s Got To Chew It
“No one trusts a skinny chef.” In my business— if you posess the body style I walk around with every…
Read moreFriends On the Level and Restaurants Off the Track
Everyone has “that” friend. He or she is the friend that doesn't sugarcoat his or her comments. It's a straight-talking…
Read moreSmall Town Guy
“I cannot forget from where it is that I come from Cannot forget the people who love me Well, I…
Read moreWindy City Rendezvous
CHICAGO— I have been coming to this city almost every May for the past 35 years. This time of year…
Read moreTO THE MISSISSIPPI GRADUATES OF 2023
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” —Mary Oliver It’s graduation…
Read moreA Bridge Not Too Far At All
YPRES, BELGIUM— Friendships in the 21st Century carry a different dynamic. A constant connection throughout the World Wide Web has…
Read moreThe Curious Case of a Sliding Door Monopoly Game
AMSTERDAM— A sliding door moment is a seemingly inconsequential action that alters the trajectory of future events. I am sitting…
Read morePondering Chips
BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— Things are different over here. It’s not just the language. Spaces are smaller. Roads are tighter. Bathrooms are…
Read moreAn Easter to Remember
PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— Most of my early childhood memories come from Christmas and Easter. If I let my memory go back…
Read morePerfect Simplicity
Sometimes the simplest things give me the most satisfaction. That probably seems like an obvious statement to most. I have…
Read moreA Lifetime Love Affair
TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— My love of bakeries goes back as far as my episodic memory will allow. The earliest bakery recollection…
Read morePorcine Paradise
SEVILLE— Travel is situational. I could almost end this column with that first sentence. That sums up everything I am…
Read moreWhen Irish Eyes Are Smiling in Spain
MADRID—Irish pubs have always intrigued me. The attraction doesn’t come from the typical things one expects from a pub. I’m…
Read moreSeasons in Mississippi
“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to…
Read moreEasy Bake Memories
The year was 1968. It was my 7th Christmas. Also, the first Christmas after my father died. The only thing…
Read moreNeck Deep In King Cake Development
It looks like 2023 will go down as the year of the king cake— at least in my book. I…
Read moreAn Unbalanced Force in the Foothills
BLACKBERRY FARM— A portion of Newton’s Law of Motion states, “An object in motion remains in motion at a constant…
Read moreA Golden Opportunity
To be successful in the restaurant business it takes total commitment and sacrifice. It's a brutal way to earn a…
Read moreIt’s A Tough Job but Somebody’s Got to Chew It
“A party without cake is just a meeting” –Julia Child It started as a whim. It ended as a quest.…
Read moreBreakfast, Routines, and Bacon
Many of the business books I am familiar with go into great detail about how successful people commit to a…
Read moreRestaurant People
It is my belief that some people are born with their life’s mission already implanted deep in their DNA. Just…
Read moreLocal Hopes
NEW ORLEANS— The practice of making New Year’s resolutions is something that has never interested me. I guess I have…
Read moreRSJ Top 10 Meals 2022
For the 22 years I have written in this space, I have always reserved the final column inches of the…
Read moreRSJ’s Top 10 Christmas Movies
Nothing quite matches the energy and excitement one experiences as a kid during the Christmas Eves of his or her…
Read moreMy Top 20 Christmas Songs
Music has always been a huge part of my life. It surprises me that— in the 23 years I have…
Read morePass the Crackers (and the butter, and the slaw, and the comeback), Please
Appetizers are often the most interesting part of a restaurant menu. I could live in the appetizer section, alone, and…
Read moreMy Favorite Season
It has been said that the four seasons in Mississippi are— almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas. I have…
Read moreHome Is Where the Realized Nouns Are
L. Frank Baum nailed it when he penned the line, “There’s no place like home,” in his novel about the…
Read moreRestaurantsick
BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— Yesterday I was having a conversation with one of my travel guests who was talking about being homesick…
Read moreRSJ’s Tuscan Top Ten
Barberino-Tavarnelle, Tuscany— For the past 11 years I have spent considerable time in this region. Specifically in the two towns…
Read moreHome Away From Home
BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, ITALY— Is it possible that one can fall in love with a town? I love my hometown of Hattiesburg,…
Read moreSometimes I Feel Like a Magpie
PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— A few months after my wife and I started dating, she wanted me to meet her grandmother. We…
Read moreIt Takes A Village (or at least a couple of Dutch People and several Italians)
BARBERINO-TAVERNELLE, TUSCANY— There’s a big difference between a tour host and a tour guide. A tour guide goes through rigorous…
Read moreAll Roads Lead to Rome, They Really Do
ROME— If 2022 had a personal theme created specifically for me, it would be decorated in the green, white, and…
Read moreThe 32nd Anniversary of My 29th Birthday
Yesterday I entered my 62nd year on the planet. The thing about turning 61 years old is that I thought…
Read moreAnother Blessing
This morning I read a Business News Daily article that listed the most stressful jobs in America. Enlisted military personnel…
Read moreA Different Kind of Welcome
NEW YORK— I first came to the city sometime in the mid-1960s. My grandparents lived here. My father had recently…
Read moreIn Search of Voice
For the majority of the 23 years, I have written this weekly column, the primary focus has been on food…
Read moreRandom Thoughts on a Tuesday Morning
For the past 23 years, I have written a 1,000-word column every Monday morning. Always early in the morning. I…
Read moreIn Honor of Mississippians
“To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.” – William Faulkner “Work hard and be kind…
Read moreThe Best Job, Ever
If I carried a business card, there would be a lot of job titles listed on it— restaurateur, author, producer,…
Read moreEnter Enzo
Forty years ago, I worked my first shift in a restaurant. It was almost the first hour, of the first…
Read moreRSJ’s New Orleans Restaurant Recommendations 2022
NEW ORLEANS— This city is, unquestionably, one of the top five restaurant cities in America. I would imagine that if…
Read moreSupport Your Local Catfish House
We are a nation of regional dining concepts and local dishes. Chicago has deep-dish pizza parlors. New Orleans has po-boy…
Read moreThe Restaurant Family Takes a Vacation
Last week I spent seven days in the Florida Panhandle on “vacation.” I used the word “vacation” because that is…
Read moreVacation Food
It's always interesting to me how we enjoy some foods only during certain times of the year or on certain…
Read moreWelcome to America, My Dutch Friend
There is something deep inside of me that enjoys hosting people. It borderlines a compulsion or obsession. I've been that…
Read moreGiving Credit Where Credit Is Due
Last Friday I wrapped up a photo shoot for my new cookbook, “Mississippi Mornings.” It's a book I've wanted to…
Read moreHarry’s Homecoming
I am a fan of first lines in books. But I also like the last lines in movies. In the…
Read moreA Blunt Request
Everyone needs at least one friend who is frank and to the point. Someone who speaks their mind no matter…
Read moreMississippi Mornings, The Photo Shoot Begins
Over the course of the past 20 years, I have written 11 books. Four were collaborations with my friend and…
Read moreThe Great Bakery Expedition of 2022
Some men dream of playing the back nine at Pebble Beach. Others dream of bagging that big buck or landing…
Read moreChicago 2022
CHICAGO— I first came to this city over 30 years ago. I fell in love with Chicago instantly. There was…
Read moreBowling, Movies, and the Restaurant Biz
“What's it like owning a bowling alley?” That's a question I am asked a lot these days. To be honest,…
Read moreTo the Mississippi Graduates of 2022
It’s graduation season. This year’s high school seniors have experienced an extremely uncharacteristic high school career filled with Zoom classes,…
Read moreHome Again
It’s great to be home. I have spent the last two months overseas. First in Spain leading a group of…
Read moreArrivederci
TAVARNELLE VAL D’PESA, TUSCANY— A little over six weeks ago I boarded a flight for Spain to spend 10 days…
Read moreTuscany Top Ten
PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— There are several places I have considered my second home over the years. In my youth I spent…
Read moreThe A Team in Italy
PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— It all starts with a lady named Annagloria. In 2009 I started planning a long trip that would…
Read moreHarrison In Florence
PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— For the good part of the past decade I have hosted groups of American travelers— mostly Southerners— in…
Read moreNine Days of Spain in 1,182 Words
SEVILLE— Nine days into this Spanish deep-dive, I find myself sitting in the front jump seat of a tour bus…
Read moreYonderlust: Spain Week One
MADRID— I spent the final month of 2011 in Spain. I was nearing the end of a six-month sojourn with…
Read moreSweet Roll Swan Song
December is considered the month for giving in these parts, but something is going on in February. Last week I…
Read moreThe Notebook
It doesn't take much to make me happy these days. My wife might argue with that statement, but it’s true.…
Read moreThe Great Pot Roast Cookoff of 2022
So, there’s this thing called a “Mississippi Pot Roast.” I’ve seen it pop up on my social media over the…
Read moreKing Cake Bread Pudding
I really don’t know when it started, or who came up with the idea. It could have been me. Or…
Read moreThe Class Reunion
For the 22-plus years I have written this weekly column I have focused mainly on food and travel. Occasionally I…
Read moreRecipe Inspiration
Recipe inspiration comes from many places. In the early days of our first restaurant, I ended up in the kitchen…
Read moreIt’s Good Work If You Can Get a Hobby
My 45-year working career has been varied and full. The first official paying job I held (after three years of…
Read moreBreakfast for Supper
When I was a child there were several absolutes growing up in my mother’s home. There were the obvious good-manner…
Read moreRSJ’s Top 10 for 2021
For the past 20-plus years, my final column in December is always a list of the top dining experiences I…
Read moreThe Wish Book
As a child I started thinking about what I wanted for Christmas around the Fourth of July. I reached a…
Read moreRadio Days
My neighbors a few doors down started decorating their yard for Christmas a couple of decades ago. At first it…
Read moreWake-Up Call at A Gift Shop
It is book season. For many people, that’s the time of year when summer paperbacks are released, or the holiday…
Read moreWalter Anderson, A Free Man
There are three constants that have been ever-present in my life from day one— food, music, and art. For the…
Read moreAll About the Mouse
ORLANDO— I have had a long history with this city. In the summer of 1972, when I was 10 years…
Read moreOn the Road Again
ORLANDO— Sometime in the next few weeks I’ll be opening a new restaurant, bar, and tiki bar in the Fondren…
Read moreLegends and Icons
The chances of being in the presence of genuine, iconic, living, breathing, legends are few and far between, if ever…
Read more30 Minutes in the Grocery Store And A Lifetime of Poor Food Choices
Last week I was walking around a New Orleans grocery store with my daughter helping her re-stock her apartment, which…
Read moreThanksgiving Turkeys and Extra Table
Thanksgiving is my favorite non-religious holiday. It's not even close. I guess it's been that way as long as I…
Read moreWorld-Class Views
PETROGNANO-SEMIFONTE, ITALY— Customers judge restaurants by many criteria. I once read a survey in which a majority of the people…
Read moreIt’s A Tough Job But Somebody’s Got To Chew It
PETROGNANO-SEMIFONTE, TUSCANY— The first tour I ever led was seven years ago. My friend, Andy Wiest, a history professor and…
Read moreA Birthday to Remember
PETROGNANO-SEMIFONTE, TUSCANY— My mother used to speak disparagingly of grown men who kept changing careers later in life. Even as…
Read moreHonor Your Hometown
Grab a broom and a dustpan because I am about to drop some names. My friend Marty Stuart, country music…
Read moreSteak Night
"RSJ’s Andouille-Stuffed Carpetbagger Steak” Photo Credit: Joey DeLeo From the book “New South Grilling” by Robert St. John, Hyperion 2007 I…
Read moreTrying To Reason with Hurricane Season
For the past 22 plus years I have written this column on Monday mornings. I usually get to my office…
Read moreExtra Table 2021
For the past 22 years I have written this weekly column, 1000 words a week, 52 weeks a year, never…
Read moreThe Return of the Wienermobile
They say, “You can never go back.” I don’t know who “they” are, but last week I actually went back,…
Read moreA Different Kind of History Lesson
When I am leading tours, especially in the Italian region of Tuscany, I'm always amazed at how much history we…
Read moreChristmas In July
We opened our first restaurant in 1987. When we started the work that September, we had no opening date in…
Read moreLegacy Recipes
The late great American chef and icon, Paul Prudhomme created and developed thousands of recipes in his lifetime. His books…
Read moreInspiration
Inspiration sometimes comes from the strangest places. I can watch a movie and pick up on one three-minute scene that…
Read moreFlorida Food Journal II
For the second time in two weeks my schedule took me to the Panhandle of Florida to deliver a speech…
Read moreSouthern Seasons
“There is a time for everything, and a season for everything under the heavens.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 It’s true, everything…
Read moreThe Classics
DESTIN, FL— Sometimes people get dazzled by the shiny things. Everyone wants to go to the new hot place. More…
Read moreThe Airstream
In 2020, America was running out of chicken tenders, masks, hamburger meat, hand sanitizer, and plastic gloves. But we were…
Read moreMemorial Day 2021
Author’s Note: This column is being written on Memorial Day. Due to the publishing schedules of the various newspapers in…
Read moreThe Journal
Last week I was in New Orleans enjoying a bowl of gumbo by Lake Pontchartrain— at my go-to place for…
Read moreThe Next Generation
This year marks my 40th year in the restaurant business. I got into this business after flunking out of college…
Read moreTo the Mississippi Graduates of 2021
It’s graduation season. Granted, this year’s high school seniors have experienced an extremely weird junior and senior year. But the…
Read moreRSJ’s New Orleans Restaurant Recommendations 2021
NEW ORLEANS— This city is, unquestionably, one of the top five restaurant cities in America. I would imagine that if…
Read moreDaddy-Daughter Breakfast
As I head into my 60th year, I am amazed as I look back on life and reflect on the…
Read moreThe King of All Breakfast Foods (In honor of the Queen of Pancakes)
I am a bonafide breakfast person. I was born a breakfast person, all through my early school years I was…
Read moreFeeding Methodists
This past Sunday was the first Easter Sunday in which I have missed attending a church service in a long…
Read moreHelp Is on the Way
One year ago today, my life seemed to be at a complete standstill. The global pandemic was shifting into second…
Read moreCulinary Carpe Diem and Bread, the King and Queen of All Carbs
Last week I received the sad news that Barbara Thomas, of Barbara’s Home Cookin’ in Franklin, Tennessee, passed away. Thomas…
Read moreVisionaries and Pies
Bar owner Neal Bodenheimer is an intrepid trailblazer. It takes courage and nerve to go into an uncharted New Orleans…
Read moreThe Simplicity of the Perfect Potato
If I could only choose one vegetable to eat for the rest of my life the choice would be easy.…
Read moreMy New Toaster
If someone were to put a contract hit out on me, it might be the easiest termination in hitman history.…
Read moreNot Just Another Dinner
This column is written in the afterglow of a special weekend. I just spent the past few days with my…
Read moreRestaurant Honeymoons
There are two types of honeymoons. The relational kind that one experiences as a newlywed, full of bliss and joy,…
Read moreA Mad Day Out
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of the Beatles. Anyone who knows Beatles history knows…
Read moreClaws and Wings
Some of the restaurant world’s greatest food items have come from mistakes, near mistakes, the need to use by-products, and…
Read moreSoft Openings
In my 40-year restaurant career I have been a part of 22 new-restaurant openings. Three of those were at the…
Read moreExtra Table, What A Year It Was
In a year in which it seems the headlines are filled with endless negative and controversial news stories, I thought…
Read moreGoodbye 2020
Around this time of year newspapers are filled with end-of-the-year wrap-up stories about what has happened over the past 12…
Read moreRSJ’s Top 10 for 2020
For the past 20-plus years, my final column of the year is always a list of the top dining experiences…
Read moreTime Is Running Out for Independent Restaurants
In a few days, I will enter my 40th year in the restaurant business. Just over 33 of those years…
Read moreEasy-Bake Oven 2020
Two days ago, a friend made a Facebook post that referenced the Christmas section of the old Sears Catalogue that…
Read moreRecipe Testing
Over the course of my 38-year restaurant career I have been a part of 21 restaurant/bar openings. Three of those…
Read moreExtra Table 2020
This is the season of giving. We give gifts, we give of our time, and we give food. For decades,…
Read moreThanksgiving 2020
It’s the season of gratitude. Despite all of the problems and challenges the year 2020 has thrown in our paths,…
Read moreLunch With Jill
“A man can eat his dinner without understanding exactly how it nourishes him.” – C.S. Lewis Despite the pandemic, there…
Read moreThe Community Council
The corporate vision statement of the New South Restaurant Group states, “We exist to support our co-workers, delight our guests,…
Read moreA Match Made in the Restaurant
My Twitter bio reads, “dad, husband, citizen, restaurateur, 70% water (10% gravy), enthusiastic traveler, world-class eater, and a lover of…
Read moreLife’s Short
There was a comical saying that made the rounds with my mother’s generation, “Life’s short, eat dessert first.” As a…
Read moreIt’s A Tough Job but Somebody’s Got to Chew It
There are several stages in the life of a restaurant. The earliest stage is the research and development stage. Research…
Read moreMuz’s Pancakes
A wise person once said, “The past is in your head. The future is in your hands.” If that’s the…
Read moreWandering Westward Vol. III
Life on the road is all about attitude. I have never minded road travel. I was raised by a single…
Read moreNotes from the Road: Westward Wandering Part II
JACKSON HOLE, WY— The wife and I have been on the road for nine days. Just two people, one truck,…
Read moreWandering Westward Vol. I
“Go west young man.” – Horace Greely ST. LOUIS— For the past several years I have spent three months each…
Read moreRestaurant Mornings
“Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” –Pablo Picasso Mornings are magical in an empty restaurant dining room. There…
Read moreA Red Revival of the First Order
Birdwatching seems like a strange hobby to me, but I have friends who do it, and they are fine people.…
Read moreFarewell. Thank you. Onward.
Last week was one of the most surreal, yet rewarding, weeks I have spent in my 38-year restaurant career. Tuesday…
Read moreA Heartfelt Farewell to An Old Friend
Today I am grateful. Some would think that closing a restaurant one has owned and operated for over 32 years…
Read moreThe Panhandle in the Pandemic
WATERCOLOR, FLA— When one reaches a certain age it's easy to look back on life and see where periods of…
Read moreThe Closing of K-Paul’s
Yesterday we lost a legend. No one died, but one of this nation's most important restaurants closed permanently. The legendary…
Read moreNew Orleans In the Time of Corona
A few months after Hurricane Katrina my wife and I were in New Orleans. For the most part, restaurants were…
Read moreThe State of the Restaurant Business 2020
Since the pandemic hit America the question I'm most often asked is, “How are you doing? How are the restaurants?”…
Read moreThe Tastes of Summer
Sour Apple Jolly Ranchers taste like my youth. It's true. When I was 10-years old my weekly allowance was $5.00.…
Read moreSquash and Dash
The CFO of our company has a garden. She lives just outside the city limits on a small piece of…
Read moreSpecial Delivery
If I never have to endure another shelter-in-place order, I will die happy. I just wasn’t wired for such activities.…
Read moreMarching to the Beat of a Different Drummer
Many businesses have been severely affected during the COVID-19 crisis. Restaurants and live-music venues may have been hit the hardest.…
Read moreDietary Decisions
My son and daughter just finished a semester of college at home, sitting in our pool house. They had it…
Read moreAn Overdue Apology
I have a long-overdue apology to make. In the early days of my writing career I used a lot of…
Read moreTo the Mississippi Graduates of 2020
It’s graduation season. But in 2020 there will be no commencement ceremonies, no caps, no gowns, no cords, and no…
Read moreShut-In Shindigs
Critical times inspire creative methods. In the early days of this shelter-in-place, my wife, 22-year old daughter, 18-year old son,…
Read moreWhen It Rains It Pours
A couple of decades ago, an editor at one of my newspapers called and said, “Robert, we need to work…
Read moreGrilling Lessons
If there is one thing that defines my family’s current situation in the middle of this global pandemic, it’s togetherness.…
Read moreYour Easter Lunch 2020
Hearts of Palm and Artichoke Salad Salad Dressing: 1 Tbl dijon mustard 1 tsp sugar 1 Tbl shallots, minced 3…
Read moreLeadership In Crisis
In the 20-plus years I have written this weekly column I have covered all manner of topics. In the early…
Read moreFreezer Sandwiches and Football
This weekend a friend asked me, “How’s it going?” I said, “I’m walking around Home Depot with gloves on. That’s…
Read moreOur Current Coronavirus Reality
There is a routine I have followed for the last 20-plus years I have written this weekly column. On Monday…
Read moreThe Current State of Affairs
March 17, 2020 Good morning, everyone. We are living in strange, and scary times. The atmosphere around the restaurants is…
Read moreThe Bon Ton Café
A week ago this morning, I was in New Orleans on a quick getaway with my wife. While reading the…
Read moreColumn Notes
For the past 20 years, this column has covered hundreds of topics, some obscure, some newsworthy. It’s mostly a food…
Read moreThe Best Kind of Date
It’s amazing to me how some parents have it figured out automatically and from the start. Some just get it.…
Read moreThe American Dream
Several years ago, country music legend, and noted Mississippian, Marty Stuart, and I were on the dais of a radio…
Read moreThe Early Days
Just a little over 32 years ago, I was a few weeks into the honeymoon phase of my first restaurant…
Read moreA Fateful Ride
Last week a Facebook ad crossed my timeline in search of recent college graduates who might be interested in driving…
Read moreCroissants
There is a game I play with a few of my foodie friends. It’s based on the question: “If you…
Read moreShrimp, Smoke, & Shirley
In the 1960s and early 1970s of my youth there wasn’t a lot of dining out in my family. Most…
Read moreOrange Memories
There are many ways to sum up a person’s personality and character. Attaching labels to them is a shortcut, but…
Read moreRSJ Top Ten 2019
Each year I compile a list of the top 10 dining experiences I enjoyed throughout the previous year. The list…
Read moreMerry Christmas
For the 20-plus years I’ve written this column I have not written about my faith very often. I feel that…
Read moreThe First Christmas Bonus
Last night we held our 32nd annual manager’s Christmas dinner. There were 30 people seated at the table for our…
Read moreAn Atypical Tuscan Farewell (Or How Annagloria Saved the Day)
3:59a.m. Barberino Val d’Elsa, Tuscany— I am dead asleep in the small apartment below Villa il Santo. The pizza I…
Read moreHome Away From Home
BARBERRINO VAL D’ELSA, TUSCANY— My friend, collaborator, and business partner, Wyatt Waters, and I are working back in Italy this…
Read moreMemories and the Greatest Trick Ever Played on Kids
Memories are the fuel that ignite and continually stoke this column. I have written in this space for over 20…
Read moreRSJ’s Thanksgiving Feast
Asparagus Casserole 1 Tbl Olive oil, light 2 Tbl Onion, minced 1 Tbl Shallot, minced 2 Tbl Celery, minced 1/2…
Read moreThanksgiving and The Five Fs
The primary and traditional American holidays are Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. I enjoy…
Read moreThe Personality of Food
“Donuts are the funnest food.” That’s what my friend, co-collaborator, and business partner Wyatt Waters says. He’s right you know.…
Read moreDogs and Cars and Problems
There is a scene from my childhood that replays in my head often. It’s not of me crossing the goal…
Read more50 Shades of Foodservice
masochist | ˈmazəkəst, ˈmasəkəst | noun. (in general use) a person who enjoys an activity that appears to be painful…
Read moreHow School Lunches Were Changed Forever
Several years ago, I was speaking to a group of high school students in the cafeteria of their school. On…
Read moreThe Wind-Up
NAPLES, ITALY— Wyatt Waters and I have just finished leading two tour groups through Rome, The Amalfi Coast, and Naples.…
Read moreA Place of Solitude
SANTO STEPHANO DI SESSANIO— Wyatt Waters and I are the end of a four-day break between leading two Palate to…
Read moreA Gratitude-Filled Amalfi Morning
PRAIANO, AMALFI COAST, ITALY— “I believe that God lives on the beach, but only at sunrise. In the heat of…
Read moreOf Friends and Wandering
ROME— We are back in this city by popular demand. We are not a film project or a theatre production,…
Read moreThe TV and the Meal Ticket
The only thing stronger than the appetite of a teenage boy is the appetite of several teenage boys. In my…
Read moreSquashing Recipe Development
Recipe inspiration comes from many places. Sometimes it’s a thought out of thin air. Many times inspiration comes while dining…
Read moreNew Orleans Favorites
Two years ago, I spent several months eating my way through New Orleans to compile a four-part series of my…
Read moreA Letter to My Son His Freshman Year of College
Exactly 40 years ago this week I began my freshman year of college. My entire life was ahead of me…
Read moreVacation Foods
Food tastes better on vacation. I don’t know the psychology behind that premise, but it’s true. In the days before…
Read moreThe Grand Tour
Marina Mengelberg is a Dutch-born Italian tour guide who lives in the heart of Tuscany. My friend, business partner, and…
Read moreHospitality
The first spiritual gifts test I took as a part of a church group came back and listed my primary…
Read moreMac & Cheese
There were a lot of crappy foods in my childhood meal rotations— cereals with way too much sugar, cheap meats,…
Read moreSummer Weddings
We are smack dab in the middle of wedding season. The American South is a brutal place to host a…
Read moreThe Best Decision My Mom Ever Made
Memories come in all shapes, sizes, sounds, smells, and sights. Occasionally a song strikes a note that trips a memory,…
Read moreFather-Son Road Trip (before college) 2019
LAS VEGAS— Road trips have existed since the wheel was invented. In the Italian villa we take our travel groups…
Read moreMy Biggest Regret
Author’s Note: Portions of the following column are included in a foreword I wrote for the upcoming book, “Life Lessons…
Read moreMy Mississippi Childhood Summer Top 10
A few weeks ago, I wrote a column about how certain senses are inherently connected to my memory. The strongest…
Read moreCooking with Dad
“Dad, can we cook supper together tonight?” Are there any more beautiful words in the English language? Well, probably, but…
Read moreDaddy Breakfasts
Every parent has a go-to breakfast. In our house, my wife typically makes the before-school morning meal. Most days, I…
Read moreJolly Senses
My senses are strongly connected to my memory. Something as small as a single thought can trigger a vivid recollection.…
Read moreJust Peachy
As I look at important calendar dates throughout the year— Christmas, Easter, my anniversary, my wife’s birthday, my kid’s birthdays,…
Read moreGraduation 2019
Eighteen years ago— almost to the day— my wife and I were at the hospital awaiting the birth of our…
Read moreMississippi On My Mind
“I think I hear a noisy old John Deere In a field specked with dirty cotton lint And below the…
Read moreSmall Italian Spaces
It’s good to be back home in Mississippi. The adjustment period is over. The jet-lag is gone, and I have…
Read moreThere’s No Place Like Home
A few years ago, I spent a week in Northern California with a group of people who were gathered together…
Read moreOne Who Has Wintered Well
TAVARNELLE VAL D’PESA, ITALY— For the past two decades my body weight has fluctuated substantially, up and down, gaining and…
Read moreDateline: Tuscany, Deadline: Now
TAVERNELLE VAL D’PESA, ITALY— Years ago, when I first came to Tuscany, I wrote a few columns about how this…
Read moreWedding Throws
I was the best man at my best friend’s wedding last weekend. It was a great event, and everyone who…
Read moreSpeed Eating
My son eats too fast. He likely acquired that habit from his old man. I don’t know from whom I…
Read moreBreakfast Guys
Some people are outdoors enthusiasts, some are hunters, others are fishermen. There are golfers, and skiers, and bird watchers. Some…
Read moreSunday Buffet Dash
I am a Methodist because my grandfather owned a pair of shoes. True story. Thomas St. John was the oldest…
Read moreBack In the Saddle
The restaurant business is a harsh mistress. She is brutal on your mental and physical health, and very demanding of…
Read moreSchool Day Photos
It’s school day picture season and I am nearing the end of a 12-year photographic adventure with my son. The…
Read moreLessons Learned
Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. One of the most unforeseen and fascinating aspects of life is how—…
Read moreIt’s the People
There are hundreds of reasons why love the restaurant business. Seriously, if asked I believe I could sit down and…
Read moreThe Year of the Independent
Let’s make 2019 the year of the independent. For the past three years, I have worn a homemade pin on…
Read moreRSJ’s Top 10 of 2018
Each of the 20 years I have written this weekly column, I have always finished the year by listing the…
Read moreRSJ’s Christmas Eve Dinner
Pork Tenderloin with Muscadine Glaze 2 Tbl Olive Oil 1 Tbl Unsalted Butter 3 Pork Tenderloins (about 1 1/2 pounds)…
Read moreThe Cold Shower Happy Hour
MILAN, ITALY— “We don’t have your rooms, Mr. St. John.” Those are the words a tour leader never wants to…
Read more5232 Miles
VILLA IL SANTO, TUSCANY— December is the “slow period” over here. The grapes have all been picked. The olives have…
Read moreTuscany 2018
BARBARINO VAL D’ELSA, TUSCANY— I sit and write this column at 10:15 p.m. in a one-thousand-year-old converted barn while 14…
Read moreCorner Market
My uncle and his wife were diehard Francophiles. He was originally from my hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. After his undergraduate…
Read moreDaylight Savings Time
I “fell back” yesterday. I didn’t hurt myself. No neck brace, stitches, or crutches were needed. I fell back in…
Read moreFor the Love of Cream Cheese
This past weekend, we hosted a small gathering of friends. My wife had worked hard to prepare several dips, spreads,…
Read moreCommunity Tables
The first time I ever sat at a community table was in the early 1980s at Paul Prudhomme’s legendary restaurant,…
Read moreMagical Mississippi Tour 2018 Recap
There is a substantial case of wanderlust deep in my soul, and the call to travel has always been strong…
Read moreMAGICAL MISSISSIPPI TOUR
The Beatles were such a huge part of my childhood that they filter through almost every aspect of my life—…
Read moreThe Hushpuppy Whisperer
Over the past 30 years, I have met a lot of people in my line of work. A lot of…
Read moreGet Off of My Lawn and Start Eating Cereal Again
There is a national crisis afoot and it has nothing to do with taxes, trade, or immigration. Breakfast cereals are…
Read moreIt’s All About the Food
A few years ago, I read a restaurant survey that ranked customer’s priorities when dining out. The study listed food,…
Read moreSix Dinner Guests
A couple of decades ago I wrote a column that posed the question, “If you could have dinner with six…
Read moreMary Virginia
Over the past 30 years our company has been busy. We’ve opened fine dining restaurants, New Orleans-themed restaurants, an Italian…
Read moreCommunity Cafes
Community cafes and diners are a dying breed. Years ago, people gathered for breakfast in small cafes in downtown areas.…
Read moreHoneymoons
If someone is keeping track of honeymoons, mark me down for 23. That might be a lot of honeymoons, though…
Read moreCareers and Crushes
Some people know at an early age what they want to do with their professional life and career. The first…
Read moreOpening Nightmares
On a recent list of the most stressful jobs of 2018, Aimee Picchi of CBS News listed (in order from least to…
Read moreThe ABCs of My Youth—Avocados, Bowens, and Curry
The culinary world has evolved in many ways over the course of my lifetime. We have moved from using lard…
Read moreCh-Ch-Ch-Changes
Life is full of changes. From the moment we are born until the day we die, our bodies, minds, and…
Read moreThe History of the Party According to Robert
My earliest memory is of a cocktail party my parents were hosting in the living room of our small home…
Read moreWilliamsburg 2018
WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA— It’s crunch time in the pre-opening phase of our new restaurant, but I peeled away to Virginia for…
Read morePineapple Sherbet
Times change, it’s inevitable. People change, it’s inescapable. The seasons don’t change. They come and go as they always have.…
Read moreSummer Peaches and Bare Feet
Years ago—as a small child in the south—the change of seasons meant nothing to me. The four seasons of my…
Read moreThe Breakfast Rut
Last year I made a commitment to start an annual four-part summer column series that featured my top-10 New Orleans…
Read moreChicago 2018
CHICAGO— Almost every year since 1988, I have made a late-May journey up here to attend the National Restaurant Association’s…
Read moreMy South 2018
Over twenty years ago my hometown newspaper called my office and asked if I would be interested in writing a…
Read moreTuscany 2018 (Part V) The Last Day
SEMIFONTE, TUSCANY— Wyatt Waters and I arrived in Tuscany around the first of April. It was still cold. The grapevines…
Read moreTuscany 2018 (part IV) Bagnoli
TAVARNELLE VAL di PESA, TUSCANY— No matter where I am in the world— if it’s morning— I can usually be…
Read moreTuscany 2018 (part III) The Accidental Tour Guide
PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— There is a line in the 1981 Talking Heads’ song “Once in A Lifetime,” in which David Byrne…
Read moreTuscany 2018 (part II) It’s the People
BARBERINO VAL D’ELSA, TUSCANY— There is something that attracted me to this place the first moment I set foot on…
Read moreTuscany 2018 (part I) Home Away From Home
BARBERINO VAL D’ELSA, TUSCANY— In a lot of ways I feel like I’m “back home” in this region, and especially…
Read moreIn the Beginning
Over the 19 years that this weekly column has been in existence, there have been thousands of column inches spent…
Read moreThe Artful Evolution From Restaurateur to Author
Mississippi restaurateur, promoter, arts advocate, and my good friend, Malcolm White, has just released his second book. “The Artful Evolution…
Read moreThe Return
It’s 7:05 a.m. on a Friday morning and I’m sitting in the newly reopened Coney Island Café on Main Street…
Read moreBeach Music Through Time
WATERCOLOR, FL— Sitting here in the early morning dark of a rental house’s front porch— while my son and his…
Read moreThe Most Memorable Meal
While walking through a gift shop I noticed a magnet attached to a refrigerator door that read, “Nothing tastes as…
Read moreThe Visit (Part II) Annagloria and Enzo Do New Orleans
On a lengthy, tour of Europe several years ago my wife and I made lifelong friends while traversing Italy. We…
Read moreThe Visit Part I
“To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.” Yazoo City native, Willie Morris, often attributed that…
Read moreCountry bacon at its best comes from Benton’s
Over the course of my 56 years, I have accumulated a little wisdom. One thing I know for sure is…
Read moreThis or That
For as long as I remember I have been playing “this or that” type games with my friends and family.…
Read moreIt’s A Tough Job, But Somebody’s Got to Chew It
SEATTLE— I’m in the middle of a 48-hour jaunt to Seattle where I am working with an equipment company who…
Read moreBack on the Farm
BLACKBERRY FARM, WALLAND, TN— My wife and I first came here in the 1990s. We returned for our 10th wedding…
Read moreFrom A Fruit Cart
Last week a documentary crew representing the Mississippi Bicentennial set up shop in my hometown and asked eight Hattiesburgers to…
Read moreThe Parrot at Thirty
When measuring events in history, 30 years is a long time. Wars rarely last that long. Presidential terms are only…
Read moreThree Blessings a Day
I am feeling blessed this morning. It’s a feeling that I’ve experienced a lot lately. It’s not gratitude for monetary…
Read moreEnzo’s Olive Oil
“Start with a little oil in the bottom of the skillet,” I recently told my son, while showing him how…
Read moreThe Two Ladies in My Kitchen
I spent a lot of time in my home kitchen over the holidays. It was loose, stress-free, and entertaining. In…
Read moreRSJ’s Top 10 of 2017
For the 18 years this column has been published, the final entry in December has been an end-of-the-year list of…
Read moreThe Plate Talks
VENICE— The first time I ever thought about visiting this city, I almost didn’t. I was in the middle of…
Read moreFried Shrimp
Dining out in a nice restaurant is a treat. I feel blessed to work in an industry where people come…
Read moreThanksgiving 2017
They say the older one gets; the faster time seems to move forward. I don’t know who “they” are, but…
Read moreOn the Road
Wyatt Waters and I are in the middle of the busiest year we have ever experienced. During this this twelve…
Read moreWild American Shrimp
On an upcoming episode of our new television series, Palate to Palette with Robert St. John and Wyatt Waters, the…
Read moreThe Ultimate Home Field Advantage
I don’t watch most televised sports during their regular seasons. I will watch basketball finals (college and pro), the World…
Read moreA Love Letter Home
Mississippi watercolorist, Wyatt Waters and I have just wrapped up the first season of our new television show, “Palate to…
Read moreSteve the Rooster
How much does a rooster cost? Seriously, think about it. The king of the barnyard animals, the master of the…
Read moreGame-Day Breakfasts
The streak is over and it’s hard for me not to feel personally responsible. Last year my son’s high-school football…
Read moreFor the Love of Cheese
I defend America’s reputation at every turn. I have encountered rude Europeans over the years who have made snide remarks…
Read moreJanusz of 3000 Days— A Bakery Like A Sitcom
It’s the end of an era and a sorrow-filled day for many in my hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Chef Janusz…
Read moreRSJ’s Top 10 New Orleans Brunch Spots
The following is the final installment in the four-part summer-column series covering my top-10 dining experiences for breakfast, lunch, dinner…
Read moreRSJ’s Top 10 New Orleans Dinner Spots
The following is the third in a four-installment summer-column series covering my top 10 dining experiences for breakfast, lunch, dinner…
Read moreRSJ’s Top 10 New Orleans Lunch Spots
The following is the second in a four-installment summer-column series covering my top 10 dining experiences for breakfast, lunch, dinner…
Read moreRSJ’s Top 10 New Orleans Breakfasts
The following is the first in a summer-column series that will cover dining in New Orleans. Over the next four…
Read moreWatermelon, Watermelon, Watermelon, Spit!
While dining with friends last week, the lunchtime discussion turned to “What is Mississippi’s most quintessential food?” Several options were…
Read moreRSJ’s Top 10 Summer Foods
Now that we have almost reached August, it seems a perfect time to stop and appreciate the culinary bounty available…
Read moreBunyan’s Slaw Dog
There are some things that can’t be explained. I can’t tell you how magnets work. I couldn’t begin to describe…
Read moreFood Quirks
As I walked through my kitchen yesterday morning, I noticed my daughter who was hovering over the waste basket, intensely…
Read moreMy Kind of To-Do List
NEW ORLEANS— To live 90 minutes away from one of the top restaurant cities in the world is an embarrassment…
Read moreThe Ranch Generation
I dozed off for a few minutes and Ranch dressing was crowned the king of all American condiments. I was…
Read moreLate to Tea
What do the creator of the first thesaurus Peter Roget, Colonel Sanders the inventor of the first fried-chicken franchise, and…
Read moreATTN: Chris Neugent
ATTN: Chris Neugent, President, Post Consumer Brands And/or The Knucklead Who Made the Decision to Abandon Peaches Post Cereal Consumer…
Read moreThe Next Step
It’s graduation season. I didn’t speak at a high school commencement ceremony this graduation season, but had I stepped up…
Read moreDinner with the Boy
On the list of “Things I Love to Do Most,” having a steak dinner with my 15-year old son would…
Read moreStars and Bars and Parasol Pines
BARBERINO, TUSCANY— Traveling and leading a group of more than 22 people can be challenging. It can also be a…
Read moreItalian Breakfast
TAVERNELLE VAL D’PESA, TUSCANY— My ongoing love affair with breakfast bakeries and pastry shops continues even when I am out…
Read moreTravel Benefits
BARBERINO VAL D’ELSA, TUSCANY— I dreamed of travelling as a kid. My parents purchased a set of World Book encyclopedias…
Read moreAn Easter to Remember
BARBERINO VAL D’ELSA, TUSCANY— The older I get the more I search for authenticity. Often, I find myself attracted to…
Read moreThis Travel Gig
Someone once told me to make myself “available for opportunities” and they will “surely come.” It sounded like a bunch…
Read moreRSJ’s Lessons Learned in the Restaurant Biz
The restaurant business is a cruel mistress. She has swallowed and spit out more entrepreneurial dreamers than anyone cares to…
Read moreThe Meat Question
America is meat rich. Today we have so much beef that we send thousands of tons of steaks, ground beef,…
Read moreMississippi’s Top Five Quintessential Foods
As we age our vocabulary grows deeper and more advanced. There are words I use today that were never in…
Read moreMississippi’s Top Joints (and that’s a good thing)
I love “joints.” Whether I am traveling across America or walking through a small village in Europe, I am always…
Read moreMy Longest Love Affair
I love toast. Seriously, if I look back on the course of my eating career, my longest lasting and most…
Read moreKing Cake Bread Pudding
King Cake is good. I could end this column with that sentence. Those are the only four words I need…
Read moreThe Joys of Fatherhood
My father died when I was six-years old. A single mom raised me throughout my youth and it was fine.…
Read moreThe Beauty of Pizza
The older I get the more I appreciate the simple things in life. As the tire around my gut grows…
Read moreRestaurant Soul
My wife and I were dining with friends and the conversation— as it often does in my world— turned to…
Read moreSoup for the Soul
Someone once said that the four seasons in Mississippi are: Almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas. Others named the…
Read moreCommodities
The items we assign “value” to tend to change throughout our lives. In 1987, I was 26-years old and had…
Read moreRSJ's TOP 10 of 2016
Every week for 17 years I have written this column, never missing a week. At the end of each of…
Read moreChristmas 2016
Someone once said, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I don’t necessarily agree with that. I…
Read moreFaraway Friends
Food Journal December 7th 2016 MILAN— It’s been my experience that the older I get, the more…
Read moreAs One Journey Ends, Another Begins
BARBERINO VAL D’ELSA, TUSCANY— I sit in an almost empty villa on a Tuscan hillside as I type this column.…
Read moreAn Italian Palate Road Trip Part One
BARBERINO VAL D’ELSA, TUSCANY, ITALY— I don’t believe in past lives or reincarnation, but if I did I would imagine…
Read moreGame Day Breakfast
I have written often about breakfast being my favorite meal of the day. There is something about the freshness-of-the-morning aspect…
Read moreCheeseburgers for Thanksgiving
There are six major holidays that receive focus in my family: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mardi Gras, Easter, the Fourth of July,…
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