Category Archives: Uncategorized

  I was a mischievous kid. It’s not that I was necessarily “bad” or misbehaved, I liked to have fun and I liked to laugh. I laughed when playing practical jokes on someone and I laughed just as hard, maybe even harder, when they were played on me. Life at my house in the earlyContinue reading “High Jinks”

  Three of the most beautiful words in the English language are “jumbo lump crabmeat.” Taken on their own the words are nothing special. If one were playing an association game, the first thing that came to mind upon hearing the word “jumbo” might be an elephant or maybe something connected to a circus. ThereContinue reading “Jumbo Lump Crabmeat”

  In the late 1970s my mother asked me to accompany her to New Orleans. “What are we going to do?” I asked. “It’s a surprise.” She said. Three days later we hopped into her car and headed south. It was a trip we had made dozens of times, but this time— as a teenagerContinue reading “Repayment”

The Italian method of going to the market on a daily basis holds great appeal to me. It’s how they’ve done it for centuries. There are staples in the kitchen, but the perishables are purchased in the morning for consumption that evening. It is a very romantic practice to visit a bakery in the morning,Continue reading “Buying In Bulk”

CHAPEL HILL, NC— Many argue that the Southern culinary renaissance originated at Crook’s Corner restaurant in this North Carolina town, and that the movement was forged by one chef, Bill Neal. I wouldn’t disagree. Fellow Mississippian, and longtime food editor of the “New York Times,” Craig Claiborne put the small café at the end ofContinue reading “Honeysuckle Sorbet”

I am powerless over several things— the movies “The Godfather,” “The Godfather Part II,” and “Almost Famous,” donuts, babies, French fries, and Beatles music. Whenever I am flipping channels and one of the first two Godfather movies are on— no matter what I am doing, and no matter if there are only 20 minutes remaining—Continue reading “Lemonade”

I am currently finishing up a complete makeover of our 25-year old restaurants. For the past nine months I have had a large construction wall erected around our business as we remodeled the interiors, added completely new kitchens, built a wine cellar, private dining room, and opened a new bar. It has been a dailyContinue reading “Regrets? I Have A Few”

I have always had a hunch that food tastes better or worse depending on the vessel in which it is served. When I was a kid my grandmother hosted a grand lunch every Sunday. Her formal dining room was set with all of her best china, linen, sterling silver, and crystal. The food was notContinue reading “Unforgettable Food”

    I have always had a hunch that food tastes better or worse depending on the vessel in which it is served. When I was a kid my grandmother hosted a grand lunch every Sunday. Her formal dining room was set with all of her best china, linen, sterling silver, and crystal. The foodContinue reading “Unforgettable Food”