Category Archives: Weekly Column

WATERCOLOR, FLORIDA— Once a year I bring my wife, our kids, and their friends to the Panhandle of Florida to “vacation” for a week. A longtime reader of this space already knows that I don’t vacation well. I provide food and lodging for the family and enjoy spending long periods of mostly uninterrupted time visitingContinue reading “How Tuna Came to the Panhandle”

I am opening a bakery today. Opening any style of restaurant is one of the most stressful activities one will ever experience. I’ve done it two dozen times. Opening any business is stressful, complicated, and grueling. But there are so many moving parts to a restaurant, no matter how many foodservice establishments one has workedContinue reading “Ten Things I’ve Learned Opening a Bakery”

Last week I read an online article about feet. I can’t remember where I read it, or from which website I was perusing. It was probably during one of those Interweb rabbit holes where I’ll start watching a YouTube video about bicycle repair, and two hours later I’m glued to a music video of Herman’sContinue reading “A Good Foot Forward”

Cartoon by Marshall Ramsey If I were to make a list of my favorite fruits, it would be extensive. Peaches would top the list. The remaining players would vacillate by mood or season. Blackberries and blueberries are plentiful in these parts this time of year. I’ve loved bananas since I was a kid and ateContinue reading “Watermelon 2023”

“The best things in life come from patience.” – Author Unknown As a kid I grew up across the street from a house on a lake. It was in the middle of town and the property sat on 40 acres. I thought it was cool that someone could live in a neighborhood on a lake.Continue reading “Good Things Come to Those Who Wait”

If I were asked to rank the holidays my family and I celebrate, Christmas would go down as an easy number one. I have such fond memories of childhood Christmases. Today, along with the reason for the season, it’s the time my family gets together in a more meaningful way than the other times ofContinue reading “Happy Birthday, America”

Texans are often recognized for the pride that they have in their home state. I get that. Not because I think Texas is that much better than other states in our country, but because I take great pride in my home state of Mississippi. Six years ago, I wrote an introduction to the book, “AContinue reading “Mississippi”

Some people judge towns by their population. Others judge them by amenities such as parks and playgrounds. Many consider school systems and tax policies when evaluating municipalities. Still others prioritize water and air quality. I judge towns by the excellence and longevity of their small independent diners and cafes. For 100 years, the Coney IslandContinue reading “A Former Fruit Cart at A Century”

“No one trusts a skinny chef.” In my business— if you posess the body style I walk around with every day— that comment is often heard. I think most times it comes from a place of love. But when broken down to its raw meaning, it’s someone saying, “Dude, you’re fat.” I’ve heard that commentContinue reading “It’s A Tough Job but Somebody’s Got To Chew It”