Everyone has a personal wonderland. When my brother visits a hardware store, a garden center, or a tackle shop he has hit peak existence as those places are his wonderland. When my wife is in an antique store it’s her little slice of heaven. Years ago, my mother loved art galleries and art supply stores.Continue reading “Wonderland”
Author Archives: Robert
The 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 asked in interviews is, “What is your favorite ingredient?” That’s a broad and subjective question, but it’s low hanging fruit for an interviewer when speaking to someone in the food business. My answer typically variesContinue reading “The Blue Crab Invasion of 2023”
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 food cities in America. To my taste— and I’ve eaten extensively in most of America’s top restaurant cities— New Orleans is number one. Period. No question. End of discussion. I consider myself fortunate to haveContinue reading “RSJ’s New Orleans Restaurant Recommendations 2023”
My Latest Addiction
Let’s talk about addiction. I know what you’re thinking. Ol’ St. John is about to ramp up all that recovery talk again. Granted, many of you already know that story— and it’s probably over-documented, that— I am a recovering alcoholic and drug addict with 40 years of sobriety and clean time. I have never shiedContinue reading “My Latest Addiction”
If These Walls Could Speak
“If these old walls could speak Of things that they remember well, Stories and faces dearly held” – Jimmy Webb As human beings we like to assign humanoid characteristics to inanimate objects. The late great comedian Richard Pryor was a master of it. He often brought various body parts and pieces of furniture alive inContinue reading “If These Walls Could Speak”
How 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 “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”
Potatoes, 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 like to put salt on watermelon. I put salt on a lot of atypical things. Many times, it’s on sweet things. There have been a lot of sweet things in my life lately as weContinue reading “Potatoes, Peas, Popcorn, and Pancakes (but not all at once)”
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 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”
A Good Foot Forward
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”