Author Archives: Robert

There are three constants that have been ever-present in my life from day one— food, music, and art. For the purposes of this column— and the release of my latest coffee table book— I will focus on art. I am not an artist. Though I grew up in the house of an artist. Tragedy struckContinue reading “Walter Anderson, A Free Man”

ORLANDO— I have had a long history with this city. In the summer of 1972, when I was 10 years old, my uncle took my cousin and me to the newly opened Disney World. I don’t remember too much. But I do remember buying a fake plaster arm cast and a sling at the magicContinue reading “All About the Mouse”

ORLANDO— Sometime in the next few weeks I’ll be opening a new restaurant, bar, and tiki bar in the Fondren neighborhood of Jackson, Mississippi. Those are all very familiar concepts to me. I have worked in the restaurant business for 40+ years, and over 33 years have been as an owner. The restaurant menu willContinue reading “On the Road Again”

The chances of being in the presence of genuine, iconic, living, breathing, legends are few and far between, if ever at all. I don’t have many regrets in life, but I had several chances in my late teens to see blues master, Muddy Waters. The same goes for Willie Dixon. I passed at the timeContinue reading “Legends and Icons”

Last week I was walking around a New Orleans grocery store with my daughter helping her re-stock her apartment, which had been virtually empty since Hurricane Ida swept through town almost two months ago. Everything in her refrigerator had been thrown out a few days after the storm, and she had been working out ofContinue reading “30 Minutes in the Grocery Store And A Lifetime of Poor Food Choices”

Thanksgiving is my favorite non-religious holiday. It’s not even close. I guess it’s been that way as long as I can remember. In my early years, Thanksgiving was all about the food. My grandmother always put out a great spread at Thanksgiving. She was an excellent cook and an extremely gifted hostess. Entertaining guests inContinue reading “Thanksgiving Turkeys and Extra Table”

PETROGNANO-SEMIFONTE, ITALY— Customers judge restaurants by many criteria. I once read a survey in which a majority of the people ranked service above food and atmosphere. I’ve also read a study that had restroom cleanliness in the top three. While I agree that all those factors are important, I have always judged a restaurant— firstContinue reading “World-Class Views”

PETROGNANO-SEMIFONTE, TUSCANY— The first tour I ever led was seven years ago. My friend, Andy Wiest, a history professor and war historian at the University of Southern Mississippi, and I created a tour we called Battlefields and Baguettes. We toured London, Belgium, Normandy, and Paris with a group. Wiest led our group through battlegrounds, museums,Continue reading “It’s A Tough Job But Somebody’s Got To Chew It”

PETROGNANO-SEMIFONTE, TUSCANY— My mother used to speak disparagingly of grown men who kept changing careers later in life. Even as a kid, I never agreed with that. It seemed— and still seems— to me that, when it comes to an occupation, one should do whatever makes one feel happy, fulfilled, and successful. I have beenContinue reading “A Birthday to Remember”