Author Archives: Robert

Yesterday we lost a legend. No one died, but one of this nation’s most important restaurants closed permanently. The legendary New Orleans restaurant K-Paul’s will be one of COVID-19’s latest victims. K-Paul’s owner, Paul Prudhomme, was a culinary genius. Period. He was also one of the most iconic figures in American cooking and was oneContinue reading “The Closing of K-Paul’s”

My wife, son, and I were having dinner last night. Nothing special. Just a quick Sunday night supper of burgers and fries. Halfway through the meal, I said, “I love French fries.” It was an out-of-the-blue, random statement, and my wife and son stared blankly at me. My son, who eats much cleaner and healthierContinue reading “Fries”

A few months after Hurricane Katrina my wife and I were in New Orleans. For the most part, restaurants were still closed. Armed military were stationed in Jackson Square. The city was as quiet as I’ve ever seen it. It was eerie. My wife and I had driven down for the evening on one ofContinue reading “New Orleans In the Time of Corona”

Since the pandemic hit America the question I’m most often asked is, “How are you doing? How are the restaurants?” My standard answer is, “It’s not a great time to be in the restaurant business. It is, however, a great time to be in the grocery store business.” Actually, it’s probably the worst time inContinue reading “The State of the Restaurant Business 2020”

Sour Apple Jolly Ranchers taste like my youth. It’s true. When I was 10-years old my weekly allowance was $5.00. In those days I would ride my bike to the Pik-A-Pak convenience store where I could purchase a whole display box of Sour Apple Jolly Ranchers for, you guessed it, $5.00. That box which probablyContinue reading “The Tastes of Summer”

The CFO of our company has a garden. She lives just outside the city limits on a small piece of land. They also have chickens and have raised hogs. Many mornings, when I arrive at the office, there are fresh eggs on my desk. Last week there was a sack of freshly picked squash sittingContinue reading “Squash and Dash”

If I never have to endure another shelter-in-place order, I will die happy. I just wasn’t wired for such activities. I am not a homebody. Never have been, never will be. I like to stay in constant motion. It’s always been that way. As a kid, I might have been able to stay in oneContinue reading “Special Delivery”

Many businesses have been severely affected during the COVID-19 crisis. Restaurants and live-music venues may have been hit the hardest. On the other hand, grocery stores and liquor stores have seen phenomenal sales increases. Reports indicate that liquor stores are up anywhere from 27 to 40%. That’s great for the package store retailers, but there’sContinue reading “Marching to the Beat of a Different Drummer”

My son and daughter just finished a semester of college at home, sitting in our pool house. They had it easy. Once the pandemic hit and all classes were switched to online computer classes, life got much simpler for them. Both finished with good grades and a suntan. It’s been a treat having them bothContinue reading “Dietary Decisions”