Author Archives: Robert

  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”

Two years ago my family and I were sitting next to two brothers in a small trattoria in Florence, Italy. One of the brothers owned a small clothing shop down the street and I struck up a conversation with him. He had once lived in the United States for 10 years and spoke English veryContinue reading “Mississippi Darts”

There is a French bakery across the street from my office. Six mornings a week a Frenchman named Janusz bakes fresh croissants and pastries. He also makes a mean omelet (anytime you have the opportunity to have a French chef make an omelet for you, take it). The C’est la Vie bakery seats approximately 12Continue reading “Whodunit: Bootlegger’s In the Bakery”