When measuring events in history, 30 years is a long time. Wars rarely last that long. Presidential terms are only four years, and even with re-election, they are capped at eight years. Senatorial terms are seven years, house terms are two. The average lifespan of an independent restaurant is short. Most fail within the firstContinue reading “The Parrot at Thirty”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Three Blessings a Day
I am feeling blessed this morning. It’s a feeling that I’ve experienced a lot lately. It’s not gratitude for monetary or material things, but for experiences and relationships. I’m grateful for many things, mostly for time spent with friends and family— morning, noon, and night. It occurred to me the other day that I eatContinue reading “Three Blessings a Day”
Enzo’s Olive Oil
“Start with a little oil in the bottom of the skillet,” I recently told my son, while showing him how to cook a dish in our home kitchen. That day I started the process with a little extra-virgin olive oil in the bottom of the pan. Typically, I never sauté with extra-virgin olive oil, butContinue reading “Enzo’s Olive Oil”
The Two Ladies in My Kitchen
I spent a lot of time in my home kitchen over the holidays. It was loose, stress-free, and entertaining. In our house, my wife cooks for family and I cook for company. I can’t remember if we had a lot of company this holiday season, or if I was just in the kitchen more thanContinue reading “The Two Ladies in My Kitchen”
RSJ’s Top 10 of 2017
For the 18 years this column has been published, the final entry in December has been an end-of-the-year list of my top-10 favorite dining experiences throughout the past year. Compiling the list is one of my favorite things to do each year, as it forces me to go back and remember meals shared with familyContinue reading “RSJ’s Top 10 of 2017”
Ugly Food
MILAN— “Ugly foods taste better.” That was the thought that came to me this morning as I was walking in the square in front of this city’s majestic cathedral in search of an ATM. Once I found the ATM, I was going to walk to a pizza joint not too far from the Duomo thatContinue reading “Ugly Food”
The Plate Talks
VENICE— The first time I ever thought about visiting this city, I almost didn’t. I was in the middle of a lengthy tour through Europe with my wife, 14-year old daughter, and 10-year old son. We were spending 10 weeks in Italy and joining up with renowned watercolorist, Wyatt Waters, to work on a newContinue reading “The Plate Talks”
Fried Shrimp
Dining out in a nice restaurant is a treat. I feel blessed to work in an industry where people come to celebrate life’s special occasions— birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, retirements, and the like. To be even a small part of people’s lives during those times is an honor, and a responsibility that we never take lightly.Continue reading “Fried Shrimp”
Thanksgiving 2017
They say the older one gets; the faster time seems to move forward. I don’t know who “they” are, but “they” are spot on. It seems as if we were just bringing in the new year a few weeks ago and it’s almost Thanksgiving. For the 18 years I have written this column, there areContinue reading “Thanksgiving 2017”