Category Archives: Uncategorized

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”

Wyatt Waters and I are in the middle of the busiest year we have ever experienced. During this this twelve month period, we will have led three tour groups through Tuscany, and will lead one upcoming group through Venice, Bologna, and Milan. We took a television crew to Italy and filmed eight episodes of theContinue reading “On the Road”

On an upcoming episode of our new television series, Palate to Palette with Robert St. John and Wyatt Waters, the artist and I learn how to catch shrimp with a third-generation shrimp boat captain on his rig. To find out how we did, you’ll have to tune in to Mississippi Public Broadcasting on an upcomingContinue reading “Wild American Shrimp”

I don’t watch most televised sports during their regular seasons. I will watch basketball finals (college and pro), the World Series, and the bigger golf tournaments such as The Masters (final round).   Football is different. I love football. I have no problem watching, even the most boring football game, at any level. I canContinue reading “The Ultimate Home Field Advantage”

I am feeling blessed today. There are a lot of benefits to being a restaurant owner for 30 years. The older I get, the more I have come to appreciate the non-monetary perks of restaurant ownership. It’s not always about the money. It can’t be. I’ve made some money in the restaurant business, but I’veContinue reading “Gratitude”

Mississippi watercolorist, Wyatt Waters and I have just wrapped up the first season of our new television show, “Palate to Palette.” We filmed episodes all across our home state of Mississippi. It was a blast. We travelled deep into the Mississippi Delta and hung out for a few days in Greenwood with our friend, MarthaContinue reading “A Love Letter Home”

How much does a rooster cost? Seriously, think about it. The king of the barnyard animals, the master of the roost, the cock of the walk, the one male bird among all of the hens. How much would such an animal cost? If you would have asked me that question several years ago, I probablyContinue reading “Steve the Rooster”

The streak is over and it’s hard for me not to feel personally responsible. Last year my son’s high-school football team finished the regular season undefeated. During that time, he and I ate breakfast together on game-day Fridays before school. We were a few games into the season when we realized we had been sittingContinue reading “Game-Day Breakfasts”

I defend America’s reputation at every turn. I have encountered rude Europeans over the years who have made snide remarks against our country. Nothing gets my blood boiling more than that. I am a very non-confrontational person, but if you criticize my family, my hometown, my home state, or my country, I usually take passionate,Continue reading “For the Love of Cheese”