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Robert St. John

Restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, & world-class eater.

Comfort Food

Quick, name you favorite comfort food. Most of the world sees comfort food as a rare treat or guilty pleasure. To many, it’s an every-once-in-a-while food item that can satisfy…

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Professional Eating

…I’ve been coming to the National Restaurant Association’s annual trade show in Chicago, almost every year, since 1991. It helps our company stay on top of what is going on…

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Spring Has Sprung

…loved this time of year. Monet’s garden at Giverny was in full bloom every spring. Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and the inimitable Count Basie all sang…

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The Cold Shower Happy Hour

…friend, travel companion, collaborator, work partner, and fellow tour leader, Wyatt Waters, was seated next to me on the fast train headed to Venice. He is a very non-confrontational person,…

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If These Walls Could Speak

…the time, but no one else in my company bought in. That’s a dangerous space, and it shows a lack of leadership. The leader of the company should always bring…

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Chicken Pot Pie

    Chicken pot pie might be the quintessential family-supper comfort food. Some could make a valid case for pot roast or meatloaf. Others might cast their vote for beef…

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The Meat Question

…and more than beef, slightly more marbled than usual venison. It tastes exactly like, well, hippo.” In the end, the bill died in committee. After his African sojourn, Frederick Burnham…

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Watershed

100 orders are prepared, when they’re gone, one must wait until the following Tuesday. As we were waiting for the chicken to arrive, I asked my dining companions, “Can you…

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Squashing Recipe Development

Recipe inspiration comes from many places. Sometimes it’s a thought out of thin air. Many times inspiration comes while dining in another restaurant while traveling. Other times a recipe is…

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