Weekly Column

The Best Kind of Date

It’s amazing to me how some parents have it figured out automatically and from the start. Some just get it. I don’t know if parenting […]

The American Dream

Several years ago, country music legend, and noted Mississippian, Marty Stuart, and I were on the dais of a radio show. While we were each […]

The Early Days

Just a little over 32 years ago, I was a few weeks into the honeymoon phase of my first restaurant opening. There have been 17 […]

A Fateful Ride

Last week a Facebook ad crossed my timeline in search of recent college graduates who might be interested in driving a hot dog on wheels […]

Croissants

There is a game I play with a few of my foodie friends. It’s based on the question: “If you could only eat one food […]

Shrimp, Smoke, & Shirley

In the 1960s and early 1970s of my youth there wasn’t a lot of dining out in my family. Most special occasions were hosted by […]

Orange Memories

There are many ways to sum up a person’s personality and character. Attaching labels to them is a shortcut, but probably the most frequently used. […]

RSJ Top Ten 2019

Each year I compile a list of the top 10 dining experiences I enjoyed throughout the previous year. The list is never about the most […]

Merry Christmas

For the 20-plus years I’ve written this column I have not written about my faith very often. I feel that my faith is strong, but […]

The First Christmas Bonus

Last night we held our 32nd annual manager’s Christmas dinner. There were 30 people seated at the table for our once-a-year steak and ribs dinner. […]

An Atypical Tuscan Farewell (Or How Annagloria Saved the Day)

3:59a.m. Barberino Val d’Elsa, Tuscany— I am dead asleep in the small apartment below Villa il Santo. The pizza I had consumed hours earlier worked […]

Home Away From Home

BARBERRINO VAL D’ELSA, TUSCANY— My friend, collaborator, and business partner, Wyatt Waters, and I are working back in Italy this week leading a group of […]