Weekly Column

Friendship

PETROGNANO, Italy — Something unexpected happened over the course of the last 13 years. A quiet village in the Tuscan…

Rolling Fork is Truly Rising

PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— Since 2017, over 1,350 people have traveled with me on more than 55 trips to seven European countries…

Onward

PETROGNANO, TUSCANY—I wear a cap most days with a single word stitched across the front. “Onward.” A guest of mine…

No Sign, No Menu, Just Home

No one signs up for a European tour expecting to have lunch in a stranger’s home in a village so…

The Romance of a Pig Farm

SEVILLE— No one expects to use the word romantic when talking about a pig farm. But standing in the soft…

A Father’s Reflection on a Wedding Weekend

There are only a few moments in life when time slows down enough to let you take it all in.For…

The Weight of a Wedding

Life tends to deliver milestones in clusters, never spreading them out at a leisurely pace, but stacking them up all…

End of an Era: The Last Chapter of Coney Island Café

Some people judge towns by their population. Others point to school systems, parks, water and air quality, or thriving local…

The Wedding

These days, emotions are running high. One minute, I’m in my truck thinking about our restaurants or the travel business,…

Ribeyes, Foxes, with a Side of Zebras

In the 1990s, I was at a statewide board meeting for the Mississippi Restaurant Association, and during a discussion about…

My Kind of Town: RSJ’s Chicago Favorites

CHICAGO— This city has been a part of my life for the past thirty-five years. It’s a city that holds…

S’mores Are a Sticky Lie

Last week, a polar vortex blew through the region and New Orleans got eight inches of snow. I think that’s…

The Weight of Weather and a Wedding

A bitter cold has settled into the Pine Belt of Mississippi this week, and it’s the kind of chill that…

A King Cake Conversion

Most of my life, I wasn’t a fan of Mardi Gras king cakes. Even during the decades when I consumed…

Holy Smokes: Discovering Barbecue Heaven at Sacred Ground

For most of my early life, barbecue wasn’t much of a staple. Not because I didn’t like it—far from it—but…

RSJ’s Most Memorable Meals of 2024

For the past 25 years, my final column of the year has always been a list of the top 10…

Parental Pride

Pride is a complex emotion. Sitting in the audience, watching my son walk across the stage to receive his bachelor’s…

Team and Leadership

Last night, my leadership team gathered for our 37th annual Christmas dinner—a tradition I cherish. It’s a moment to pause,…

Success Starts with Failure

My success today is rooted in the failures of my past. Failure can be a necessary ingredient for success, and…

Thanksgiving in the Kitchen

Thanksgiving was different this year. The usual hum of our family traditions felt even richer, the air filled with the…

Mom part II

It’s a strange position to be asked to write an obituary for your mother. It was something I dreaded for…

No Place Like Home

HATTIESBURG, MISS— After seven weeks overseas, I’m finally home. My time in Italy was a whirlwind of hospitality, history, and…

The Yonderlust Spirit

PETROGNANO, TUSCANY—Bringing people together has become one of life’s greatest joys, and that’s exactly what these RSJ Yonderlust Tours are…

Exposure

PETROGNANO, TUSCANY—Yesterday, I took my guests to a local friend’s sheep farm just down the road from our villa. It’s…

The Hospitality Gene

PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— Last night I was sitting at the long dinner table in our Tuscan villa. Fourteen of my American…

Gratitude and Candor

At 63, I’m still a work in progress. If you'd asked me at 30, I’d have told you I’d have…

Mom

My first clear memory of her is not a happy one. It’s when she came into my brother’s bedroom and…

Sicily 2024

Palermo, Sicily— Travel has a way of opening the world, peeling back the layers of the familiar, and revealing the…

A Silver Anniversary of Sorts

There’s something comforting about a Saturday night in a Mississippi catfish house. The smell of catfish frying, and the familiar…

Mississippi You’re on My Mind

“Home is the nicest word there is.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder It's true that there’s no place like home, and…

The End of an Era

"A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence." — James N. Watkins The…

Michelin Dreams and BBQ Realities

My 23-year-old son is starstruck. It's not Hollywood celebrities that have his attention these days—it's the stars awarded by Michelin…

Labor Day at the Lake: A Family Affair

My iPhone read 8 a.m. when I woke up this morning. For anyone who knows me, that’s quite the feat.…

Florida 2024

WATERCOLOR, FL— August. The end of summer. It’s that time of year. Since our first child was born, 27 years…

Core Values

This year has been the year for core values around here. One would think that New South Restaurant Group, a…

Breadlike Dreams

Young boys dream. In my early years, while friends fantasized about being astronauts, soldiers, and firemen. I wanted to be…

Ice & Tweezers

My initial exposure to a fine dining restaurant was Galatoire’s in New Orleans. I was probably five or six when…

Jubilee 2024!

When I was a kid, there always seemed to be chaos surrounding the scramble to get ready for Sunday School.…

Breakfast By the Bay

SAN FRANCISCO— Whenever I'm in a new city, I always go to the front desk of the hotel and ask,…

A wide view of the Mahogany Bar Patio with feet propped on the fire pit ledge.

To the Morning

One of the more unique and unusual pleasures of my life is sitting in the stillness of one of our…

A photo collage of family photos over the years.

Location, Location, Location

The older I become the more I appreciate crossroads in life. All of us reach different crossroads at various times…

RSJ’s New Orleans Restaurant Recommendations 2024

NEW ORLEANS— In a poll of national food critics I believe New Orleans would be listed among the top three…

The Bear Truths

The third season of the Hulu original program, “The Bear” will air this week. If you’re unfamiliar with the series,…

Father’s Day 2024

By the time this column is published Father’s Day will be several days in the rearview mirror. That may be…

For the Love of Fish

This month kicked off my 44th year in the restaurant business. The first seven years were spent working for other…

Big Apple Birthdays

BROOKLYN— Growing up I had relatives in New York. My maternal grandmother and grandfather lived here for 10 years or…

Simply the Best

For the 26-plus years this column has been in existence I have typed over 1,000 words a week, every week,…

My Kind Of Town

CHICAGO— No one would ever accuse me of being a creature of habit. Other than my morning breakfast routine, I…

My Top 25 Cookbooks

The view from my desk is inspirational. I’ve been in the same office for 27 years. There are no windows,…

Travel Connections

QUEENS, NEW YORK— After 62 years, and millions of miles logged, I have learned that travel is about one thing—…

A True Magical Mystery Tour

LIVERPOOL— I am midway through a 10-day tour of England and Scotland with a group of 26 Americans. All have…

RSJ’s Advice to Upcoming Graduates 2024

My advice to upcoming graduates: You are a few years away from beginning your professional life, but you are only…

If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On

Music has been a constant companion throughout my life. It has accompanied me in times of joy and sorrow and…

Pizza Ground Zero

BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— Naples is the birthplace of pizza. It’s an ancient and historic seaside city that can be a little…

EAT LOCAL

BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, ITALY— As a kid almost every restaurant in my hometown was independently owned and local. Granted, there weren't too…

Birthplace

PETROGNANO, ITALY— It’s true that there’s no place like home, and I deeply and dearly love my hometown of Hattiesburg…

Oh, Jesse Where Art Thou? — A True Tight Spot

VALENCIA, SPAIN— It was a tight spot. Not in the figurative sense in which one is faced with a challenging…

Spanish Breakdown

MADRID— The motto of the Boy Scouts of America is to be prepared. That’s all well and good, except I…

Burgers I Have Known

There are long stretches in my life when I dedicated all my culinary focus, research, development, and meals to fine…

The Best Job Ever

There are many emotions associated with parenthood. Joy and amusement come to mind immediately. The early responsibilities of parenting can…

Nobody’s Poet

In the late 1990s I was asked by my local newspaper to write a weekly food column. I politely declined…

Bad Food

It took me 60 years to start eating like an adult. I am 62 so I’ve only been eating responsibly…

Ed’s

Since 1999 I have written every week in this space, a thousand words a week, never missing a week. That’s…

I Love This Business

In the 1985 Ron Howard movie, “Cocoon,” a group of senior citizens from a retirement home break into an abandoned…

Fried Shrimp

The late great Ella Brennan, long-time matriarch of the New Orleans restaurant scene as head of the Brennan clan— and…

Cakes Fit For A King

It’s king cake season. Those four words don’t carry a lot of weight across 90% of this country. Though in…

Good Morning, Hattiesburg

A few weeks ago, an interviewer asked, “Give me a typical day in the life of Robert St. John.” I…

Next Up in New Orleans

I have often wondered what it must have been like to have attended the Beatles first live performance as a…

Robert’s Top 10 of 2023

For the 25 years I have written in this space I have always reserved the final column inches of the…

The Currency of Christmas

Everyone has a favorite holiday. Many of my friends are partial to Halloween. They have fond memories of trick-or-treating through…

Not Your Typical, Everyday, Run-Of-The-Mill Christmas Message

Let’s talk about failures. The holiday season may seem like a peculiar time to air personal disappointments but stick with…

Cousin Jim

They buried my cousin last week. He was sent to his reward with full military honors in one of the…

Mississippians Feeding Mississippians

It is said that Texans have an unparalleled pride for their state. My wife grew up there and my father-in-law…

It Takes a Village (or at least a dedicated team)

There are a lot of factors that go into the process of writing, testing, re-testing, editing, photographing, re-editing, styling, re-re-editing,…

All In the Family

BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— It could be said— and probably has often been said— that I am a slow learner. It took…

From A Hot Dog Cart

BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE— This week will mark the final week of my most recent work stint in Italy. I host tours in…

When In Rome (mostly)

BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— One of the travel codes I abide by is the when-in-Rome-do-as-the-Romans-do dining philosophy. No matter where I am…

Tuscan Son

BARBERINO-TAVERNELLE, TUSCANY— I first came to this part of the world in 2011 on a three-week stopover with my wife…

It’s All Lessons All the Time

It’s funny how at different ages I have assumed I had life completely figured out. When I was 19 no…

Breakfasts Abroad

PALAERMO, SICILY— Ten weeks out of each year I work over here leading tours of Americans through European countries. It’s…

It’s Good Work If You Can Get It

“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth…

An Engagement to Remember

This past weekend was a memorable one for our family. Our 26-year old daughter got engaged to her longtime boyfriend.…

Wonderland

Everyone has a personal wonderland. When my brother visits a hardware store, a garden center, or a tackle shop he…

The Blue Crab Invasion of 2023

Featured image: "Crabs" by Wyatt Waters, from our book A Southern Palate One of the most frequent questions I am…

RSJ’s New Orleans Restaurant Recommendations 2023

NEW ORLEANS— In a poll of national food critics I believe New Orleans would be listed among the top three…

My Latest Addiction

Let's talk about addiction. I know what you’re thinking. Ol’ St. John is about to ramp up all that recovery…

If These Walls Could Speak

“If these old walls could speak Of things that they remember well, Stories and faces dearly held” – Jimmy Webb…

How Tuna Came to the Panhandle

WATERCOLOR, FLORIDA— Once a year I bring my wife, our kids, and their friends to the Panhandle of Florida to…

Potatoes, Peas, Popcorn, and Pancakes (but not all at once)

A few weeks ago, I wrote that 2023 will go down as the summer of watermelon. I mentioned how I…

Ten Things I’ve Learned Opening a Bakery

I am opening a bakery today. Opening any style of restaurant is one of the most stressful activities one will…

A Good Foot Forward

Last week I read an online article about feet. I can’t remember where I read it, or from which website…

Watermelon 2023

Cartoon by Marshall Ramsey If I were to make a list of my favorite fruits, it would be extensive. Peaches…

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

“The best things in life come from patience.” – Author Unknown As a kid I grew up across the street…

Happy Birthday, America

If I were asked to rank the holidays my family and I celebrate, Christmas would go down as an easy…

Mississippi

Texans are often recognized for the pride that they have in their home state. I get that. Not because I…

A Former Fruit Cart at A Century

Some people judge towns by their population. Others judge them by amenities such as parks and playgrounds. Many consider school…

It’s A Tough Job but Somebody’s Got To Chew It

“No one trusts a skinny chef.” In my business— if you posess the body style I walk around with every…

Friends On the Level and Restaurants Off the Track

Everyone has “that” friend. He or she is the friend that doesn't sugarcoat his or her comments. It's a straight-talking…

Small Town Guy

“I cannot forget from where it is that I come from Cannot forget the people who love me Well, I…

Windy City Rendezvous

CHICAGO— I have been coming to this city almost every May for the past 35 years. This time of year…

TO THE MISSISSIPPI GRADUATES OF 2023

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” —Mary Oliver It’s graduation…

A Bridge Not Too Far At All

YPRES, BELGIUM— Friendships in the 21st Century carry a different dynamic. A constant connection throughout the World Wide Web has…

The Curious Case of a Sliding Door Monopoly Game

AMSTERDAM— A sliding door moment is a seemingly inconsequential action that alters the trajectory of future events. I am sitting…

Pondering Chips

BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— Things are different over here. It’s not just the language. Spaces are smaller. Roads are tighter. Bathrooms are…

An Easter to Remember

PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— Most of my early childhood memories come from Christmas and Easter. If I let my memory go back…

Perfect Simplicity

Sometimes the simplest things give me the most satisfaction. That probably seems like an obvious statement to most. I have…

A Lifetime Love Affair

TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— My love of bakeries goes back as far as my episodic memory will allow. The earliest bakery recollection…

Porcine Paradise

SEVILLE— Travel is situational. I could almost end this column with that first sentence. That sums up everything I am…

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling in Spain

MADRID—Irish pubs have always intrigued me. The attraction doesn’t come from the typical things one expects from a pub. I’m…

Seasons in Mississippi

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to…

Endure

Cartoon credit: Marshall Ramsey It’s February in the Pine Belt of South Mississippi. It’s 82 degrees outside, the azaleas…

Easy Bake Memories

The year was 1968. It was my 7th Christmas. Also, the first Christmas after my father died. The only thing…

Neck Deep In King Cake Development

It looks like 2023 will go down as the year of the king cake— at least in my book. I…

An Unbalanced Force in the Foothills

BLACKBERRY FARM— A portion of Newton’s Law of Motion states, “An object in motion remains in motion at a constant…

A Golden Opportunity

To be successful in the restaurant business it takes total commitment and sacrifice. It's a brutal way to earn a…

It’s A Tough Job but Somebody’s Got to Chew It

“A party without cake is just a meeting” –Julia Child It started as a whim. It ended as a quest.…

Breakfast, Routines, and Bacon

Many of the business books I am familiar with go into great detail about how successful people commit to a…

Restaurant People

It is my belief that some people are born with their life’s mission already implanted deep in their DNA. Just…

Local Hopes

NEW ORLEANS— The practice of making New Year’s resolutions is something that has never interested me. I guess I have…

RSJ Top 10 Meals 2022

For the 22 years I have written in this space, I have always reserved the final column inches of the…

RSJ’s Top 10 Christmas Movies

Nothing quite matches the energy and excitement one experiences as a kid during the Christmas Eves of his or her…

My Top 20 Christmas Songs

Music has always been a huge part of my life. It surprises me that— in the 23 years I have…

Pass the Crackers (and the butter, and the slaw, and the comeback), Please

Appetizers are often the most interesting part of a restaurant menu. I could live in the appetizer section, alone, and…

My Favorite Season

It has been said that the four seasons in Mississippi are— almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas. I have…

Home Is Where the Realized Nouns Are

L. Frank Baum nailed it when he penned the line, “There’s no place like home,” in his novel about the…

Restaurantsick

BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— Yesterday I was having a conversation with one of my travel guests who was talking about being homesick…

RSJ’s Tuscan Top Ten

Barberino-Tavarnelle, Tuscany— For the past 11 years I have spent considerable time in this region. Specifically in the two towns…

Home Away From Home

BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, ITALY— Is it possible that one can fall in love with a town? I love my hometown of Hattiesburg,…

Sometimes I Feel Like a Magpie

PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— A few months after my wife and I started dating, she wanted me to meet her grandmother. We…

It Takes A Village (or at least a couple of Dutch People and several Italians)

BARBERINO-TAVERNELLE, TUSCANY— There’s a big difference between a tour host and a tour guide. A tour guide goes through rigorous…

All Roads Lead to Rome, They Really Do

ROME— If 2022 had a personal theme created specifically for me, it would be decorated in the green, white, and…

The 32nd Anniversary of My 29th Birthday

Yesterday I entered my 62nd year on the planet. The thing about turning 61 years old is that I thought…

Another Blessing

This morning I read a Business News Daily article that listed the most stressful jobs in America. Enlisted military personnel…

A Different Kind of Welcome

NEW YORK— I first came to the city sometime in the mid-1960s. My grandparents lived here. My father had recently…

In Search of Voice

For the majority of the 23 years, I have written this weekly column, the primary focus has been on food…

Random Thoughts on a Tuesday Morning

For the past 23 years, I have written a 1,000-word column every Monday morning. Always early in the morning. I…

In Honor of Mississippians

“To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.” – William Faulkner “Work hard and be kind…

The Best Job, Ever

If I carried a business card, there would be a lot of job titles listed on it— restaurateur, author, producer,…

Enter Enzo

Forty years ago, I worked my first shift in a restaurant. It was almost the first hour, of the first…

RSJ’s New Orleans Restaurant Recommendations 2022

NEW ORLEANS— This city is, unquestionably, one of the top five restaurant cities in America. I would imagine that if…

Support Your Local Catfish House

We are a nation of regional dining concepts and local dishes. Chicago has deep-dish pizza parlors. New Orleans has po-boy…

The Restaurant Family Takes a Vacation

Last week I spent seven days in the Florida Panhandle on “vacation.” I used the word “vacation” because that is…

Vacation Food

It's always interesting to me how we enjoy some foods only during certain times of the year or on certain…

Welcome to America, My Dutch Friend

There is something deep inside of me that enjoys hosting people. It borderlines a compulsion or obsession. I've been that…

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

Last Friday I wrapped up a photo shoot for my new cookbook, “Mississippi Mornings.” It's a book I've wanted to…

Harry’s Homecoming

I am a fan of first lines in books. But I also like the last lines in movies. In the…

Peaches

Peach season is here. Peaches are my favorite fruit. Period. End of story. Strawberries, bananas, grapes, and blackberries fall into…

A Blunt Request

Everyone needs at least one friend who is frank and to the point. Someone who speaks their mind no matter…

Mississippi Mornings, The Photo Shoot Begins

Over the course of the past 20 years, I have written 11 books. Four were collaborations with my friend and…

The Great Bakery Expedition of 2022

Some men dream of playing the back nine at Pebble Beach. Others dream of bagging that big buck or landing…

Chicago 2022

CHICAGO— I first came to this city over 30 years ago. I fell in love with Chicago instantly. There was…

Bowling, Movies, and the Restaurant Biz

“What's it like owning a bowling alley?” That's a question I am asked a lot these days. To be honest,…

To the Mississippi Graduates of 2022

It’s graduation season. This year’s high school seniors have experienced an extremely uncharacteristic high school career filled with Zoom classes,…

Home Again

It’s great to be home. I have spent the last two months overseas. First in Spain leading a group of…

Arrivederci

TAVARNELLE VAL D’PESA, TUSCANY— A little over six weeks ago I boarded a flight for Spain to spend 10 days…

Finito!

PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— A little over five weeks ago I boarded a plane to Spain. I was arriving two days before…

Tuscany Top Ten

PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— There are several places I have considered my second home over the years. In my youth I spent…

The A Team in Italy

PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— It all starts with a lady named Annagloria. In 2009 I started planning a long trip that would…

Harrison In Florence

PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— For the good part of the past decade I have hosted groups of American travelers— mostly Southerners— in…

Nine Days of Spain in 1,182 Words

SEVILLE— Nine days into this Spanish deep-dive, I find myself sitting in the front jump seat of a tour bus…

Yonderlust: Spain Week One

MADRID— I spent the final month of 2011 in Spain. I was nearing the end of a six-month sojourn with…

Feline

For the past couple of months, we have hosted a special guest in our home. Feline Been is the daughter…

Sweet Roll Swan Song

December is considered the month for giving in these parts, but something is going on in February. Last week I…

The Notebook

It doesn't take much to make me happy these days. My wife might argue with that statement, but it’s true.…

The Great Pot Roast Cookoff of 2022

So, there’s this thing called a “Mississippi Pot Roast.” I’ve seen it pop up on my social media over the…

King Cake Bread Pudding

I really don’t know when it started, or who came up with the idea. It could have been me. Or…

The Class Reunion

For the 22-plus years I have written this weekly column I have focused mainly on food and travel. Occasionally I…

Recipe Inspiration

Recipe inspiration comes from many places. In the early days of our first restaurant, I ended up in the kitchen…

It’s Good Work If You Can Get a Hobby

My 45-year working career has been varied and full. The first official paying job I held (after three years of…

Breakfast for Supper

When I was a child there were several absolutes growing up in my mother’s home. There were the obvious good-manner…

Eat Local

NEW ORLEANS— Every day of my life I wear a small button on my shirt, jacket, or vest— sometimes all…

RSJ’s Top 10 for 2021

For the past 20-plus years, my final column in December is always a list of the top dining experiences I…

The Wish Book

As a child I started thinking about what I wanted for Christmas around the Fourth of July. I reached a…

Radio Days

My neighbors a few doors down started decorating their yard for Christmas a couple of decades ago. At first it…

Wake-Up Call at A Gift Shop

It is book season. For many people, that’s the time of year when summer paperbacks are released, or the holiday…

Walter Anderson, A Free Man

There are three constants that have been ever-present in my life from day one— food, music, and art. For the…

All About the Mouse

ORLANDO— I have had a long history with this city. In the summer of 1972, when I was 10 years…

On the Road Again

ORLANDO— Sometime in the next few weeks I’ll be opening a new restaurant, bar, and tiki bar in the Fondren…

Legends and Icons

The chances of being in the presence of genuine, iconic, living, breathing, legends are few and far between, if ever…

30 Minutes in the Grocery Store And A Lifetime of Poor Food Choices

Last week I was walking around a New Orleans grocery store with my daughter helping her re-stock her apartment, which…

Thanksgiving Turkeys and Extra Table

Thanksgiving is my favorite non-religious holiday. It's not even close. I guess it's been that way as long as I…

World-Class Views

PETROGNANO-SEMIFONTE, ITALY— Customers judge restaurants by many criteria. I once read a survey in which a majority of the people…

It’s A Tough Job But Somebody’s Got To Chew It

PETROGNANO-SEMIFONTE, TUSCANY— The first tour I ever led was seven years ago. My friend, Andy Wiest, a history professor and…

A Birthday to Remember

PETROGNANO-SEMIFONTE, TUSCANY— My mother used to speak disparagingly of grown men who kept changing careers later in life. Even as…

Honor Your Hometown

Grab a broom and a dustpan because I am about to drop some names. My friend Marty Stuart, country music…

Julia

It’s been a little over a year since Julia Reed was taken from us— much too soon— after a long,…

Steak Night

"RSJ’s Andouille-Stuffed Carpetbagger Steak” Photo Credit: Joey DeLeo From the book “New South Grilling” by Robert St. John, Hyperion 2007 I…

Friends

I am a regular. Always have been, always will be. If I am in town, I regularly eat breakfast at…

Trying To Reason with Hurricane Season

For the past 22 plus years I have written this column on Monday mornings. I usually get to my office…

The Capri

One never knows where the restaurant business will lead. Though I do know, if a restaurateur stays in the business…

Extra Table 2021

For the past 22 years I have written this weekly column, 1000 words a week, 52 weeks a year, never…

The Return of the Wienermobile

They say, “You can never go back.” I don’t know who “they” are, but last week I actually went back,…

A Different Kind of History Lesson

When I am leading tours, especially in the Italian region of Tuscany, I'm always amazed at how much history we…

Christmas In July

We opened our first restaurant in 1987. When we started the work that September, we had no opening date in…

Legacy Recipes

The late great American chef and icon, Paul Prudhomme created and developed thousands of recipes in his lifetime. His books…

Inspiration

Inspiration sometimes comes from the strangest places. I can watch a movie and pick up on one three-minute scene that…

Mosca’s

My New Orleans restaurant to-do list is almost complete. Actually, it will probably never be complete as there will always…

Florida Food Journal II

For the second time in two weeks my schedule took me to the Panhandle of Florida to deliver a speech…

Southern Seasons

“There is a time for everything, and a season for everything under the heavens.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 It’s true, everything…

The Classics

DESTIN, FL— Sometimes people get dazzled by the shiny things. Everyone wants to go to the new hot place. More…

The Airstream

In 2020, America was running out of chicken tenders, masks, hamburger meat, hand sanitizer, and plastic gloves. But we were…

Memorial Day 2021

Author’s Note: This column is being written on Memorial Day. Due to the publishing schedules of the various newspapers in…

The Journal

Last week I was in New Orleans enjoying a bowl of gumbo by Lake Pontchartrain— at my go-to place for…

Mom

The more time I spend as a parent the more I appreciate my mother and the job she did raising…

The Next Generation

This year marks my 40th year in the restaurant business. I got into this business after flunking out of college…

To the Mississippi Graduates of 2021

It’s graduation season. Granted, this year’s high school seniors have experienced an extremely weird junior and senior year. But the…

RSJ’s New Orleans Restaurant Recommendations 2021

NEW ORLEANS— This city is, unquestionably, one of the top five restaurant cities in America. I would imagine that if…

Daddy-Daughter Breakfast

As I head into my 60th year, I am amazed as I look back on life and reflect on the…

The King of All Breakfast Foods (In honor of the Queen of Pancakes)

I am a bonafide breakfast person. I was born a breakfast person, all through my early school years I was…

Feeding Methodists

This past Sunday was the first Easter Sunday in which I have missed attending a church service in a long…

Help Is on the Way

One year ago today, my life seemed to be at a complete standstill. The global pandemic was shifting into second…

Culinary Carpe Diem and Bread, the King and Queen of All Carbs

Last week I received the sad news that Barbara Thomas, of Barbara’s Home Cookin’ in Franklin, Tennessee, passed away. Thomas…

Visionaries and Pies

Bar owner Neal Bodenheimer is an intrepid trailblazer. It takes courage and nerve to go into an uncharted New Orleans…

The Simplicity of the Perfect Potato

If I could only choose one vegetable to eat for the rest of my life the choice would be easy.…

My New Toaster

If someone were to put a contract hit out on me, it might be the easiest termination in hitman history.…

Not Just Another Dinner

This column is written in the afterglow of a special weekend. I just spent the past few days with my…

Snowy Day

Mississippi is closed today. As I type a winter storm has just passed through the entire state leaving a blanket…

Restaurant Honeymoons

There are two types of honeymoons. The relational kind that one experiences as a newlywed, full of bliss and joy,…

A Mad Day Out

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of the Beatles. Anyone who knows Beatles history knows…

Claws and Wings

Some of the restaurant world’s greatest food items have come from mistakes, near mistakes, the need to use by-products, and…

Eat Local

Whenever I am visiting a new town, for business or pleasure, I always go down to the front desk of…

Soft Openings

In my 40-year restaurant career I have been a part of 22 new-restaurant openings. Three of those were at the…

Extra Table, What A Year It Was

In a year in which it seems the headlines are filled with endless negative and controversial news stories, I thought…

Goodbye 2020

Around this time of year newspapers are filled with end-of-the-year wrap-up stories about what has happened over the past 12…

RSJ’s Top 10 for 2020

For the past 20-plus years, my final column of the year is always a list of the top dining experiences…

Time Is Running Out for Independent Restaurants

In a few days, I will enter my 40th year in the restaurant business. Just over 33 of those years…

Easy-Bake Oven 2020

Two days ago, a friend made a Facebook post that referenced the Christmas section of the old Sears Catalogue that…

Recipe Testing

Over the course of my 38-year restaurant career I have been a part of 21 restaurant/bar openings. Three of those…

Extra Table 2020

This is the season of giving. We give gifts, we give of our time, and we give food. For decades,…

Thanksgiving 2020

It’s the season of gratitude. Despite all of the problems and challenges the year 2020 has thrown in our paths,…

Lunch With Jill

“A man can eat his dinner without understanding exactly how it nourishes him.” – C.S. Lewis Despite the pandemic, there…

Comeback

All food is regional. Whether it is an entrée such as deep-dish pizza from Chicago, a lobster roll from Maine,…

The Community Council

The corporate vision statement of the New South Restaurant Group states, “We exist to support our co-workers, delight our guests,…

A Match Made in the Restaurant

My Twitter bio reads, “dad, husband, citizen, restaurateur, 70% water (10% gravy), enthusiastic traveler, world-class eater, and a lover of…

Life’s Short

There was a comical saying that made the rounds with my mother’s generation, “Life’s short, eat dessert first.” As a…

Friends

On March 12th of this year, I was scheduled to fly to Spain with my wife, best friend, his wife,…

It’s A Tough Job but Somebody’s Got to Chew It

There are several stages in the life of a restaurant. The earliest stage is the research and development stage. Research…

Muz’s Pancakes

A wise person once said, “The past is in your head. The future is in your hands.” If that’s the…

Rosedale

To be in the restaurant business and to live only 115 miles from one of the top three restaurant cities…

Wandering Westward Vol. III

Life on the road is all about attitude. I have never minded road travel. I was raised by a single…

Notes from the Road: Westward Wandering Part II

JACKSON HOLE, WY— The wife and I have been on the road for nine days. Just two people, one truck,…

Wandering Westward Vol. I

“Go west young man.” – Horace Greely ST. LOUIS— For the past several years I have spent three months each…

Restaurant Mornings

“Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” –Pablo Picasso Mornings are magical in an empty restaurant dining room. There…

A Red Revival of the First Order

Birdwatching seems like a strange hobby to me, but I have friends who do it, and they are fine people.…

Farewell. Thank you. Onward.

Last week was one of the most surreal, yet rewarding, weeks I have spent in my 38-year restaurant career. Tuesday…

A Heartfelt Farewell to An Old Friend

Today I am grateful. Some would think that closing a restaurant one has owned and operated for over 32 years…

The Panhandle in the Pandemic

WATERCOLOR, FLA— When one reaches a certain age it's easy to look back on life and see where periods of…

The Closing of K-Paul’s

Yesterday we lost a legend. No one died, but one of this nation's most important restaurants closed permanently. The legendary…

Fries

My wife, son, and I were having dinner last night. Nothing special. Just a quick Sunday night supper of burgers…

New Orleans In the Time of Corona

A few months after Hurricane Katrina my wife and I were in New Orleans. For the most part, restaurants were…

The State of the Restaurant Business 2020

Since the pandemic hit America the question I'm most often asked is, “How are you doing? How are the restaurants?”…

The Tastes of Summer

Sour Apple Jolly Ranchers taste like my youth. It's true. When I was 10-years old my weekly allowance was $5.00.…

Squash and Dash

The CFO of our company has a garden. She lives just outside the city limits on a small piece of…

Special Delivery

If I never have to endure another shelter-in-place order, I will die happy. I just wasn’t wired for such activities.…

Marching to the Beat of a Different Drummer

Many businesses have been severely affected during the COVID-19 crisis. Restaurants and live-music venues may have been hit the hardest.…

Dietary Decisions

My son and daughter just finished a semester of college at home, sitting in our pool house. They had it…

An Overdue Apology

I have a long-overdue apology to make. In the early days of my writing career I used a lot of…

To the Mississippi Graduates of 2020

It’s graduation season. But in 2020 there will be no commencement ceremonies, no caps, no gowns, no cords, and no…

Shut-In Shindigs

Critical times inspire creative methods. In the early days of this shelter-in-place, my wife, 22-year old daughter, 18-year old son,…

When It Rains It Pours

A couple of decades ago, an editor at one of my newspapers called and said, “Robert, we need to work…

Grilling Lessons

If there is one thing that defines my family’s current situation in the middle of this global pandemic, it’s togetherness.…

Your Easter Lunch 2020

Hearts of Palm and Artichoke Salad Salad Dressing: 1 Tbl dijon mustard 1 tsp sugar 1 Tbl shallots, minced 3…

Leadership In Crisis

In the 20-plus years I have written this weekly column I have covered all manner of topics. In the early…

Freezer Sandwiches and Football

This weekend a friend asked me, “How’s it going?” I said, “I’m walking around Home Depot with gloves on. That’s…

Our Current Coronavirus Reality

There is a routine I have followed for the last 20-plus years I have written this weekly column. On Monday…

The Current State of Affairs

March 17, 2020 Good morning, everyone. We are living in strange, and scary times. The atmosphere around the restaurants is…

The Bon Ton Café

A week ago this morning, I was in New Orleans on a quick getaway with my wife. While reading the…

Parenting

When I look over the past two decades in my life as a parent of a daughter and son, there…

Column Notes

For the past 20 years, this column has covered hundreds of topics, some obscure, some newsworthy. It’s mostly a food…

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.…

The American Dream

Several years ago, country music legend, and noted Mississippian, Marty Stuart, and I were on the dais of a radio…

The Early Days

Just a little over 32 years ago, I was a few weeks into the honeymoon phase of my first restaurant…

A Fateful Ride

Last week a Facebook ad crossed my timeline in search of recent college graduates who might be interested in driving…

Croissants

There is a game I play with a few of my foodie friends. It’s based on the question: “If you…

Shrimp, Smoke, & Shirley

In the 1960s and early 1970s of my youth there wasn’t a lot of dining out in my family. Most…

Orange Memories

There are many ways to sum up a person’s personality and character. Attaching labels to them is a shortcut, but…

RSJ Top Ten 2019

Each year I compile a list of the top 10 dining experiences I enjoyed throughout the previous year. The list…

Merry Christmas

For the 20-plus years I’ve written this column I have not written about my faith very often. I feel that…

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…

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…

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…

Memories and the Greatest Trick Ever Played on Kids

Memories are the fuel that ignite and continually stoke this column. I have written in this space for over 20…

RSJ’s Thanksgiving Feast

Asparagus Casserole 1 Tbl Olive oil, light 2 Tbl Onion, minced 1 Tbl Shallot, minced 2 Tbl Celery, minced 1/2…

Thanksgiving and The Five Fs

The primary and traditional American holidays are Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. I enjoy…

The Personality of Food

“Donuts are the funnest food.” That’s what my friend, co-collaborator, and business partner Wyatt Waters says. He’s right you know.…

Dogs and Cars and Problems

There is a scene from my childhood that replays in my head often. It’s not of me crossing the goal…

50 Shades of Foodservice

masochist | ˈmazəkəst, ˈmasəkəst | noun. (in general use) a person who enjoys an activity that appears to be painful…

How School Lunches Were Changed Forever

Several years ago, I was speaking to a group of high school students in the cafeteria of their school. On…

The Wind-Up

NAPLES, ITALY— Wyatt Waters and I have just finished leading two tour groups through Rome, The Amalfi Coast, and Naples.…

A Place of Solitude

SANTO STEPHANO DI SESSANIO— Wyatt Waters and I are the end of a four-day break between leading two Palate to…

A Gratitude-Filled Amalfi Morning

PRAIANO, AMALFI COAST, ITALY— “I believe that God lives on the beach, but only at sunrise. In the heat of…

Of Friends and Wandering

ROME— We are back in this city by popular demand. We are not a film project or a theatre production,…

The TV and the Meal Ticket

The only thing stronger than the appetite of a teenage boy is the appetite of several teenage boys. In my…

Squashing Recipe Development

Recipe inspiration comes from many places. Sometimes it’s a thought out of thin air. Many times inspiration comes while dining…

New Orleans Favorites

Two years ago, I spent several months eating my way through New Orleans to compile a four-part series of my…

One Thing

I believe the key to creating great communities starts with one thing. We have our careers and family lives, but…

A Letter to My Son His Freshman Year of College

Exactly 40 years ago this week I began my freshman year of college. My entire life was ahead of me…

Vacation Foods

Food tastes better on vacation. I don’t know the psychology behind that premise, but it’s true. In the days before…

The Grand Tour

Marina Mengelberg is a Dutch-born Italian tour guide who lives in the heart of Tuscany. My friend, business partner, and…

Hospitality

The first spiritual gifts test I took as a part of a church group came back and listed my primary…

Mac & Cheese

There were a lot of crappy foods in my childhood meal rotations— cereals with way too much sugar, cheap meats,…

Summer Weddings

We are smack dab in the middle of wedding season. The American South is a brutal place to host a…

The Best Decision My Mom Ever Made

Memories come in all shapes, sizes, sounds, smells, and sights. Occasionally a song strikes a note that trips a memory,…

Father-Son Road Trip (before college) 2019

LAS VEGAS— Road trips have existed since the wheel was invented. In the Italian villa we take our travel groups…

My Biggest Regret

Author’s Note: Portions of the following column are included in a foreword I wrote for the upcoming book, “Life Lessons…

My Mississippi Childhood Summer Top 10

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column about how certain senses are inherently connected to my memory. The strongest…

Cooking with Dad

“Dad, can we cook supper together tonight?” Are there any more beautiful words in the English language? Well, probably, but…

Daddy Breakfasts

Every parent has a go-to breakfast. In our house, my wife typically makes the before-school morning meal. Most days, I…

Jolly Senses

My senses are strongly connected to my memory. Something as small as a single thought can trigger a vivid recollection.…

Just Peachy

As I look at important calendar dates throughout the year— Christmas, Easter, my anniversary, my wife’s birthday, my kid’s birthdays,…

Graduation 2019

Eighteen years ago— almost to the day— my wife and I were at the hospital awaiting the birth of our…

Mississippi On My Mind

“I think I hear a noisy old John Deere In a field specked with dirty cotton lint And below the…

Small Italian Spaces

It’s good to be back home in Mississippi. The adjustment period is over. The jet-lag is gone, and I have…

There’s No Place Like Home

A few years ago, I spent a week in Northern California with a group of people who were gathered together…

Sacrifice

BARBERINO VAL D’ELSA, TUSCANY— There have probably been times in my life that I thought that I understood “sacrifice.” There…

One Who Has Wintered Well

TAVARNELLE VAL D’PESA, ITALY— For the past two decades my body weight has fluctuated substantially, up and down, gaining and…

Dateline: Tuscany, Deadline: Now

TAVERNELLE VAL D’PESA, ITALY— Years ago, when I first came to Tuscany, I wrote a few columns about how this…

Amsterdam

AMSTERDAM— For the 20 years I have written this column, I have never missed a week. Not one. No matter…

Expired

My wife doesn’t believe in expiration dates. Seriously, she thinks that the “use by” date on a package or carton…

Wedding Throws

I was the best man at my best friend’s wedding last weekend. It was a great event, and everyone who…

Speed Eating

My son eats too fast. He likely acquired that habit from his old man. I don’t know from whom I…

Breakfast Guys

Some people are outdoors enthusiasts, some are hunters, others are fishermen. There are golfers, and skiers, and bird watchers. Some…

Ward’s

For over 20 years I have written this column sitting at my desk in our restaurant’s business office. Today is…

Sunday Buffet Dash

I am a Methodist because my grandfather owned a pair of shoes. True story. Thomas St. John was the oldest…

Back In the Saddle

The restaurant business is a harsh mistress. She is brutal on your mental and physical health, and very demanding of…

Oysters

“He was a brave man that first ate an oyster”— Jonathan Swift The “food firsts” in my life have all…

School Day Photos

It’s school day picture season and I am nearing the end of a 12-year photographic adventure with my son. The…

Lessons Learned

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. One of the most unforeseen and fascinating aspects of life is how—…

It’s the People

There are hundreds of reasons why love the restaurant business. Seriously, if asked I believe I could sit down and…

The Year of the Independent

Let’s make 2019 the year of the independent. For the past three years, I have worn a homemade pin on…

RSJ’s Top 10 of 2018

Each of the 20 years I have written this weekly column, I have always finished the year by listing the…

RSJ’s Christmas Eve Dinner

Pork Tenderloin with Muscadine Glaze 2 Tbl Olive Oil 1 Tbl Unsalted Butter 3 Pork Tenderloins (about 1 1/2 pounds)…

Reunions

Life is full of reunions. There is something deep inside of me that is hard-wired for any type of reunion—…

The Cold Shower Happy Hour

MILAN, ITALY— “We don’t have your rooms, Mr. St. John.” Those are the words a tour leader never wants to…

5232 Miles

VILLA IL SANTO, TUSCANY— December is the “slow period” over here. The grapes have all been picked. The olives have…

Tuscany 2018

BARBARINO VAL D’ELSA, TUSCANY— I sit and write this column at 10:15 p.m. in a one-thousand-year-old converted barn while 14…

Corner Market

My uncle and his wife were diehard Francophiles. He was originally from my hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. After his undergraduate…

Dear John

A man once said, “You can call me anything you want, just don’t call me late to dinner.” It’s an…

Daylight Savings Time

I “fell back” yesterday. I didn’t hurt myself. No neck brace, stitches, or crutches were needed. I fell back in…

For the Love of Cream Cheese

This past weekend, we hosted a small gathering of friends. My wife had worked hard to prepare several dips, spreads,…

Community Tables

The first time I ever sat at a community table was in the early 1980s at Paul Prudhomme’s legendary restaurant,…

Magical Mississippi Tour 2018 Recap

There is a substantial case of wanderlust deep in my soul, and the call to travel has always been strong…

MAGICAL MISSISSIPPI TOUR

The Beatles were such a huge part of my childhood that they filter through almost every aspect of my life—…

The Hushpuppy Whisperer

Over the past 30 years, I have met a lot of people in my line of work. A lot of…

Get Off of My Lawn and Start Eating Cereal Again

There is a national crisis afoot and it has nothing to do with taxes, trade, or immigration. Breakfast cereals are…

Fries

A strange phenomenon occurred after I opened our first fine-dining restaurant in 1987. It’s still happening. Most people assume the…

It’s All About the Food

A few years ago, I read a restaurant survey that ranked customer’s priorities when dining out. The study listed food,…

Six Dinner Guests

A couple of decades ago I wrote a column that posed the question, “If you could have dinner with six…

Mary Virginia

Over the past 30 years our company has been busy. We’ve opened fine dining restaurants, New Orleans-themed restaurants, an Italian…

Community Cafes

Community cafes and diners are a dying breed. Years ago, people gathered for breakfast in small cafes in downtown areas.…

Honeymoons

If someone is keeping track of honeymoons, mark me down for 23. That might be a lot of honeymoons, though…

R&D

An explorer organizes an expedition by studying maps and charts. A petroleum engineer prepares for a drill by scrutinizing geological…

Careers and Crushes

Some people know at an early age what they want to do with their professional life and career. The first…

Opening Nightmares

On a recent list of the most stressful jobs of 2018, Aimee Picchi of CBS News listed (in order from least to…

The ABCs of My Youth—Avocados, Bowens, and Curry

The culinary world has evolved in many ways over the course of my lifetime. We have moved from using lard…

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Life is full of changes. From the moment we are born until the day we die, our bodies, minds, and…

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