Oscar Wilde once wrote that life imitates art far more than art imitates life, a sound reversal of Aristotle’s millennia-old tenet. Standard irreverence on the part of Wilde, his simple statement (a part of a much grander piece) holds such a profound meaning for me this evening. Fiction is a powerful tool, and in the… Read more »

I am back from national convention and settled in to the point that I can truly reflect upon the past week-and-a-half of travelling, educational seminars, Disney World, four fidgety kids in the car, southern fireworks stands and chicken fried steaks at roadside Denny’s. I did not eat any of the latter simply because heavy food… Read more »

Years ago I helped open a new restaurant. On the menu, we offered a dry-aged 10-ounce New York Strip for $42 and a 12-ounce CAB New York Strip for $26. We decided on the choice as many people would not want to spend that much on dinner. The soft openings went well, and it was… Read more »

There is nothing quite like having a place that you can go to just to hang out and enjoy a beverage and a plate of food after a long day of work. No pressure; no incessant need to try to maintain any pretenses. Just you, a couple of bites of food and an ice-cold Narragansett…. Read more »

As my playlist jumps from Locash to Lagwagon, I ponder the many strange and wonderful things that happen in life. Who knows? Perhaps my musical taste is a metaphor for the ambiguity and freneticism that penetrate our everyday existence. If you could only know what is in my record collection (yes, I’m old enough to… Read more »

 Few foods find themselves fortunate enough to land in my “obsession” category these days, as I have tried a great many foodstuffs throughout my long and quasi-illustrious career. However, every now and then a food will rear its ugly head and smack me in the body and soul with its self-complementing tastes, smells and textures… Read more »

So many thoughts flood my mind as I write, as coming back from my compulsory hiatus was an easy decision to make with some complicated emotions. Where to start? First and foremost, I want to thank the community for everything that it has done for me and the kids and cannot express strongly enough how… Read more »

This article originally appeared in a March 19, 2015 edition of the Bayside Gazette. A penny saved is a penny earned. Waste not, want not. And waste in most kitchens, professional or residential, tends to be high. It’s a high byproduct industry. Even at home, if we make a nice sauce or relish for a… Read more »

Star anise and cinnamon perfume the air, but not in the manner in which we might think of Christmas potpourri or a random autumn’s candle. The aromas wafting through the air are intermingled with nuances of beef, ginger, onions and myriad delights that you may or may not be able to discern at first whiff…. Read more »

Anthony Bourdain once commented on the professional walk-in in a manner in which most, if not all, professional chefs can relate. Regardless of the number of times that cooks dig through and clean the refrigerated space, every now and then you will find that one lonely pan that someone lazily crammed into a corner or… Read more »