Some people are born into food. I’m one of them.
My mother likes to tell the story of how, as a baby, she’d buy whatever jar of baby food was cheapest that week — and I’d eat every last bit of it without complaint. No preferences, no fussiness. Just an open mouth and an open mind. Turns out that’s not a bad foundation for a food blogger.
Growing up in Waverly, Tennessee, fine dining wasn’t exactly on the menu. What we had instead was my mother’s cooking — and she was exceptional. During my high school years I was putting away somewhere around 4,500 calories a day (I was growing, I swear), and most of it was genuinely good, lovingly made food. That matters more than people realize.
Food was in the family on both sides. My aunt and uncle, Ron and Natalie, helped Don Strong launch Richards Restaurants in Northern Indiana back in 1967 and ran the operation for decades. They also ran a local coffee shop called the Brew Ha for about ten years. Between my mother’s kitchen and my family’s restaurants, I grew up understanding that food is more than sustenance — it’s craft, it’s hospitality, it’s memory.
My serious restaurant education began in my twenties, traveling on an expense account in the energy business. Suddenly I had access to fine dining rooms across the country, and I paid attention. I took notes — mental ones at first, then real ones. Eventually I stopped waiting for work trips and just started going on my own. Because why wouldn’t you?
These days, friends, family, and colleagues know to ask me before they make a reservation anywhere. I take that responsibility seriously.
I’m also a Yelp Elite reviewer, which I’m told is an honor. It definitely doesn’t pay anything. You can find my Yelp profile here: My Yelp Profile
If you have a restaurant you would like reviewed and I am in the area, please email me. I try to keep up with new restaurant openings, but restaurant turnover is often high, so please keep me in the loop.
Pull up a chair.