We in the restaurant business, for the most part, didn’t just fall into this craziness. It was in our bones and movements from an early age. Here is another “movement” from mine.   Last summer, in a moment of early morning clarity, I called my friend Chef Susan Spicer in New Orleans and asked her a favor. Susan is a pretty big deal in NoLa and was an early instigator of both the New and Regional American Cuisine movements. In the mid 80’s, she opened “Bistro at The Hotel Maison de Ville” and 8 years later, Bayona – which […]

My Early Days of Food and Beverage   We in the restaurant business, for the most part, didn’t just fall into this craziness. It was in our bones and movements from an early age. Here is another “movement” from mine.   In the summer of 1983, I was in Hudson, OH, at a family reunion. I’m watching 60 Minutes on a Sunday night, and I see a story about Malcolm Forbes and his yacht, The Highlander. Recognizing the yellow neckerchief of the chef’s assistant on the show as that of a fellow Culinary Institute of America student, I immediately typed a letter to Mr. Forbes himself (heck, why […]

    My Early Days of Food and Beverage. We in the restaurant business, for the most part, didn’t just fall into this craziness. It was in our bones and movements from an early age. These next few issues of this newsletter, I’m gonna share a few of my early urges and unknown nudges to be in the food and beverage industry. I was born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1963. My dad worked for IBM, there were three Query boys: Mark, Mike and me, Dave. We lived in a middle class neighborhood filled with big redneck-ethnic families who all seemed […]

  Hi Friends. We send a few of these BRF newsletters out a year. Last year, a couple of ’em had to do with President Trump and the Colorado Weed Industry snatching away restaurant employees. Those two in particular garnered some fiery responses and pissed some folks off – a few calling for boycotts of BRF Restaurants and an online campaign. Man, that’s a lot of free time in my day I wish I had. So. No Trump/weed comments this year, that wind ain’t worth it. Instead – just big love and appreciation for all the support those of you reading this might […]

  Hi Fall Friends. Just a simple non-confrontational note this time, not like the last few newsletters. No tales of stanky skunk weed in kitchens to infuriate a couple dispensary owner friends. No Trump comments. No theories or expanses on climate change. Not even a poke or two at some goofy folks who might need a poke or two. Cause at the end of the day, who am I to comment on any of these or other things? Just all BRF love this time ahhh-round. We are taking possession of the SHINE space at 2027 13th St. this week. This is […]