One of the Twin Cities' busier restaurateurs, Phil Roberts, doesn't have a lot time to read books. He's too busy opening restaurants, such as Uptown Cafeteria, Il Gatto and the upcoming Mozza Mia. But when he does decide to crack a spine, it's a good bet he's reading about food. Roberts gushed over New York Times writer R.W. Apple's "Far Flung and Far Fed," which includes foodie travel essays written in the years before his death in 2006.
"He was an ample man. He knew wretched excess. And in my humble opinion, he's just a damn good writer. The book is very democratic. He's not just writing about the fine dinner he ate in Taillevent in Paris. It's the dive-y places, too. It's not pretentious. The guy just likes to eat and drink -- and what the hell is wrong with that?"
