In the 60’s, when I married my late husband singer-songwriter Jim Croce, Jim and I had only been to one fine dining restaurant together during our entire courtship and engagement. Yet, I still remember that evening like it was yesterday, because the experience of white table cloths, welcoming service and fine cuisine made me feel so special that I think it was then ,that I subconsciously became the “accidental restaurateur”.

Back then, there were not many fine dining restaurants and even so, we couldn’t have afforded to dine at them. But from then on, I tried preparing fresh food from our garden, collected what I couldn’t grow from local farmers markets and drove from the farm to South Philly to purchase specialties, from the Fish Market and Jim Croce’s “Uncle Meat’s” Butcher Shop. When Jim and I were not working or playing our music at clubs, colleges and bars our social life was primarily around family dinners and visits to friend’s homes. But entertaining at our place with live music and our musician friends like Arlo Guthrie, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt and The Manhattan Transfer were really my favorite times.
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