Dear Readers,

On this issue we focus on a part of Italian culture that is loved in America and around the world. Everyone has a favorite Italian dish. Read about Italian food in Paris with our very own Eric Gaudet.

You'll love reading about Francis Ford Coppola's restaurant in San Franciso's North Beach area. The Café Niebaum Coppola is worthy of a chef's visit. True Italian food is a thing of beauty, and as our photos demonstrate, this restaurant gives incredible attention to detail.

Continuing our journey of great chefs, we capture the beauty of Mondavi Vineyard's Great Chef series, right here in beautiful Napa Valley. We visit with Jean Georges through photographs of his visit, and have reproduced some of his recipes in the back of the magazine. We hope you enjoy this rare glimpse of the renowned master at work.

Finally, we want to welcome Kim E. Miners to our family of staff writers. KEM (her nickname) has written extensively for television and Broadway. She'll be covering the great chef scene from New York for us with her sense of humor, great wit and a dedication to the good life. KEM's good taste and appreciation of the good entertainment value of fine dining and wining in a city that never runs out of great events to cover, is a welcome addition to our journal.

Please keep sending us your letters. We love the comments we receive on our web site. Keep tuning in; the web site changes every day att www.fbworld.com .

Michael Walsh