Zynodoa

Images of Zynodoa Restaurant in Staunton, captured for STOA Design + Construction. Not only do I love the design of this space, but I also adore the food. It's worth the trip over the mountain my Charlottesville friends!

Red Pump Kitchen

Delicious images captured in the last couple of months for Red Pump Kitchen, on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall.  They've just released their new holiday cocktail menu...make your reservations immediately!

Scout is Out! Charlottesville Vol. 5

A good part of my winter was spent working with Heather Halsey, editor of The Scout Guide - Charlottesville, to create the fifth volume in the beautiful Charlottesville series. What a pleasure!!! Each photo shoot was so different, with a wonderful variety of people, spaces, and products to capture. Below are a few of my favorite spreads.

Be sure to pick up the new book, available in shops and restaurants all over Charlottesville! You're sure to find inspiration cover-to-cover.

Thank you, Heather, Susie and Christy for folding me into your awesome team!  xoxo.

Our team: Heather Halsey + Andrea Hubbell.  Many thanks to Cramer Photo for capturing my portrait. :)

Mas Tapas

Hungry? Head to Mas at 5:30 every night for Spanish tapas that take me back to San Sebastian...

Brookville Cookbook

Photographing a cookbook has been a dream of mine for four+ years now, ever since I created Bella Eats in 2008. I am thrilled and excited to be working with one of the best chefs in Charlottesville, Harrison Keevil, and my Beyond the Flavor partner, Sarah Cramer Shields, to create the first Brookville cookbook.  Exciting things are in the works, friends!  2013 is off to a great start.

For a sneak peek of our first shoot, check in at Beyond the Flavor.  And, please consider donating to our Kickstarter campaign!  We'd be so grateful.

published | edible blue ridge | holiday dinner at clifton inn

Look for the current issue of Edible Blue Ridge, on stands now, featuring a holiday dinner with chef Tucker Yoder of the Clifton Inn! Featuring two local farmer couples and Tucker's adorable family, this was a really fun event to photograph. Thanks for including me, Edible Blue Ridge!

moto pho co | charlottesville's new pho restaurant!!!

Our long wait is over. Charlottesville finally has a pho restaurant! Vu Nguyen, owner and chef at Zinc, will open Moto Pho Co. to the very excited people of Charlottesville tomorrow, August 1st. He designed the clean, modern space that is  bright with natural light by day and glowing, exposed lightbulbs by night. I love the community tables and the painted brick walls.

For a peek at the food and our experience as some of the first pho patrons yesterday, check out Beyond the Flavor! Where will you be for lunch tomorrow?!

published | edible blue ridge - art of charcuterie

This season's issue of Edible Blue Ridge has a feature article about charcuterie...one of my favorite subjects!  Many thanks to Collin Donnelly and The Red Hen in Lexington for this fun and informative photo shoot. And for the dinner it inspired a month later at The Red Hen, during which we (Brian, Sarah, Matt, and I) consumed one of those pig heads shown below.  Yes...we did.  And it was amazing!!!

easter at the ivy inn

The Ivy Inn hosted a goat roast for Easter Sunday. What an honor to be invited, and what an amazing feast! This was my first goat experience, and it was a really fantastic one. I am so grateful to live in such an amazing town.

the ivy inn + the rock barn | ossabaw pork debut

The Ivy Inn hosted a Whole Hog Dinner in March, featuring Ossabaw Pork from the The Rock Barn. Chefs Angelo Vangelopoulos and Ben Thompson teamed up to create an incredible menu that I was honored to capture behind the scenes. If you ever have the opportunity to attend a special event at The Ivy Inn I highly, highly recommend it. Enjoy! 

galatoire's friday lunch

One week ago we were at Galatoire's for one of the best dining experiences we've ever had. And it wasn't just about the food. The celebratory ambience, hospitable staff, wonderful company, and an invitation to photograph the kitchen of one of New Orleans' oldest and most famous restaurants made our afternoon unforgettable. 

Friday lunch at Galatoire's is a New Oreans tradition. Locals gather to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, reunions...any excuse for a party. We arrived late and were seated at 2pm after cocktails in the upstairs bar. The first thing you notice when you walk into the dining room is the revelry...people up and about and shouting across the room. We sang Happy Birthday at least 6 times to guests dressed in their absolute best. Feathered hats, sequined gowns, dripping jewels...you can't overdress at Galatoire's. Our table was in the back corner, the perfect place to view the festivities surrounding us. Our waiter, Imre, has worked at Galatoire's for 40 years, and when he found out this was our first visit he quickly snatched our menus away. From the kitchen poured the restaurant's favorite dishes...soufflé potatoes, shrimp rémoulade, oysters rockefeller, crab salad, poisson crabmeat yvonne, poisson mèuniere amandine. And then, Imre and Executive Chef Michael Sichel invited us into the kitchen. Sarah and I may have squealed...and jumped up and down a few times, too. 

Welcome to Galatoire's...

published | edible blue ridge

Check out the latest Edible Blue Ridge for a story about Harrison + Jennifer Keevil of Brookville Restaurant in Charlottesville, one of our local favorites! I wanted to share a few other images from our shoot, but be sure to pick up the magazine or view it online.  There is a recipe for those bacon waffles and also the apple ginger soup, both of which I can't wait to try. Yum!!!

Also, visit the restaurant soon for their famous burger. I assure you, it is worth every penny, but be sure to share with a friend because it is HUGE!

commonwealth restaurant + skybar

Many thanks to Underground Shorts for bringing me in on this project to create imagery for the Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar website. I can't believe it was nearly a year ago that I first photographed food for Alex when the restaurant was under construction. The space has a great vibe!

pizza + pasta + sandwiches oh my! | mona lisa pasta

A continuation of my work with Mona Lisa Pasta (remember ravioli day?), I bring you a behind-the-scenes view of pizza and sandwich-making from one of the best lunch spots in town. Seriously...have you stopped in for a Val d'Aosta sandwich or a slice of their daily pizza?!? So delicious. Definitely our go-to lunch locale these days, especially when you're looking for something quick to take away with you.

After this session Jim sent me home with a variety of pastas and sauces, which I prepared and photographed in my studio. And then ate...over multiple days...of course. 

Enjoy! And then make a date to visit this fabulous shop. 

PS: these images will be used for the rebranding and new website of Mona Lisa Pasta, coming soon. For a preview, check out designer Matt Thomas's website.

zinc bistro | charlottesville food photographer

Zinc Bistro, here in Charlottesville, is featuring some amazing dishes on their summer menu. After watching chef Justin Hershey work for a few hours and trying not to drool on the beautiful food I was photographing, I wondered why I don't eat at Zinc every night of the week. They're going to have to peel me out of the restaurant by the end of this season...

ravioli | mona lisa pasta

I am currently working on a fun project with Matt Thomas for Mona Lisa Pasta in Charlottesville. For a few weeks I will be documenting back-of-house activities as the staff makes fresh pasta, pizzas, and sauce. Matt has rebranded the company (you can see his fabulous new logo and label designs on his site) and will be launching a new website for Mona Lisa in the coming months.

Here are a few shots from behind-the-scenes on ravioli day!

commonwealth restaurant + skybar | charlottesville food photographer

Commonwealth Restaurant + Skybar is set to open on the downtown mall this June and I, for one, cannot wait to enjoy people-watching from atop the corner roof deck. This is the newest restaurant project of Alex George, former owner of the much-missed Just Curry, who is opening Commonwealth with four investors. The cuisine is "new american with a south american influence" and from what I sampled at a small dinner Alex orchestrated last weekend, it promises to be delicious. 

Congratulations, Alex, on this new endeavor! 

diver scallops with chorizo, rocket, and dill

crab, coconut, and coriander soup

golden beet tinted chilean sea bass with roasted beets and wilted baby greens

local grilled lamb chops with lavender-honey gravy and minted mushy peas

crispy polyface farms chicken breast with violet mustard sauce, peas, and black bean puree

cinnamon + golden raisin bread pudding