Chefs and photographers share something interesting. We do a commonplace task professionally. We offer a supercharged level of performance - extreme consistency and ability under pressure. Everyone cooks and everyone takes pictures but we offer something special. Most people can throw a baseball but not everyone can compete in the MLB.
When I show up to a restaurant to make images of food it is like a playoff game for the chef. It is a very special sort of attention that a plate of food gets when the chef and I know that a picture of that plate will be seen by thousands of people. I'm going to just do a little recap of some favorite places I've been recently. All are seriously delicious and worth a little effort to get to if you aren't living around the corner.
I have a long relationship with the restauranteurs behind the inventive and whimsical restaurant Mr. Rain's Funhouse at the American Visionary Art Museum. It's over in the beautiful Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore and they have a third floor roof deck for your summer enjoyment. Fabulous food. Award winning beverage program. When I'm in town, I'm there. Don't miss it.
This past week I found a couple of places in Waldorf, MD, that I will be back to soon. Both are in strip malls and have bad websites and delicious, simple food. I got assigned to shoot these places for an article in the Post Express. Kodori is a Japanese/Korean restaurant the size of a small apartment. They churned out some fantastic sushi and bibimbap and everyone there felt like part of the family that runs the place, even though many weren't. This is a place I would eat at every week if I lived close enough. Nine bucks for a gal-bi bibimbap bowl and it's a feast that comes with soup, salad and tons of bahnchahn including a couple types of kimchee. This is the best kind of eating. Look at it, then go find it.
The other spot was a revelation in ribs. Lefty's BBQ. Cooked twice, the first is a secret, the second is on a wood fired grill inside the restaurant. I ate them for dinner two nights in a row and was sad on the third night when I ran out. That good.
Last but not least is a shoot I did for Scoutmob with Kushi on K St. here in DC. First of all, if you don't know what Scoutmob is then you are missing out big time. Long and short of it is that it is the best way to find new local spots to eat if you live in the city and you get 50% off when you go to one of those spots for the first time! I started working with them after using their app so much that their DC team noticed me and invited me to happy hour. Turned out they needed a photographer and I was one. Perfect.
Back to Kushi. This place has it going on and they are launching a brunch with local music acts and special cocktails. They turned to Scoutmob to get the word out about their new morning/afternoon deliciousness and Scoutmob turned to me for the pictures. Tastes as rad as it looks or your money back. Scoutmob is running a deal for brunch for two with drinks for $35 including everything you see here.
Eat up!
