dining
You might be familiar with La Duree, the French-born macaron pastry store that has locations in the Upper East Side and Soho but you probably weren’t aware the Soho location has a ‘secret garden’ that has since been taken over by the Bagatelle restaurant group. Although you can order the La Duree pastries for your meal (not to mention macarons), the menu is comprised of haute cuisine French fare in an enchanting outdoor environment.
When life gives you lemons ,make lemonade, and when Barney’s closes - open your own restaurant. That’s what Mark Strausman of Mark’s Off Madison did when he opened his new ode to New York food. The restaurant features an in-house bakery which crafts bagels, pretzels and loaves every day, in addition to the full kitchen serving up Italian specialties and a bevy of other delights. In shooting the space, it was important we capture how the bakery (and the baked goods) are front-and-center in the space.
It’s a new year - time to move onwards and upwards. Speaking of upwards, Peak is situated on the 101st floor of the Hudson Yards complex. It features stunning views from above other landmark skyscrapers from the East Village to the Hudson. These photos were taken days before Peak opened and moments before the coronavirus crept in, shutting down the restaurant for months, but it has since opened up and had been solid strong through the holidays.
There’s something so fascinating about a chain restaurant. A meal, that is part of a brand. Sinigual isn’t a chain, per se, but it is part of a corporate restaurant group. I love a great, hole in the wall local joint, but there is something so interesting about photographing a restaurant that is so clean and appealing to the masses. Given that this restaurant is right by Grand Central, it’s no wonder it has its place on TripAdvisor. Regardless of what it is, the restaurant was full of bold colors and shapes and a lot of fun to shoot.
Who would have thought New Yorkers wouldn’t be able to eat indoors. The pandemic has produced a host of problems for NYC restaurants but some have been able to roll with the punches. SeaWolf in Williamsburg has a ton of outdoor dining but it’s indoor dining definitely pays homage to the aqueous realm with open air seating, porthole like designs and beautiful views of the East River. This was my third project with the team and I am glad they are able to grow despite the adversities that have plagued restaurants in 2020.
Le Bernadin is a world-renowned three-Michelin star fine dining restaurant in NYC and it was an honor to shoot it. The space definitely has a vibe that aims towards an older crowd - it’s dark, modern but not overtly contemporary and very warm. When photographing restaurant interiors I usually don’t have a ton of time as the space is set for service, which is often impending. I really had to zip through this space but it wasn’t an overtly complicated floorplan so it wasn’t too much of a challenge. The staff was very cooperative, which can sometimes be rare when shooting restaurants since photography is a low priority when the doors are about to open for service.
I first encountered Parts & Labor when I was in Nashville and passing through the Thompson Hotel and I was in such awe of their design - a refined craftsman feeling with a hyper-modern touch. It was gorgeous and I was so fortunate to receive the assignment to shoot Leonelli, which I soon learned was designed by the P&L team. You can see here how it very much carries that wonderfully idiosyncratic aesthetic.
As a photographer, there are some jobs that are fulfilling, some that are career-affirming, and some that are unforgettable. This job was all three of those. As a big fan of eating, and eating well, I couldn't believe my eyes when I got the e-mail about shooting the NYC opening of L'Atelier De Joel Robuchon - nor could I even comprehend when the restaurant asked me to come on for the whole week of the opening, after initially being hired by Eater for a quick one-off shoot.
To top it off, this photo that I took above then found itself in a slew of solid publications including, Architectural Digest, Food & Wine, Men's Health and plenty more. Here are a few more of my favorite interior shots from my time at L'Atelier.
