Kyma

With multiple destinations in NYC, Kyma delivers Greek food and cocktails with an air of sophistication. Their enormous Hudson Yards location features multiple private dining rooms and a large white slab marble bar.

Bar Moga

After a stellar trip to Japan, one of my first shoots back in the city was at Bar Moga, a Japanese cocktail bar with accompanying bites. When I was in Japan, I had noticed the popularity of a rice stuffed omelette that I didn’t get to try but luckily it was served at Bar Moga and I was fortunate enough to savor a bite.

Cauldron Chicken

Cauldron Chicken was photographed for an Infatuation review which featured the pull-apart spicy chicken which is served with gloves to prevent patrons from burning their hands. For a shoebox-sized location in Greenwich Village, the space manages to serve up plenty of heat.

Raoul's

Raoul’s gets a nice line up every day as they provide a limited amount of their signature burger on a first-come first-serve basis. The Soho restaurant also serves up French cuisine which is reflected in its peppercorn-laden burger.

Sailor

Sailor is a very successful spot on a quiet corner in Brooklyn, from the team behind Joseph Leonard. The space almost feels like being in a glass-bottom boat in that there are mirrors and glass everywhere you look.

Ensenada

As someone who used to live in Williamsburg and frequent the former Black Flamingo, it was exciting to see the space reshape as Ensenada, a refreshing Mexican corner-spot that serves tasty and beautiful ceviches, aguachiles and other bright plates.

Cafe Chelsea

After years of being closed, the renovated Chelsea Hotel returned with a bang, and it’s restaurant Cafe Chelsea delivers on the experience of a classic French brasserie with traditional and new twists on menu items, like the delicious Maitake au Poivre, pictured below.

Sappe

I’ve been fortunate enough to shoot at Sappe a few times, and they have a very strong aesthetic that translates between their space and their food, transporting diners to a Thailand of a bygone past.

City Island Pizza Company

North of the city and east into the river is the City Island Pizza Company which I captured for The Infatuation. With it’s somewhat nautical themed design, and core selection of red-sauce pizza joints, CIPC delivers a unique experience in an island overrun with fish fries.

Cena Dou

In the tree-laden hills of North Salem, NY is a wonderful French bistro, Cena Dou, which features fews of the hilly vistas and all sorts of seasonal-driven French cuisine. These photos were used for the launch of the restaurant and remain as marketing collateral.

Anto

There was once a Korean bbq/steakhouse/fine dining established that I photographed multiple times - at least six visits seems like a fair recollection. From interiors, to dishes, to full menus, I shot the heck out of this place and it has only come to occur to me that it is no longer in business less than six months after opening, which is a shame, especially with how beautiful the space and dishes came out.

Carnitas Ramirez

As a Southern California bred Greenpointer, I’m a big fan of Tacos Ramirez and was super excited to learn I was going to photography their second restaurant, with a menu comprised solely from pork meat, for The Infatuation.

Nook NYC

As someone who, long ago, lived in the East Village, it’s always exciting to see how the neighborhood transforms but manages to stay the same. It’s a fast past environment where a lot of restaurants come and go and, unfortunately, Nook NYC no longer remains but featured some beautifully plated dishes in a wonderfully magnetic space.

Marlow Bistro

At the upper most part of the Upper West Side lies Marlow Bistro, a rustically charming restaurant that features a bevy of vegetarian dishes and a very cozy atmosphere.

LaGuardia Chase Sapphire Lounge

As a seasoned traveler, I find joy when realizing I can access a lounge at an airport from which I am departing, and although I seldom fly out of LGA, I was able to experience what may be the best lounge I have experienced in a domestic terminal. Flashback to six months before when I photographed in this space and was only marveled by the appearance and selection the kitchen offered. Suffice to say it all tastes as good as it looks.

NAKS

The quality of food in a restaurant is so important but an interior and vibe can compliment or exceed a diner’s experience. Such is the case with NAKS, which has a gorgeous dining room where the communal Kamayan feasts are served to diners without utensils. It seems like this sort of palm-laden interior was co-opted by Tiki culture and bars for years, so it’s nice to see if in embraced by a restaurant whose Filipino culture was used to inspire the Tiki world in the first place.

Hoexter's

Hoexter’s is a very stylish Upper East Side Brasserie, with the same management group as the previously shared Il Totano. When photographing food, it’s great to have a hand model on standby but rarely is it the case that you’ll have one with beautifully tattooed hands that so perfectly interplay with the food at hand.

Carnitas Ramirez

As a Greenpoint resident, and Los Angeles native/taco snob, I’ve always been a huge fan of Taqueria Ramirez and was super excited when The Infatuation asked me to cover the new restaurant from the crew, Carnitas Ramirez. Very similar in size/build/style to the Greenpoint counterpoint, the small shop features only pork based tacos from all parts of the pig - all very delicious.

Il Totano

From chef Harold Dieterle comes Il Totano, a west village Italian restaurant with a gorgeous interior and beautifully seafood-focused dishes. This may have been discussed in another post but, usually, when I’m faced with a restaurant that, often always, I am experiencing for the first time, I tend to choose lighting that compliments the space and the vibe. When the entrees are climbing into the $40 range, I often tend to use a softer light which, to me, feels a little more elegant. However, given the bright colors of the food and the interiors, I convinced the team to allow me to use a harder light that would create some shadows but also allow me to use the glassware/drinks to create a glossier and fresh look that I think makes all the dishes more appealing and somewhat conjures the feeling of eating seafood on a sun-drenched balcony overlooking the Italian Riviera.

Massara

From chef Stefano Secchi of Rezdora comes a new Southern Italian kitchen, Massara. Featuring a wood fired grill and pizza oven, the restaurant serves grilled entrees, and a slew of pastas and pizzas.