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.

Tampopo Kitchen

Tampopo Kitchen is a family-run sushi and Japanese restaurant in Washington Heights, who have seen great success with their nearby sister restaurant, Tampopo Ramen. In addition to sushi, Tampopo Kitchen also serves ramen and other noodle dishes. These photos were taken for Tampopo Kitchen’s marketing.

Thanksgiving at Agata + Valentina

Agata + Valentina is a wonderful Italian market with locations in Greenwich Village and the Upper East Side and they produce, one of my vices, terrific Italian sandwiches - but, like any good grocer, they also cater and provide plenty of holiday wares for Thanksgiving or, as one does in Italy, your Feast of the Seven Fishes. Here are some photos from a recent shoot we did in the store, with the help of a 2-light set-up and paper backgrounds.