When I tell you that I love food, I don’t want you to misinterpret that to meat that I just like the way some stuff tastes. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I generally like the way stuff tastes but I don’t eat vegetables so my options are limited. Since I was a little kid who hated veggies though, I learned to appreciate cookbooks at a very young age. No one was going to sneak in some spinach on this girl and call it Florentine thankyouverymuch.
My love for food goes deeper than taste. Flavor is important but for me, food needs to LOOK beautiful. The colors. The textures. The…dare I say it… MOIST quality. (I know some of you just shuddered a little but you know what I mean.)
I photograph my plates at home constantly. Even when I do it with my phone and not my camera, I’m always going for the right angle and lighting to highlight my favorite parts of the meal. When I get out my Canon though, the gloves (oven mitts?) come off.
So when I get the opportunity to photograph an entire menu AND sample food at an amazing new restaurant… Let’s just say I was in heaven on a Sunday.
I had talked to Derek Shelling about doing our upcoming class reunion at Warehouse 9 and had been meaning to go talk to him in person to set it up but you know… COVID. First of all… this place is GORGEOUS!!! Second… they were SUPER awesome about the cleanliness, social distancing, masks, sanitizing… all the things! It was a truly pleasurable experience!
Now the menu… Y’all… I talked to Miss Jennifer after it was over and asked her how she would describe the menu. “Elevated Soul Food” was what we decided on. And this food DID touch my soul! It was so elegantly plated and the ambiance was just perfect. The aromas were delectable and made it difficult to focus (no pun intended) but I was a professional and waited until the end to taste.
The crab cakes.
That’s what I need you to know about. These crab cakes were so perfect and delicate and just the perfect amount of spicy. The remoulade sauce was divine. It was totally worth the wait and I cannot wait to go back and try them again just to make sure.
