Kitchen LTO | Dallas, Texas | Chef Norman Grimm
Happy Monday morning!! I’m really excited to share this recent collaboration I had with Kitchen LTO in Dallas. Located in the new Trinity Groves Developement, the restaurant stands for Kitchen “Limited Time Only”, and it’s name says it all. The idea came to owner & founder, Casie Caldwell, as a vision of a “permanent pop-up restaurant in Dallas, that reinvents itself three times per year and gives a rotating home to up-and-coming chef and design talent and their ideas.” …. To me, that is fabulous!
CRISPY YELLOWFIN TUNA TARTARE Tamari Glaze, Asian Pear, Avocado, Fingerlimes
This is how it works :: every four months, a new chef rotates in and introduces a new menu concept. Simultaneously, a new interior designer re-designs the interior’s transformable elements. Chefs & designers apply and are screened by a judging committee, made up of some incredible talent : Chef Sharon Van Meter, Chef Chad Houser, Chris Zilke, Rebecca Wright, Michael Miller, Casie Caldwell, Chef Blythe Beck, Bob Sambol, and Jason Kosmas. {{Yes, all those fabulous people!}} If they qualify, the talent is then voted on through Kitchen LTO website and social media channels, as the general public will be the ultimate deciding factor for who will chef and design the restaurant every four months.
The goal is for Kitchen LTO to put rising talent in front of the public for a chance to establish their own restaurants on a permanent basis if the four-month stint proves popular. Kitchen LTO opens it’s doors on September 11th for dinner and September 30th for lunch. So be sure to stop by from September through December, as Kitchen LTO will be featuring Chef Norman Grimm and interiors by Coeval Studio (John Paul Valverde and Miguel Vicens). Trust me, you will NOT want to miss the amazing food Chef Grimm and the interiors Coeval Studios has created.
But for now, as you wait it’s opening, enjoy these images!!
DIVER SCALLOPS Broccoflower, Marcona Almonds, Golden Raisins, Capers
PBLT Crispy Pork Belly, Bacon Jam
BRANZINO Green Heirloom Tomato Salad, Pickled Shallots, Bacon Malt Reduction
BRAISED SHORT RIB Seasonal Vegetables, Braised Marble Potatoes
QUAIL Garlic Lentils, Green Goddess Salad
SAKE GLAZED PORK BELLY Pink Lady Apple Puree, Salsify, Herb Salad
GRILLED FILET Seasonal Vegetables, Braised Marble Potatoes
RICOTTA CHEESE GNOCCHI Arrabiata, Summer Squash
CHEF NORMAN GRIMM
LTOMG! CHOCOLATE DOME Seasonal Filling
Kitchen LTO | 3011 Gulden Lane | Suite 108 |Dallas, Texas | 214.377.0757
Dee Lincolns Steak & Burger Bar || Dallas, Texas
Restauranteur Dee Lincoln (co-founder of Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House and also her name sake, Dee Lincoln’s Tasting Room & Bubble Bar, in the Rosewood Court) is putting the finishing touches on her newest concept : Dee Lincoln Steak and Burger Bar. She and executive chef, Juliard Ishikuza, promise to provide “updated steakhouse fare and inventive burger recipes in a comfortable and relaxed setting.” They are taking over
Ishikuza is no stranger in Dallas, having spent time in some of the cities biggest name kitchens, including The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Fuse & Bubble Bar. Their team has put together a menu of diverse cuisine and prices, with selections ranging from fried green tomato burgers, kale Caesar salads, blueberry bread pudding with butterscotch sauce and steakhouse street tacos, to name a few.
The new burger house is located where JoJo Eating House once was, in Uptown Dallas. The restaurant opens September 12th for dinner and September 16th for lunch.
It was a pleasure working with this group- enjoy these images from our photoshoot and be sure to stop in to meet Dee, Juliard and the entire team!
EXECUTIVE CHEF JULIARD ISHIZUKA
WEDGE SALAD bacon vinegrette, oven roasted roma tomato, bleu cheese, marcona almonds
SWEET POTATO FRIES
SOUTH OF THE BORDER BURGER tomatillo salsa, avocado, pickled red onion, queso fresco cheese, chorizo chili
THE BENEDICT BURGER sunny side up egg, béarnaise, tomato bacon jam, frisee
MISO EGGPLANT japanese eggplant, shiro miso glaze, bonito shavings, daikon sprouts
DEE LINCOLN
SASHIMI TUNA STACK wasabi avocado, lime sour crema, texas honey, goat cheese
THE COWBOY BURGER & FILET MIGNON
Dee Lincoln Steak & Burger Bar | 2626 Howell Street | Dallas, Texas | 214.754.4949
Dee Lincoln Steak and Burger Bar on Crave DFW {Press}
I’m really excited to introduce my newest collaboration with Dee Lincoln Steak and Burger Bar. Thanks to the wonderful team at Lindsey Miller Public Relations in Dallas, I was able to work with Dee and her entire team for the full photoshoot for the new Uptown Restaurant! Here is a sneak peek of one of the press releases that went out today! Stay tuned for a full blog post from me this week on the new restaurant, the menu and a full post of images from the photoshoot! And be sure to go see for yourself this new Dallas restaurant after it’s grand opening on September 12th! Enjoy!
{To see the full article for yourself, head over to Eater Dallas.}
Malai Thai Kitchen || Billboard in Dallas
Today was a fun day, in between running errands and meetings, I happened to see this new billboard for a great client, Malai Thai Kitchen. The billboard and my photograph sits above Central Expressway, by Southern Methodist University! I truly have amazing clients and I love seeing the work come to life! So, when you’re craving great Thai- Vietnamese cuisine and handcrafted cocktails, be sure to stop by this Uptown staple. “Malai Kitchen is a modern Mom and Pop – the charm of a family restaurant presented with the grace of career restauranteurs.”
And head over to their website here (to view the photograph closer up too!) to view their menu, hours and location! Enjoy!!
Sway Thai |Rene Ortiz & Laura Sawicki| Austin
Last month I had the pleasure of photographing Renee Ortiz and Laura Sawicki of Sway in Austin. It’s a great modern Thai spot in Austin if you haven’t stopped in for a meal. This is also the same great team that brought you La Condesa in Austin. So you won’t be disappointed! The space, the open aired kitchen, the ambience and the food all make for a beautiful experience. Enjoy this collaboration of images and stop by if you’re in Austin!
SWAY |1417 South 1st Street | Austin, Texas 78704 | 512.326.1999 |www.swayaustin.com
Maggiano’s Construction Wrap in Annapolis
My friends over at Maggiano’s Little Italy sent over this great snap shot of the construction wrap that’s surrounding their newest building site going up in Annapolis, Maryland! The Handcrafted Classic Cocktail campaign that I was able to photograph last fall {see posts here & here} made not only the Maggiano’s website, but the wall here too!
To you my clients and followers, thank you all for letting me do what I love! Every project I work on is wonderful in it’s own way, challenging and inspiring. And this one particularly, is one project I’ve been looking forward to seeing it go live! Enjoy!
Celebrating Summer, Friendships & The Cottage Wine Party
Earlier this summer, I stumbled across a blog by one of my dear college friends, Lizzy, who threw a blind wine tasting party at her flat in Chicago. I thought, What a fabulous idea. I had to do it. What was better than {{Summer + Friends + Wine + Food + Music + Celebration}} … not a hard decision for the extrovert in me.
So I threw this party last week to celebrate life & friendship. Forty sweet gals popped on over to our cottage throughout the night for the party! The evening was filled with tasty bites lining the flower ridden table; old crooner music filling the back porch; twinkle lights strung through the trees overhead; wine bottles wrapped in butcher floating around; and friendships happening everywhere, new and old ones alike! With no agenda other than to try as many wines as you liked and remember your favorite one, it was a fabulous night! For me, the night was a blast to throw, to watch and the celebrate!
Since I loved this party so much and highly suggest it for anyone, here are the details :: Guests were simply asked to bring a bottle of wine, arrive at 7pm and come celebrate summer together! In return, I prepared and provided all types of appetizers : from fresh tomato & basil bruschetta, to hummus & summer vegetables, to homemade corn & black bean salsa {thank you Jenn!}, and of course, bitesize desserts {thank you Anne!}
When guests arrived I simply took their wine bottle and in return, gave them a cute wine glass. And thanks to the very talented, Jenn Sprinkle, we had awesome tags for each bottle, as well as, name stickers for everyone to put on their glasses, with room to record their favorite wines selections. {And people even kept track of this as the bottles went around all night! It became such a fun competition}
Once I got people settled in, I took their wine bottles inside, uncorked each, wrote the person’s name and wine’s name down with a number, slipped the bottle into a butcher paper sack, grabbed the tag that matched each number and wrapped each with a yellow taffeta ribbon that was cut and ready to be tied at each bottle neck. Easy as that, wines were recorded and completely “blind” to the taster at that point, then were put outside to enjoy!
Throughout the night people would jump from whites to reds, and break for bites of food and fresh water infused with cucumbers, limes, lemons, orange and mint from our garden. Friends lingered late into the summer night sipping new wines, making new friends, and laughing about life and stories.
It was a blast and I’ll be throwing this party every year. So friends, get ready for next summer’s blind wine tasting party at the cottage! Enjoy the photographs and throw your own wine party, let me know how it goes! And in case you’re wondering, SeaGlass, a Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara, took home the most likes! {Good taste, Emily!}
Third of July || Fredericksburg, Texas {personal}
I grew up in a small town in the Texas Hill Country. It’s a joy to to me that I get to call Fredericksburg home. To have grown up in this town was a special thing and remains a huge part of who I am; the artist I am; and the inspirations I find in life. The people, the culture and the traditions of this town have made me who I am. To return home is always a sweet celebration. Every summer my husband and I will find ourself around the Hill Country enjoying family, friends, good meals, shared laughter, time at the lake and new memories are made.
But one of my favorite celebrations is the Fourth of July in Fredericksburg. My mind races to recount the fabulous brunches, the parade down main street, the concert in the park, the old plane fly overs, the unique, small town charm, and on to my favorites parts of the day- the competitive games of watermelon football our family and friends play every year, and the thriving, hopeful and eager celebration of our country. It is something I look forward to every year and love celebrating!
My adventurous, spirited father teams up with some incredible party throwers to celebrate the Third of July. In epic ways. Each year. This party always kicks off the Fourth of July celebrations with incredible food, amazing handcrafted cocktails, beautiful decorations and wonderful people. It’s one of my favorite parties of the year and always a fabulous night at a place I love and cherish.
While I don’t get home often enough, when we do, it’s always a well-celebrated time. Enjoy this personal snapshot at what our summer celebrations have looked like and enjoy! -claire
Home Slice Pizza | Austin, Texas
Home Slice Pizza Serving Authentic New York style Pizza to Austinites.
Home Slice Pizza on South Congress is the delicious & creative brainchild of three great friends — married couple Jen & Joseph Stickland and their business partner, Terri Hannifin. Their passion for quality food, hospitality and entertaining came to life based on the original, unfailing goodness of authentic New York style pizza.
The mission of Home Slice Pizza is as rich, heartfelt, authentic and true today as it was when they opened their doors in 2005. Their pizza family and founders believe that the quality and integrity of pizza is not limited to the food itself and the ingredients used, but that it is influenced, molded and created by the hands, the life, the passion of those making it. This belief and model of operation is how they were able to grow their small idea and make it the roaring success that it is in Austin, and a model their Home Slice family of over 100 employees can believe in. This team of cooks, managers, and service is what bring the heart, soul and love to the company that is Home Slice Austin to the people of Austin. Jen would note that it’s about the people first, and the pizza second. No compromises.
The team of Home Slice looks like this ::
Jen Strickland is the “recipe creator/developer and food and quality controller” of Home Slice. She was the former food editor of the Austin Chronicle and former editor of the Texas Monthly website and had over a decade of experience covering the Austin restaurant scene. While owning her own restaurant never something she imagined doing she does have an Italian-Amherican background and hails from a family of small business owners in upstate New York. And with the four years she spent in New York City for college (where she met Terri), her craving for quality, Italian pizza was met and only inspired her dream to bring that to Austin. So she had a background that formed the foundation of her passion for great pizza.
Joseph Strickland is the “business partner and strategic developer” of Home Slice. His entrepreneur heart never had his sights set on being an restaurant owner, but as his wife was creating recipes for friends and finding success in making New York style pizzas at home, he decided to create a business plan for their idea. Fast forward to today, Home Slice is incredibly successful and Joseph still draws his inspiration from the customers and employees that walk through the doors. His heart as an entrepreneur is fueled by the simply joy and happiness that people find at Home Slice. Whether it’s in the great food or even better service, Joseph would say that “running a business like Home Slice isn’t all that different from any all consuming artistic endeavor; it simply requires dedication, creativity, humility, and of course a sense of humor.”
Terri Hannifin is the “operations and management developer” of Home Slice. Terri grew up in Denver working in the restaurant industry. Very young she realized how much she loved working in the hospitality industry and what an art it was to make people happy with great food and friendly service. Her passion and dedication to the hospitality industry is what launched her career in managing, opening, and consulting for restaurants for the last 15 years. She was consulting with longtime friends, Joseph & Jen on this idea of Home Slice when she took the opportunity to partner with them, make this idea a reality, move to Texas and open up a New York style Pizzeria.
While they all three share unconventional business theories, they are all passionate to” create a fun neighborhood joint where people could get quality New York style pizza, all the while, create a sustainable business that could support all the creative ventures that they may be inspired to pursue.”
All three would say, without apologies, that life is too short to not enjoy the work you do. And so, with a lot of hard work, but with great joy, they launched Home Slice Pizza nearly 8 years ago and have poured their love and commitment into it every day since. My time with Jen and her team was truly a remarkable experience to hear their story and meet their family of employees and learn more about this place Austinites love so much!
The menu (the heart and the soul of Home Slice) has stayed the same since that day the conceived the idea. And this summer the family at Home Slice decided to add something new with the launch of the Sicilian style Pizza on Monday’s. A handcrafted square cut pizza, made with a unique dough and served in a unique slice.
The handful of images here are only a selection of the images that show the heart and soul of Home Slice- from the food, to the people, to the environment. For your own good, stop by, meet their team and indulge in Austin’s New York style pizzeria. You will be glad. You will be full when you leave. Trust me…
And when you leave, Jen, Joseph, Terri and the entire Home Slice family would all hope you felt loved well when you walked in their doors, that their team invested in your experience and that they made the world a better place while you were there. Phil Korshak, one of their original family members and employees, closed our meeting in saying, “Our goal is that your experience and food wouldn’t be good. Not even great. But that it would be awesome. Every time. We are known for authentic food done the old school way. Food made with love. But our focus is to make people’s day better than when they came in. Everyone who works here is thrilled to serve you. Our passion is hospitality.”
Home Slice Pizza | 1415 South Congress | Austin, TX 78704 |512-444.PIES
http://www.homeslicepizza.com
Épicerie Café + Grocery || Sarah McIntosh Austin, Texas
Sarah McIntosh provides a new Café + Grocery in Central Austin
Épicerie is a casual restaurant & grocery nestled on Hancock Street in Austin’s Rosedale neighborhood. The 60-seat cozy cafe specializes in French & Louisiana inspired cuisine and is the brainchild of Sarah McIntosh. While it just opened it’s doors in January 2013, Sarah comes to the neighborhood with many years of cooking & experience from refined restaurant kitchens like Ad Hoc, Olivia and Jeffrey’s.
While epiceries are very common in France and Europe and serve as a neighborhood community center for gathering, they are also common in Southern Louisiana where Sarah grew up. That is exactly why her dream was to always create a gathering place for people. “I think epiceries in general have a lot of soul and heart, and that’s really what we wanted to create here. We wanted to have really great food that doesn’t have to be really high end, but really delicious and really thoughtful.” This place is just that. People can walk up for a coffee and baguette, or stay for an afternoon and for a beautiful meal.
Épicerie is first & foremost a restaurant offering lunch and dinner, featuring a delicious selection of soups, salads, snacks, sandwiches and entrées. Plus, brunch on the weekends. And, as a market + grocery style cafe, it also offers customers a selection of nearly 60 cheeses, a dozen charcuterie meats and a handful of fresh pastries everyday. Sarah also stocks the market with an impressive, hand selected, variety of artisan products, such as sweet honey, gourmet jams, American sea salt, fine wines, handmade soaps and a number of other gourmet goods such as coffee and spices. “All of these products are things that I really love and have learned about working in kitchens across the nation,” she says. “I wanted to bring them all to one place, and I’m glad that I finally get to do that here.” If meats or products aren’t what you’re looking for, customers can always walk-in for local brewed coffee and simply order from the more casual counter-service to sit or go.
The interiors of Épicerie are stunning and undeniably beautiful. Sarah brought her dream to life by collaborating with Michael Hsu and his Office of Architecture, a firm known for designing beautifully architected restaurants like Olivia, Uchi, Sway, P. Terry’s and a number of other Austin hospitality concepts. You’ll see why Hsu is so sought after when you walk into this 1930s-style bungalow house and notice the impressive features, yet subtle details in things like light fixtures, colors, counter tops, and dining room furniture.
What’s on the summer and fall schedule for Épicerie and what’s keeping Sarah energized? The thing that get’s Sarah most excited is simply teaching others. Whether it’s educating her customers on quality product, introducing them to new foods or offering staples that keep them coming back wanting more and new options. {And bringing friends.}
As far as finding her inspiration and the new offerings she’ll provide into the fall, we’ll she often finds that inspiration when she’s most hungry and itching to expand from the known. So stay tuned for what she creates next. And stop by the market and enjoy the delightful & cozy cottage on Hancock Street.
Now you know that if you’re looking for a place to grab a bottle of wine, get some cheese, hang out and spend all afternoon, you’ll want to find yourself at Épicerie. And if you want to know my opinion, try the Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie …
claire mccormack photography | texas food photographer 