Back in June of last year, a group of twelve of us had an incredible experience dining at The French Laundry in Napa Valley. Immediately afterwards, we started plotting our next group dining experience and set our sights on Alinea in Chicago. I really liked the idea of dining with a group, but after my inquiry returned a quote of $36,500…
We walked into the former macaroni factory-turned-artists’ lofts, a character-filled space perfectly befitting Jessica and Alex. After we ascended six flights of stairs, we were treated to the most spectacular gem, with all of downtown Chicago ready to serve as the backdrop to the wedding ceremony. It turns out those 80% chance thunderstorm forecasts were all bluster….
I absolutely love this idea: professional portraits on vacation. Amanda and Todd have been married for a couple years and live in a small community in Manitoba, the centermost province of Canada. They run a family grain & bean farm,which always makes their vacations well-earned and much appreciated. They are always plotting their travels, so when Amanda and Todd…
Four Chicago boys and me. I picked up Vince and his brother Kevin who had each flown in to SFO, and we drove southeast from the Bay Area while Alex and Eric drove northeast from Los Angeles. Our destination: Sequoia National Park, one of the nine national parks in California. We would camp for two nights…
In mid-July, I found myself taking a spontaneous trip to Chicago to meet Jesse who was there for work. We then commenced with lots of eating and even a bit of boating. Meal one as soon as I got in from O’Hare: Boka, (located next door to Alinea, but we’ll be back for that next…
July started with a bang as we headed to Atelier Crenn, recently remodeled with brand new interiors and an expanded tasting menu. Chef Dominique Crenn is oft cited as the only female chef in the country who has two Michelin stars, and she very memorably writes her menus as poems, with each line representing one…
We awoke on day three of our Sequoia/Kings Canyon camping trip and got ready to tackle the 9-mile hike for the day. Our campsite for this second night was pretty perfect, with the sound of the river nearby, tall trees surrounding a clearing, and nice flat ground for all our tents. We packed up everything…
We opened the second half of 2014 with a lovely week in the Bay Area when Jesse came to visit. Basically, we ate our way around the Bay and enjoyed some Fourth of July fireworks too. We got to use the remainder of a gift certificate I had to Pizzaiolo in Oakland. And them some ice…
My first visit to Houston! I was Jesse’s guest to his friend Stephanie’s wedding. We were in Houston for only two days, but we survived the stifling humidity to enjoy this beautiful wedding and check out… the mall? See below! Ashton Gardens was such a gorgeous venue just north of Houston. Everything was indoors but…
Back in New York City again! I photographed this beautiful Brooklyn wedding in June, and of course I got to spend some time exploring more of Manhattan while I was there. We kick it off with a classic shot of Grand Central Station– this was en route to our Blue Hill at Stone Barns day trip….
On an absolutely beautiful early summer day, we hopped on a train from Grand Central and headed thirty miles north of Manhattan to the bucolic Stone Barns Center in New York. Blue Hill is a restaurant located on Stone Barns, their sister farm. We spent the afternoon nibbling on bites from the farmer’s market and the…
I visit Seattle pretty regularly but it had been two years since my last visit, so when the opportunity came up to pick a west coast destination for Memorial Day, we flew on over to Seattle. As always, it was a wonderful time with delicious eats and good friends! Our first stop from the airport: The Whale Wins. Margaret…