As a food photographer in Boston I spend a great deal of time in restaurants, bars, and hotels, seeing what chefs are up to. When the world started to shut its doors last spring I didn’t think it’d be so long before I’d go back to see them, and I had no idea how much I’d miss it. After a year in this pandemic, with vaccines on the way, and spring coming, I’m starting to think about the things I’m most excited to get back to. I can’t wait to get rid of my mask. I can’t wait for long days in the summer sun. And most definitely, I can’t wait to go back to restaurants in a real way. To dine gloriously on creative and delicious food in the soft evening light and the din of a crowd.
In the mean time I’ve been looking through some old assignments to remind me of all the places I want to go back to and the people I want to see.
First up, some clam chowder at Legal Seafoods Harborside to visit Chef Rich Vellante.
Part of the reason that I’m excited to get back to restaurants is to give my pans a rest, toss my spatulas aside, and to just say ‘I’ll have that. Thank you.’ (Thank you, Thank you, Thank you) But, the other reason is because I love food that is thoughtfully conceived, artfully plated, and served with pride. It brings me joy to see someone wildly express themselves on the blank canvas of a plate while attending to one of our most basic needs.
Chef Peter Ungar and his team at the Tasting Counter have constantly inspired me with the amazing dishes they’ve come up with and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us this year.
Wrapping up my ode to restaurants redux with this cocktail I shot a few years ago for Northshore Magazine at The Bancroft in Burlington. It’s called the Cheap Trick and uses Empress Gin. The gin has butterfly pea blossom extract which changes color when it mixes with acids from citrus. I miss watching bartenders create magic right in front of our eyes and can’t wait to get back out there to see what they’ve been working on all this long while.
You can see more of my restaurant photography around Boston here.
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