SunTrust Park Drinking and Dining

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Working with the AJC, I've gotten a fantastic feel of the rush of new restaurants coming to Smyrna, courtesy of the new SunTrust Park. What impressed me most was the variety, that you could get anything from typical "ball park" food such as hotdogs and beer (although, these are probably the best hotdogs and beer you will ever have) to an upscale steakhouse experience with oysters, lobster, and Tomahawk Ribeye. These restaurants are open both during the Atlanta Braves games and non-event days. Take a peek at a couple of our First Looks including Terrapin Taproom and Fox Brothers BBQ, Todd English Tavern, and C. Ellet's. 

Bacchanalia- Star Provisions

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Recently I had the pleasure of photographing a few dishes at Bacchanalia's new location in Westside for a ZAGAT First Look. Dishes pictured include the Summerland Farm Vegetables, an impressive "Fruits de Mer" seafood display, Red Cow Parmigiano, and a strawberry dessert with Georgia strawberries, milk, and honey. Always known for their farm-to-table style of cooking, this new location did not disappoint! As an added bonus, Star Provisions Market and Cafe is attached to the building.

New Studio

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Finally unpacked and have the new studio up and running! Great for food (newly renovated kitchen), portraits, products, etc. Contact me for availability and rates.

New Instagram Account- @miayakelphoto

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Most of you know I've been hesitant to the whole Instagram game... while it seems like a natural pull for a photographer, all of the filters and what not had me feeling like it lost touch with the craft! But, it is a fantastic way to share, and many of my clients have been asking about this so I decided to give it a try-

https://www.instagram.com/miayakelphoto/

First Look at American Cut for Zagat

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This beauty is from a first look at American Cut, new to Buckhead Atlanta. It is a Pastrami Bone-in Ribeye, with a side of steak sauce. Quite an impressive restaurant, this steakhouse is three stories and each floor has a different atmosphere. Check out the full story and more photos by Zagat here- https://www.zagat.com/b/atlanta/american-cut-atlanta-buckhead-steakhouse

Hampton and Hudson- The Atlantan Magazine

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Inman park has been so good to me... from photographing first looks to restaurant reviews, the creative genius in this district has left me salivating! This shoot at the new Hampton and Hudson was for a restaurant review in The Atlantan (out this month!). It was my first time working with them, couldn't be more pleased with both the teams both at the restaurant and the magazine. More good things to come.

www.hamptonandhudson.com

The Local Palate- Season's Eatings

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Branching more into the magazine world, this was my first opportunity to work with the awesome team at The Local Palate, and a third opportunity working with the great minds of Botiwalla at Ponce City Market! This story covers Chef Meherwan's newest kebab recipes for grilling this season. Dishes included are Tandoori Tri-Tip Kebab Sliders, Paneer Cheese and Veggie Kababs, Botiwalla Lamb Kababs, and his Cumin and Fennel Seed Dry Rub for ribeye and strip steaks. 

Doughnut Smackdown

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Cover stories for Creative Loafing are some of my all time favorites to photograph. This shoot couldn't be described as anything but fun- sampling, judging, and photographing some of the best sweets in Atlanta! The winner ended up being the Sunflower from Sarah Donut, a specialty doughnut that has sugar and cinnamon folded into the dough, and of course is shaped like a sunflower. The panel of judges included Adjoa Danso, Stephanie Dazey, Brad Kaplan, and Jennifer Zyman. Check out the story here to see some of the other doughnut contestants, behind the scenes notes, and more!

First Look- Brush Sushi Izakaya

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This First Look for the AJC was at Brush Sushi Izakaya in Decatur. Speaking with Chef Jason Liang, he explained that much inspiration was drawn from the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi (You've probably seen it on Netflix!). Particularly in reference to the small plates and nigiri sushi, his focus is on creating small bites of food packed with intricate flavors, rather than creating large dinner dishes. The menu, which is quite expansive, has many entrees and beautiful cocktails to choose from as well, take a look at the full article by Bob Townsend here.

Storico Fresco- Nero Pasta

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This cover story for the AJC (two covers in one day!) goes in depth on black squid ink pasta, specifically prepared by Chef Mike Patrick of Storico Fresco. Mike prepares three types of nero pasta, including Black Cavatelli with Lamb Sugo, Black Tortelli with Arrabbiata Sauce, and Black Chittara with Pancetta, Turnip Greens and Squid. In this story, Mike explains the history and differences of using squid ink in pasta in his dishes. Check out the full article here. Pastas are available for purchase at Storico Fresco, located in Buckhead, Atlanta. 

Hannah Chung $20 Dinner

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This story covers another successful $20 Dinner with Creative Loafing, this time with star chef Hannah Chung. I worked with her previously on a "Chefs to watch in 2015" assignment, which turned out to be quite an accurate prediction. She has now opened the new restaurant Simply Seoul Kitchen in Ponce City Market which features her signature kimchi and Korean steamed buns. For this dinner, Hannah prepares a stunning Bibimbap with ground beef bulgogi, fresh veggies, her famous kimchi, and soybean sprout soup. Check out the full story by Stephanie Dazey for recipes and more (as well as a page with a wonderfully insane amount of photos!). 

O4W Pizza- Anthony Spina and the Grandma Pie

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This cover story for the AJC goes into the kitchen with Chef Anthony Spina as he explains his recipe behind the quickly famous Grandma Pie. Breaking down all the ingredients, he goes step by step from how you form the dough to how you get the signature pools of melty mozzarella on top. Check out the full article and how-to video here. 

 

*Update this story was actually published twice! See slideshow below for the paper clippings-