Paul Lender

About Left of Center Photography

Left of Center Photography is simple, relaxed, fun photography that captures clients being themselves. The studio comes to you so that your photos are in the places that are part of your memories.

Tag: ‘spice’



Spice Kitchen+Bar

Saturday, January 21st, 2012

My good friends at Spice of Life Catering Company have opened up a restaurant on Cleveland’s West Side.  You’ll find it right on the corner of Detroit and W 58th Street.   Not only will you find great food and a nice atmosphere, but you also find six huge prints from Left of Center Photography hanging on the walls!

Toward the end of last summer, while I was eating under the trees at Holden Arboretum with Chef Ben and his wife Jackie, they mentioned  that in their search for a new kitchen, they found a whole restaurant.   I asked if they were going to need any art to decorate the place but at that point they weren’t exactly sure since it was all so new.  Fast forward to late this winter and I get a call from Jackie asking if I had anything they could use.  She described the style they had in mind and my heart sank.  I knew I just didn’t have it in my portfolio.  The best way to describe it would be a late fall/early winter harvest type of imagery.  And with Cleveland not exactly having a typical snowy winter I didn’t see much opportunity to go out and capture some pictures that would fit the need.

Then, just two days before Christmas it snowed.  I also just happened to find myself out in eastern Ohio farm country.  Luck was on my side.  A few hours in the car and I had what I hoped they were looking for and it turns out that I did.

Spice

Squash Soup

Apple Tree

Bar Lights

Winter Apples

Menu

Table Art

Winter Farm

Winter Field

Winter Field

Just last Tuesday the restaurant opened up.  The prints made it there that day and are on display until Spring.  Stop down, grab a bite to eat and check them out!

 

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

A few weeks back I got to spend the evening with Ben, Brandon, Jess and the rest of the crew that makes up Spice of Life Catering while they served up dinner at Auburn Twin Oaks Winery down in Chagrin Falls.   This is the third year I’ve work with Spice of Life on these dinners and they just keep getting better and better.

The night began with appetizers and cocktails before heading out on a short tour of the winery.   As usual, dinner followed the tour.  Each course was paired with a wine from Auburn Twin Oaks.   Once we were happy and fed, we all walked back up to the main building for more wine and dessert.  Did I mention this place had wine?  There was very good wine.  And chocolates.  And pork belly.  And sirloin…  The meal was good.  Better than good.  It always is.

Not sure how many dates are left for this summer, but if your interested give Spice of Life a call and book one of these meals before the season ends.  If you can’t get in this year, then you should make a point to get out and spend an evening or two with them next year.  It’s a great time!

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes: Auburn Twin Oaks

Plated Landscapes – Mackenzie Creamery

Friday, November 12th, 2010

I got an email from the crew over at Spice of Life Catering asking me if I’d like to bring Lori out for dinner and shoot their last Plated Landscapes event of the season.  They had me at dinner.

The event was back at the Mackenzie Creamery in Hiram.  Jean makes fantastic goat cheese and just won a first place award for one of her creations.

Hard to believe, it was just about a year ago that I met Jess, Ben and Brandon at Mackenzie Creamery to shoot with them for the first time.  If you click over to their website, most of the images are from that dinner and were taken by yours truly! ;)

Greeted by a happy chicken.  Happy because she wasn’t on the menu!

Plated Landscapes - Mackenzie Creamery

Plated Landscapes - Mackenzie Creamery Plated Landscapes - Mackenzie Creamery

Plated Landscapes - Mackenzie Creamery

Plated Landscapes - Mackenzie Creamery

Plated Landscapes - Mackenzie Creamery

Plated Landscapes - Mackenzie Creamery Plated Landscapes - Mackenzie Creamery

Plated Landscapes - Mackenzie Creamery

Plated Landscapes - Mackenzie Creamery Plated Landscapes - Mackenzie Creamery

Plated Landscapes - Mackenzie Creamery

Plated Landscapes – Dinner in the City

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Last month Lori and I got a night away and went to eat with the fine folks from Spice of Life Caterers at one of their Plated Landscape events.  The food was fantastic.  The hosts were fantastic.  Ben, Brandon, Jess and the crew ooze cool.  I think they cook with it like it’s umami.

Last night I got to go behind the scenes and get all photojournalistic while covering their Urban Landscape dinner that was held at the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s Urban Farm on East 66th Street.  If you don’t think you can farm on your little backyard in the ‘burbs, you should stop down and check out what these guys are doing in the middle of Cleveland!  A really nice garden that provided a lot of the vegetables we ate last night.

Plated Landscapes-57

The Table is Set

Nice View from the Kitchen

Urban Garden

Nature's Fireworks

Golden Cooks

Steak and Potatoes

Candle Light Dinner

 

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