Last month Urbanite sent me on a journey to two locations that couldn’t be more different. I went to Vino Rosina, a cute little wine bar in Harbor East and I went to Hunan Taste, a very unique Asian restaurant in Catonsville.

Vino Rosina is completely adorable. It’s in the heart of Harbor East, Baltimore’s newest trendy neighborhood. Although I didn’t get to taste the food (or drink any wine ) the staff was very friendly and the decor is SWEET! It would make a great date spot.

I can’t even tell you the shenanigans I went through to get the photos for Hunan Taste!

All I can say is that it involved some espionage and some exotic fruits…. If you’re an adventurous eater, you HAVE to go to this place. This is the first place I’ve seen everything from frog legs to tripe on the menu. If you don’t know what tripe is, here is a link to the photos I took for an article in urbanite: TRIPE!!!

Anyway, I ordered the safest things on the menu cuz I’m a chicken. The Incense Mint Port was actually pretty good and perhaps I’ll be brave enough to try some of the other options with a group of adventurous friends.

Let me just start by saying if you haven’t been to Kooper’s for a burger, then you’ve been missing out BIG TIME!

In fact, I don’t even know what else is on the menu! (There’s lots, but I have only tried the burgers).

My love affair with the Kooper’s burger started several years ago when I lived in Fells Point. Every Tuesday I would walk down to Kooper’s with a group of my friends for half-priced burger night. This is not a scam, this is the real deal. A big ‘ole quality burger and fries for less than a meal at Mickey D’s.

The Chowhound truck takes Kooper’s on the road to various places around the city. I caught up with them at a parking lot in a busy office area. The people basically sprinted to the truck as they opened at 11am on the dot. Chow Time Baby! And I will confirm that the burgers from the truck are just as good as the ones in Fell’s Point. You can check their website to figure out where they are.

Read more about the truck in Urbanite’s September 2010 issue!

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I admit that I’ve been concentrating a whole lot on portraits and weddings this past year. But another one of my favorite subjects to shoot is food. Glorious, delicious, decadent FOOD!

This first photo is from The Diablita Cantina in Harbor East. This cute little eatery opened not too long ago. The atmosphere is very cozy and feels well-worn, like a pair of great shoes. There are lots of familiar Mexican entrees on the menu, as well as unexpected ones like the pulled pork empanadas shown below.

I used to work in the Hamden area and I never realized that The Dogwoood had such an intricate and artistic interior. I mean somebody REALLY put

some thought and effort into the decor. And as you can see, they plate their food with the same amount of care and panache. The staff there was really friendly (Notice I don’t say that about all the places I shoot at). I will be adding The Dogwood to my list of romantic date night spots for sure!

You can read more about these places on the Urbanite’s Website.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted some food photos. If you know me, you know that I love to eat (much to the dismay of my personal trainer). My love for food plus my numerous freelance food assignments from Urbanite Magazine equals one happy photographer. Here are some shots from a few recent food outings.

Food Photos by LaKaye Mbah

Food Photography by LaKaye Mbah

Bon A petite!

Hey Folks,

I’ve been so busy with catching up on marketing tasks and with creating a new website for art photos and events (www.soulsticecity.com) that I’ve neglected my blog. =(

I have some catching up to do so with no time to waste, I’d like to introduce you to my May Food Review images featured in Urbanite.   

The first place I shot for the May Food review was Abey Burger Bisto in Federal Hill. I tried my best to order the most interesting item on the menu and even though it looks like breakfast. I know this doesn’t look like it, but trust me, there was beef under all that egg. 

The second place was Grano on W.

36th Street. I wish I had known about this little eatery when I worked in Hamden. The people were so nice and it truly was the best puttenessca sauce I have ever had. 

Stay tuned for more posts!

Once again, I had the pleasure of shooting at two awesome restaurants.

Restaurant Sabor in Lutherville and Indigma in Mt. Vernon are both manned by talented chefs with big personalities! Read the complete reviews online at http://www.urbanitebaltimore.com or you can pick up the magazine at one of Urbanite’s 600 plus drop locations.

Restaurant Sabor

Indigma

This kale was an opening image for the food section. 

I’m extremely pleased that the good folks at Urbanite Magazine asked me to shoot the cover images for the March issue.  This month highlights the  Urbanite Project, now in it’s 3rd year.  They ask two people (or groups) from different walks of life to come together to discuss how to fix one of Baltimore’s problems. Some answers are practical, some are fun, but they’re always creative. I also shot the team portraits for the website and the magazine. See more photos and read about the project at http://www.urbanitebaltimore.com/project. 

I also have the pleasure of being their go-to gal for food photos. Visiting awesome restaurants such as The Metropolitan Coffeehouse and Wine Bar in Federal Hill and Lucy’s Irish Pub and Restaurant in Baltimore’s growing Westside district were the highlights of my month. 

I’m very proud of this issue and I’m especially proud to freelance for such an awesome publication!

For those of you who don’t know, I work full-time for Urbanite Magazine, a Baltimore-based publication. I’ve been here for some time and I’ve been a staff photographer for about a year. As my skills have improved, I’ve had the opportunity to shoot more often and better subjects.

I shot the images for the feature in the December issue, and they decided to use a few of the images to design the cover. While I don’t think these represent my best work, I’m very proud to have finally made the cover.

If you’d like to see more images or to read the article, visit: http://www.urbanitebaltimore.com/sub.cfm?issueID=67&sectionID=4&articleID=1109.

You would think it would be easy to take a photo of a non-moving wine glass on a white background. But, think again! I was assigned to do this photo for my job and I had to consult many books, including: Light, Science & Magic: http://www.flickr.com/groups/84897717@N00/ to figure out how to do it. It’s an awesome book and I would recommend it to anybody.

Here is one photo from the shoot. I’m proud of it!

Stay tuned for more!