Dame Restaurant opened in NE Portland in mid-September with a menu of seasonal foods and natural wines. I had the pleasure of working with owners Dana Frank and Jane Smith leading up to the opening to capture the food of Chef Eli Dahlin, the gorgeous space, and the wine curated by Dana, a nationally-recognized sommelier. The restaurant has already caught attention near and far, with good reason. It's comfortable, yet sophisticated and feels simultaneously like a neighborhood bar and a destination restaurant on the food tourist's map.

I thoroughly enjoyed the process of working alongside Dana, Jane, and Eli as the restaurant neared the opening and the menu items and restaurant interior came to life. Plating and presentation were adjusted under the close inspection of my camera lens, while finishing design touches were made to the space itself. The details and amount of care put into everything made it such a pleasure to photograph, from the handmade ceramics from Jono Pandolfi to the linens sewn by Jane's mother.

Dame Restaurant 2930 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR, 97217