To let you in on a poorly-kept secret, I love to eat! And I love to find interesting places to try, especially when we go out of town.

During our trip to Seattle at the end of September, I had a short list of restaurants I wanted to try. Amber, a former bride of ours, lives in Seattle and was kind enough to provide recommendations as she and her husband Bryan are both foodies. I had to narrow down the list because our trip didn't allow for very much time on our own. I decided that I had to try Salumi, the salumeria owned by Mario Battali's father Armandino, and The Stumbling Goat (LOVE that name!), a bistro that uses natural and/or organic ingredients from local farmers. I'll describe our amazing dinner at The Stumbling Goat in a post in the near future.

As warned, there was a line out the door when we arrived at Salumi on a weekday. Parking is a pain if you aren't walking from a nearby office or taking public transportation. The "restaurant" is really a long, narrow space that just allows enough room for one line going in and the exiting patrons to squeeze themselves out the door. Past the counter, there are a handful of tables for two and one long communal table. Through another door, there was another room with seating where Armandino seemed to be entertaining some friends.

While waiting in line, I got the chance to sample several of their cured meats: the hot sopressata (hot as in spicy); molé (chocolate, cinnamon, ancho & chipotle peppers); and the finnochiona (cracked fennel, black pepper & a bit of curry). When I reached the counter, I explained this was my first visit and wasn't sure how to proceed with ordering. The woman behind the counter was very patient and kind in describing the various sandwiches, the types of meats and what we could order, despite the fact that there were about 15 people behind me. I ordered the hot sopressata sandwich with gorgonzola and Nader ordered the Salumi salami sandwich.

We were lucky enough to grab a tiny table; it was just a few feet away from the register. A carafe of water and glasses were provided on each table. Nader's camera and lens attracted the attention of Armandino and they had a brief chat, which was cool. :) The sandwich was really large, as you can see in the photos. It was mostly bread, which became overwhelming for me and I took the top off to minimize my carb overload. The gorgonzola that was sliced very thinly onto my sandwich was unctuous and I was glad that the slices were so thin. The creaminess and richness would have been too overpowering for me and the sopressata. Cooked onions and peppers along with a pesto-type garlic spread completed the sandwich filling. Nader's salami sandwich contained the same items except for cheese. We agreed that the bread was too much.

Overall, it was a tasty experience, and I'd go back again if I had the chance. Next time, I think we'll order the meat and cheese platter, which allows us to sample a little of everything without being overwhelmed by bread. Hopefully, that next time won't be too long of a wait . . .

-Donna

We are back! Thank you for your patience as we fell a little behind on updating our blog. To make up for the delay, we are posting some of our favorite photos from Pam and Allen's wedding held at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica.

Pam and Allen had us shoot their engagement session last January at a location that had sentimental value to them: The Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles.

Pam and Allen chose Shutters for their wedding because the beach-front resort was the location of their first date. The ceremony on the Pacific Terrace was very touching. Pam and Allen each read a love letter to each other; one letter was written during a difficult time and the other was written during a happy time. Their openness and willingness to profess their struggles and triumphs in front of so many people was amazing and special. I definitely had to fight back the tears!

The reception was a blast! Pam and Allen played a game in which they had to answer a series of questions (some personal and some embarrassing) about their relationship. They would answer each question by holding up a paddle that had a picture of their own face or that of their spouse's to indicate who they thought the question best applied to. The kicker was that if Allen answered incorrectly, one of his groomsmen had to take off an article of clothing.

To top off the evening, which had plenty of dancing thanks to the skilled mixing of Tony Liebetrau from RedShoe Productions, Pam had a mobile massage team give complimentary foot massages to her guests and bridal party. What a great way to end the evening!

Enjoy the photos, and our heartfelt congratulations to Pam and Allen!

Did the summer fly by for you? It sure did for us. We are excited about the cooling temperatures here in the desert -- it's amazing what a difference ten degrees can make!

Now that fall is coming, thoughts turn to the holidays and gift-giving. Or, perhaps, you would like to purchase something for your new home. Gallery-wrapped canvas prints make perfect gifts or home accents. Save yourself time and money with canvas prints -- no need to search and pay for a coordinating frame. The canvas wrap is ready to hang when it arrives.

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From the time your order is placed with the canvas maker, it will take approximately one to two weeks for completion. Since the holidays are fast approaching, I would recommend putting in your order with Red Lantern Photography as soon as possible.

For a modern and streamlined presentation of your photos, the canvas print is the one to choose!