Thank you, Umami! Awesome Restaurant!

A blog post by Curator Karen Falk.

We recently shot some photographs for our Chosen Food exhibition during dinner hour at Umami Bistro on Reisterstown Road. It was a Monday night, a day selected because the manager told us it would be the slowest night of the week. Sure enough, when we arrived, only half the tables were filled. Our wonderful photographer, Will Kirk, did a color test while I spoke to patrons at nearby tables and warned them we might be a little disruptive and asked if they had any objection to finding themselves in the background of our photos (no one minded in the least). Our “models” ordered their food and we started taking pictures.

The food came, and so did more customers. It wasn’t long until every seat in the restaurant was filled. It was a festive crowd, including tables filled with coworkers celebrating the season and guests at a baby shower, complete with piles of gifts. Soon, there was no room between the tables for a photographer and his equipment, a photo “director” (me), along with the busy wait staff trying to do their jobs.

Through it all, the owner and staff at Umami was friendly, helpful and thoroughly professional. The food was up to their always delicious standards, and our photos came out beautiful. Check out the exhibit in a couple of weeks for some new photos! And check out Umami for an awesome meal!