Over the past five or so years, the QCA has grown exponentially. It harnesses restaurants with cuisines that very from contemporary Mexican cuisine, to contemporary Asian cuisine, to some of the best breakfast spots you could ever imagine. Don’t get me wrong, even though a lot of restaurants are taking contemporary approaches to traditional American/Mexican dishes, you can still find some of the best traditional cuisines from all over the globe. It’s a real beautiful thing.

Photographed at Miss Phay Cafe in Davenport, Iowa, this Drunken Noodles dish is an absolute must have!

As someone who has grown up in the Quad Cities, I never can remember noticing much diversity in the cuisine around the QCA. Let alone, any type of cuisine other than just traditional American cuisine. (With a little bit of Biaggis sprinkled in there on special occasions). Maybe that was just because I wasn’t exposed to it as much? Or maybe it was because I was a super picky eater as a child and my parents didn’t want to put up with my complaining about spice or different textures? Or who knows what! What I am trying to say is that I know for a fact that a lot of these prestigious restaurants I find myself at today, did not exist when I was growing up here.

One of my all time top favorite restaurant digs in the Downtown Davenport area is The Half Nelson. The dish photographed here is Scallops Capellini.

As I said before, I grew up here. But I have also moved away. I’ve lived in different parts of Iowa and even different states. When I was not here, I always had felt like something was always pulling me back to the Quad Cities. My food photography career hasn’t always been steady. I’ve lost my way, been discouraged, and tried other professions as well as different genres of photography. But food and food photography have always been near and dear to me. When I moved back to the QCA I realized that this is where I needed to be to really commit to my career in food, beverage, and restaurant photography. I realized that that thing that was pulling me back was all of the new and creative digs happening in the area. Restaurants being a big one, obviously!

Verde Contemporary Mexican is located right in the heart of Downtown Bettendorf. Do yourself a favor, go there.

There is something to be said about where you grew up. Though I always wanted to get the hell out of the Quad Cities when I was growing up here, it has become a place I would no rather be. I guess when you spend so much of your life in one area, you develop a real connection and appreciation for the place that allowed you to experience so much life and so much change. The people who make up this great area are also responsible for my love of the QCA. When I seen how many incredible people were bringing so much creativity and innovation into the restaurant industry here, I knew immediately that I wanted to be apart of it as well.

The Mississippi River Distilling Company is a mandatory experience in the Quad Cities

I look at my food photography as my way of, one, giving back to local restaurants by providing them art that they can be proud of. And two, it is also my way of showing off the restaurant industry in the Quad Cities in a light that has never truly shined on it. I have an incredibly amount of respect for all of these restaurant owners I work with, the chefs, servers, etc. and I believe that their hard work & passion deserves to be showcased in a unique way. In hopes that it can help market their businesses to not only more people in the community, but to people beyond our community as well.

The Quad Cities is blossoming, the restaurant industry here is blossoming and I aim to capture it.