The December issue of Down East Magazine recently came out and I was so excited to see the dining spread featuring the photos I shot at Maine’s newest tapas restaurant, Toroso. Seeing that our dear friend, Michaela Cavallaro, wrote the accompanying article made it even more of a thrill!

Shooting Shannon & Tom Bard’s latest venture in Kennebunk earlier this fall was one of the most enjoyable food shoots I’ve had in a long time. Not only are they both incredibly warm and personable, they assembled a variety of stunning dishes for me to shoot and invited their close friends to partake in the fun and serve as models for me. In addition to shooting Toroso’s beautiful styled tapas dishes, I simply couldn’t get enough of the modern, upscale decor of the dining room and the stunning blue & white tile that contrasts so well with the rustic look of the bar.

Of the nearly 15 dishes I photographed for the Down East article, a few stand out in my mind as being exceptional and the ones that I’ll definitely be looking for on the menu the next time Michael and I visit Toroso together – the patatas bravas (confit fingerling potatoes with spicy tomato-red pepper sauce, sherry allioli, and sweet paprika), the croquetas de jamon (classic Spanish fritter with Serrano, Manchego and a tomato salmorejo), the pimientos con rabo de toro (oxtail stuffed piquillo peppers, parsley oil, red pepper, and tomato cream), and my very favorite, the pollo y huevo (pan seared local chicken breast served with confit rosemary potato, truffled tomato jus, and local egg). If that list and those ingredients doesn’t inspire you to plan a festive night out in Kennebunk at Toroso, I’m not sure what will.

Photos taken by Meredith Perdue for Down East Magazine.