Do photographers get to eat the food from photo shoots?

Sometimes. Dishes that were not heavily styled often go to the back of house crew. Plates that were tweaked to look their best on camera can end up not very edible, and those get tossed. Restaurants sometimes box a dish up for the photographer to take home, and occasionally invite them to eat in house. A professional never assumes, and always plans to eat afterward.

The Barn Yard bloody mary with a whole roasted chicken at Farmer's Table, Bay Park, San Diego

San Diego Restaurant Photography: The Venues, 2013 to Now

I’ve been photographing San Diego restaurants since 2013. Menus, editorial features, chef portraits, and the rooms themselves, from Little Italy tasting counters to Coronado hotel dining rooms. Much of this work was shot on assignment for Westways and AAA publications. This is a look at some of the venues I’ve had the pleasure to photograph, and a few stories from along the way.

Bay Park

Farmer’s Table

I’ve been back to both locations a couple times since photographing this ridiculous bloody mary, and I’ve gone ahead and ordered it too. It’s called The Barn Yard, and ridiculous is the technical term: a whole roasted chicken perched on top, skewers of bacon wrapped shrimp and street corn, roughly ten pounds of brunch in a single pitcher. Food Network put it on a list of the most over the top bloody marys in America, and I can confirm from both sides of the camera that it earns the title. It is delicious and a fun share for two.

Farmer's Table restaurant photography, Bay Park, San Diego

Bankers Hill

Parc Bistro-Brasserie

French brasserie classics in the former Croce’s space at Fifth and Laurel.

French brasserie dish at Parc Bistro-Brasserie, Bankers Hill, San Diego

Mister A’s

A San Diego institution since 1965, twelve floors up on Fifth Avenue. These two are from an earlier chapter of my archive, photographed in 2014.

Raspberry torte dessert at Mister A's, San Diego

Little Italy

Herb & Wood

If you’re shooting food in San Diego you can’t help but bump into Brian Malarkey a few times. Along with Herb & Wood, his Puffer Malarkey Collective runs Herb & Sea up in Encinitas, plus Animae and Le Coq, where two time James Beard finalist Tara Monsod leads the kitchens. TV viewers will know Brian from Top Chef and as a regular judge on Guy’s Grocery Games and Chopped. My assignment included a chef portrait, and Brian insisted on including his teammates, which I thought was a cool gesture. Brian has a big personality and has contributed a ton to the local food scene here.

Dish at Herb & Wood, Brian Malarkey's Little Italy restaurant, San Diego

Born & Raised

Born & Raised was, and still is, extravagantly swanky. My friend Zack Benson photographed the interior shortly after I was there to shoot the food, and the space is stunning. People often ask if I get to eat the food on my shoots. Well, I vividly remember eating the steak tartare here. I was in a hurry with a lot going on, and I was genuinely glad I didn’t down a filet and a dessert and end up in a food coma. It was delicious, and the best possible protein boost for a busy day. Job perks, am I right?

Dish at Born & Raised steakhouse, Little Italy, San Diego

Born & Raised steakhouse photography, Little Italy, San Diego

“Do you get to eat the food on your shoots?”

Sometimes. If I don’t touch a dish to style it or mess with it too much, it often goes to back of house, which is fine by me. They’re working harder than this hipster lighting nerd and 100 percent deserve it. Sometimes the chef and I will tweak a plate to the point where it looks amazing on camera but isn’t exactly edible anymore, and it gets tossed. Sometimes they box it up for me to take home, which is swell, and sometimes I even get invited to eat in house. It’s been an incredible perk of the job. But I never make assumptions, and I always plan to eat afterward. That’s just the professional way to play it cool. Drool internally, make no assumptions.

Cloak & Petal

Sushi and izakaya dishes under a canopy of cherry blossoms on India Street.

Japanese dish at Cloak & Petal restaurant, Little Italy, San Diego

Cloak & Petal restaurant photography, Little Italy, San Diego

Izakaya dish at Cloak & Petal, Little Italy, San Diego

Food photography at Cloak & Petal, Little Italy, San Diego

North Park

Quixote

Quixote sits inside the Lafayette Hotel, the 1946 landmark on El Cajon Boulevard that hosted young Hollywood back in the day, Sinatra and Bob Hope included, before its recent top to bottom revival. The dining room was built from a deconstructed 110 year old Mexican church, and it shows: this is a super cool venue that reminds me of a haunted Catholic church. Super dark, stained glass everywhere, and some top notch Mexican food. I was also able to take on an extern for this one, John Jacobs, a photography teacher at Scripps Ranch High School. Big thanks to him for providing an extra set of eyes and hands, because parking and load in and load out are never easy in this neck of the woods.

Quixote restaurant photography, Lafayette Hotel, North Park San Diego

Dining room at Quixote inside the Lafayette Hotel, North Park San Diego

La Jolla

Marisi

I photographed Marisi for a Westways review, and Chef Cameron Ingle turned out to be one of the most easygoing chefs I’ve worked with. At one point he told me he wasn’t much good at plating. This is a man who cooked at Bestia and at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and whose gnocchi ended up as the lead photo in the magazine review. I respectfully disagreed with his self-assessment. La Jolla is lucky to have him.

Dish at Marisi Italian restaurant, La Jolla

Marisi restaurant photography, La Jolla, San Diego

Following along? I post the behind‑the‑scenes from shoots like this on Instagram → @robandrewphoto

Bistro du Marché

Chef Jean-Michel Diot’s neighborhood French bistro on Girard Avenue, from the family behind the beloved Tapenade. Escargots, lobster bisque, and the kind of classic technique that photographs beautifully.

French cuisine at Bistro du Marche by Tapenade, La Jolla

Dish at Bistro du Marche, La Jolla French bistro

One building, three restaurants

The building at 2259 Avenida de la Playa in La Jolla Shores keeps reinventing itself. I photographed tacos there when it was Galaxy Taco, and a burger when it became Sandpiper. Shio is next.

Food photography at Galaxy Taco, La Jolla Shores

Food photography at Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill, La Jolla Shores

Dish at Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill, La Jolla Shores

Coronado

Serea

Ocean to table dining at the Hotel del Coronado, with Chef JoJo Ruiz’s sustainable seafood and one of the best sunset patios in the county.

Dish at Serea restaurant, Hotel del Coronado

Serea Coastal Cuisine photography, Coronado

Food photography at Serea, Hotel del Coronado

Barrio Logan

Ciccia Osteria

Ciccia Osteria is highly rated, but still, in my opinion, a hidden gem. People just don’t think of Barrio Logan for Italian food, and they’re often surprised when I tell them this is one of my favorites in San Diego. It’s Italian family owned, with a small shop inside and covered patio seating. Everything is delicious, and I was pleasantly surprised at how affordable it can be.

Handmade pasta at Ciccia Osteria, Barrio Logan, San Diego

Embarcadero

Carnitas’ Snack Shack

The pork centric San Diego original. I photographed the menu in the North Park days; the Embarcadero location carries the torch today.

Dish at Carnitas' Snack Shack, San Diego

Carnitas' Snack Shack menu photography, San Diego

North County

Chick & Hawk, Encinitas

Chick & Hawk is exactly what I hoped for from a Tony Hawk restaurant: 80s decor and a casual vibe, with the interior paying tribute to the old Del Mar Skate Ranch where Hawk skated as a kid. He opened it in late 2025 with chef Andrew Bachelier after years of delays, and management says Tony can still be spotted there from time to time. Weirdly, my favorite thing was the maitake mushroom nugs. Beautiful texture and flavor. Then again, I’ve never been a big chicken sandwich guy, so that may just be me. One local tip: parking is rough, so skip the lot, park in a neighborhood nearby, and take a little walk.

My photographs from this shoot appear in AAA’s review of Chick & Hawk.

Chick & Hawk, Tony Hawk's restaurant in Encinitas

Food photography at Chick & Hawk, Encinitas

Dish at Chick & Hawk, Tony Hawk's Encinitas restaurant

Mesa Agricola, Escondido

Mesa Agricola is a tiny counter service taqueria run by a chef and farmer husband and wife team, who grow much of the menu on their own farm in Valley Center. The space is small enough that I set up on the sidewalk out front to photograph their tacos.

Agricola restaurant photography, North County San Diego

Wood fired dish at Agricola, North County San Diego

Behind the scenes: photo set built on the sidewalk outside Mesa Agricola, Escondido

Where it started

Bellamy’s, Escondido

This is one of the first food photography assignments I caught for a magazine, and now I live right down the street from it. They’re still cranking out some amazing food and have live music on the weekends. I was a little nervous about doing well on this shoot, and I was probably in here shooting five plates for four hours. It was a learning experience. Most editorial assignments at this level I can now complete in 60 to 90 minutes and turn in a very tight edit that I am confident in. I have also learned a lot about food, and my tastes have gotten more and more expensive as a result of this job. Bit of a mixed blessing.

Bellamy's Restaurant, Escondido, photographed 2013

Dish at Bellamy's Restaurant, Escondido, 2013

Puesto, La Jolla

I photographed Puesto’s original La Jolla location on Wall Street back in 2013, when that one taco shop was the whole company. These days there are Puestos across California, a stand in Petco Park, and a Nashville opening on the calendar. It’s been fun watching them take off.

If your San Diego restaurant needs new menu, editorial, or brand photography, take a look at my food and beverage work and get in touch.

I share the lighting setups and behind‑the‑scenes from shoots like this on Instagram.

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