The Pavilion is located in the Hilton Garden Inn, in downtown Manchester’s beautiful millyard area. Executive Chef Jason Jette, Sous Chef Vlad, and the team create such impressively stylish dishes that are so beyond anything you typically think of “hotel food.” When they started bringing out the dishes to photograph, I was kind of in jaw-dropping awe at each one, because everything that came out was bigger and more beautiful than the last. It is truly modern and creative food.
It was the kind of food that is so much fun to photograph. Each plate was an artistic creation of color, texture, height, and garnishes. No way was I able to shoot this food with the cold, impersonal tripod. Halfway through the very first dish I ripped my camera off the tripod and hand-held the rest of the shots in the session. I really, really hate using a tripod, as much as I try. I prefer to move my body with each shot to find all the little angles and nuances that bring out the most delicious details of the food.
It was a quiet Monday afternoon, luckily sunny out, and they let me use a beautiful little corner next to the bar, with windows on two sides. Could not have asked for a better place to do food shots. Of course I would have been perfectly happy in the broom closet if that was the only available spot. 🙂 As you can see, the food is unbelievable. If I were a guest at the Hilton I would absolutely be dining there for dinner, and in fact my husband and I have planned our next meal out there, being just 10 minutes away. 🙂 Really this experience was such a thrill for me and I was so excited to work with them on this project. Below are just a few of my own favorites.
Row 1: New York Sirloin, Cobb Salad, Pavilion Burger
Row 2: Atlantic Salmon, Rhode Island Style Fried Calamari, Penne Primavera
Row 3: Pork Chop, New England Crabcake, Dessert
