I shot the art and architecture for this book and it's now a collector's item....

This book came out in 2005 and it's now a collector's item.  I saw it on Amazon.com listed new for over $1,000.  Amazing.

Fonda San Miguel is one of those restaurants that just gets better and better.  Its cuisine is all about interior Mexican meets haute cuisine.  Amazing stuff.  And really wonderful collections of art all over the walls.  The walls themselves are the result of two years of custom mural painting by a well regarded, Mexico City based mural painter.  Everything about the restaurant is exciting and artful.

I've documented the art, the murals and the decor at the restaurant for nearly a decade.  In 2005 the owner, Tom Gilliland, decided to do a book.  The actual food shots were done by San Antonio food specialist, Tracy Mauer.  The rest of the art is from my collection.  In 2006 the book won international awards for design.

Ben, Belinda and I had dinner there last Saturday night.  The house was packed.  The line for valet parking stretched down the street for half a block.  Every spot in the bar and lounge areas was filled.  Bright drinks and bottles of wine floated around on waiter's trays like a fast motion scene from a movie.

The wait for walk-ins was around two hours.  The smart people made reservations a week or two in advance.  Recession?  Not here.

We had a great meal.  The little things make a difference.  Hand made tortillas.  Perfect Pork Conchinita. Well crafted Mojitos.  A mellow and satisfying Chili Relleño.  A professional waiter with real charm.  I watched the staff work.  Every diner felt special.

Fun to have done this project.  Even more fun to know that we'll be back time and time again.  Not just for the food but also to watch the ever changing show of art on the walls.

If you come to Austin you might want to make time to try this place.  Call ahead for reservations.  Weekends?  Call way ahead.