Sometimes client work is a dream. (What am I saying? I’m a food photographer. It’s always a dream.) And The Cortez Seafood + Cocktail is as dreamy as it gets.
At the helm are Oscar Diaz and Charlie Ibarra. Oscar just landed a 2019 James Beard Semifinalist nod, while Charlie grew up in his family’s Tex-Mex restaurants before becoming an entrepreneur in his own right. The pair are making a big splash in downtown Raleigh with their take on, well, seafood and cocktails. But in innovative ways that only two Mexican-American- Southern kids can create.
Cortez is among a fresh lineup of dining led by first-generation restaurateurs, helping to create more open-minded palates in the South. In this case, it offers a deeper understanding of Mexican-American cuisine through menu items that go beyond queso dip and smothered enchiladas. With families rooted in Jalisco, Mexico, Oscar and Charlie are inspired by the cuisine of Mexico’s Pacific coast and extending even further west to Baja California.
They combine this rooted insight with the way they have bloomed North Carolina. Think a rotating carte du jour based in seafood fished that morning in the Outer Banks, brightened by citrus and fresh chiles. Or a playful spin on classic fast food called the MexRib, a sandwich made with local meat featuring a homemade sweet barbecue sauce reminiscent of driving through the golden arches for an after-school snack. It’s that multicultural soul that landed Oscar and Charlie in TIME magazine, repping the South proudly. Add to that an interactive dessert program by pastry chef Marco Zapata, cheeky tiki cocktails by Megan Corbally and an open kitchen and you’ve got a fiery playground for seasoned gourmands and newbies.
Client Feature: Cortez Seafood + Cocktail
The ambiance in Cortez sets the stage for beautiful photographs. Chef Oscar said he envisioned an experience that felt like landing on a tropical island after a stormy shipwreck—hence all the foliage, moody lighting, hints of teal and the teak tone in the handmade wood tables I used that inspiration in my photographs, while also keeping in mind that the restaurant is located on downtown Raleigh’s Glenwood Avenue, a more flashy, poppy, party neighborhood. With the bright colors at my disposal, I can also use the creamy, grey-ish stone bar as a canvas to highlight both the playful colors and sophisticated technique of the dishes. One side of the space is floor-to-ceiling windows, so beautiful natural sunlight gets in easily. When I do use a flash, I use my profoto A1.
Needless to say, my shoots at Cortez are incredibly tasty, sometimes boozy and definitely hilarious. This crew knows how to have fun!
