14 years ago I moved to the beautiful borough of queens. Big dreams in my mind and almost no life skills at all, the corner bodega became my salvation. $5 sandwiches ready all day all night were a welcome solution to my lack of knowledge in the kitchen. 48 Deli and Grill wasn’t just the spot for snacks it was the image of that block.

A few years later i was on the move, destined for south Williamsburg. I fell in love with my first pizza shop, Best Pizza. New York continued to enable me to never fully grow up, why cook when the chefs of the city do it so much better. My love affair was growing, my knowledge of the city and its offerings was expanding. I started feeling the inkling of needing to express this connection to the restaurants and shops that so consistently kept me going, but at this time my patronage was all I could put together. My research in the field continued.

Now I reside on the historic Bowery. this love for the city has reached a tipping point and action needed to be taken. My career as an artist finally found meaning, when one night I drew a restaurant that held a very special place in my heart. It had taken shape, all these years, all these relationships - slices, burgers, bagels - it all lead to this. A love letter, or illustrations, to the restaurants and shops of New York.