(Sorry for yet another non-photography-related blog, but I just had to!)

Last night I went to dinner with an old friend at Mama Ayesha's. Oh my goodness! Can I just say how much I loved it. The hummus we ordered for an appetizer came with some nice and soft chick peas and some pickled turnips which were really good.

I've really taken a liking to Middle Eastern cuisine, especially with my oft-scheduled trips to Dubai and the GCC. So the hummus was great, the Lebanese wine was fantastic, the Lamb Shank I ordered was so fall-off-the-bone tender I almost cried. Our server Mohammad was attentive, our water glasses were always filled and there was a peace about the place. We ordered baklava for dessert and it was the perfect blend of honey and spices. Baklava is one of my absolutely favorite food items and Mama Ayesha's did not disappoint.

In fact, Amy and I were enjoying ourselves so much that even after dinner and after we paid our bill, we ordered another glass of wine and enjoyed the ambiance.

Bottom Line...
It was a great way to cap-off what might have otherwise been a bad food day. You would be missing a true gem if you missed out on Mama Ayesha's.

Labels: Dubai, Food, Justin Schuck, washington dc

(Sorry, business and photography-unrelated blog to follow...)

I have never in my life ever been so disappointed with a food item in my life. I cannot even begin to describe to you just how significantly let down I feel. All I wanted was something ridiculously greasy and delicious.

One would think that if you put "Philadelphia" in the name of the business, it has to adhere to at least some basic "hero" principles:

• The Sandwich must be greasy
• There should be loads of meat and cheese
• The sandwich should be HOT
• It should taste good enough for me to want to divorce a family and move in behind the counter to get closer that greasy, meaty, cheesy deliciousness.

But that did not happen today. I ventured over to Philadelphia Mike's on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda upon the recommendation of a colleague. I remember recently reading an article and watching a local newscast about where to find the area's best cheese steaks, and both news outlets marked Philadelphia Mike's as a top place to go.

Here are my thoughts:

• The sandwich was warm at best
• The meat had been pre-cooked and was essentially only reheated with cheese on the griddle -- therein lies their fatal mistake. They lost all the fat that give said sandwich its flavor.
• The bread was satisfactory at best if not altogether substandard.
• There was so much mayonnaise it was like having mayo soup with a side of bread and meat.
• All good subs should have a base amount of sodium to whet the palate and there was clearly no desire to adjust the flavor of the sandwich with any kind of mild seasoning or salt to the meat. But again, I go back to the fact that they reheated the meat.
  
• I had to wait over 15 minutes between ordering and delivery after I had waited over 20 minutes to get to the point of ordering (but I did go at 1pm at the peak of the lunch rush)
• The soda machine produced an overly fizzy beverage that lost its bubbles quickly and the drink tasted as if it was of questionable origin
• The french (or "freedom") fries were great. I would have liked even more Old Bay seasoning, but I understand that they have to strike a balance. They were crispy on the outside and soft and potatoey in the inside, although they were slightly on the overdone side. (The best thing about them though was their size. They were huge and thick, none of that shoestring nonsense.
• The staff was friendly and appeared to enjoy working there.

Bottom line...
I've actually had a better Philly cheese steak from McDonald's. But in the end, I'm out less than nine bucks and I'm full.

Labels: bethesda, Food, Justin Schuck, Maryland, Montgomery County, Philadelphia Mikes

As you may know, I have been actively pursuing my dream of opening what will be the premiere photography and design studio in the Washington DC area. Justin Schuck & Company LLC will be bringing together the various operations under one roof, including facilities to manufacture our small line of clothing products.

The innovative Justin Schuck Studios of Washington will have an oversized studio space; a small cafe and gallery; private client meeting areas; back office space for my staff; and a "gray room" for proper color balance adjustments for photography, videography and print design among other things. Together with our architects, we are putting together an extremely efficient design for the layout of the space.

The hard side of the business is raising the capital needed to not only lease space in an extremely expensive market, but also to support the construction and operational functions of the studio. I have invested a great deal of time and money to put us closer to the realization of my dream.

I have been very fortunate to have a group of investors who share my vision. Without their belief in me and what Justin Schuck & Company LLC can do, I wouldn't be here writing this blog.

Labels: bethesda, business, design, photography, retail, studio, venture capital, washington dc

CLIENT DATA UPDATE

We are still in the process of an active investigation with our bank, PNC Financial Services, our former merchant account providers Paypal.com and Charge.com to learn who may be responsible for fraudulent and/or duplicate charges to client credit and/or bank accounts.

Clients that may have been affected have been notified. If you think you may be a victim, please call our office immediately at (301) 760-7476. We will keep you informed as the investigation progresses.



FRADULENT/FAKE E-MAILS FROM "BILLING@JUSTINSCHUCK.COM"

Justin Schuck and Company LLC, the parent company of Justin Schuck Photography & Video, has recently been informed that an unknown server has been sending E-mails to clients and non-clients from the address "billing@justinschuck.com." This is a valid Justin Schuck & Company E-mail address, but we have never and will never send E-mails from this address. Justin Schuck & Company will never solicit personally identifiable information through the web.

As always, we prefer to speak with our clients over the phone rather than via E-mail. If you have received an E-mail you believe to be suspicious, please forward that E-mail to info@justinschuck.com. Please include a name and telephone number where we may contact you in order to clarify this matter.

We are reminded again of the nature of the internet and that there are individuals who posses the skills the desire to steal and harm others. Please be extremely cautious when submitting personally identifiable information through the web, i.e. social security numbers, bank account numbers and credit card numbers and security codes.

From this day forward, any and all charges appearing on credit card statements should appear as follows: "JSchuckCo 3017607476" or "JSPhoto 3017607476" -- If you find charges you believe to have been erroneously charged or do not appear as listed above, please contact our office immediately at (301) 760-7476.

STAY UP-TO-DATE: Visit JustinSchuck.com/security_notices.html to read the most current security updates.

Labels: Identity, Security