Food

Quiet Tuesday night at local restaurant around DU

April 22, 2026April 27, 2026lucasschachter5 Comments

The photographs in my gallery illustrate the relationship between the local restaurants around DU and students’ lives. The photographs are based on the experience of the quiet weeknight when there is activity in those places and stillness of the streets surrounding them. It was important to me to demonstrate how these restaurants become a place where the students come for meals, work, or spend time with friends. With the help of lighting, candid shots, and cityscape views, I have captured this relationship in my slideshow presentation.

Cultural Authenticity in Diaspora: Visualizing the casual dinner experience at Kiki’s Dining

April 21, 2026May 13, 2026Joe2 Comments

This photo gallery before you examines Kiki’s Japanese Casual Dining as a distinctive site of cultural authenticity within Colorado’s culinary landscape. As one of the few establishments in the region operated by a Japanese owner, Kiki’s offers a compelling case study in diasporic food culture. As a Japanese american it is refreshing to have an establishment so close to campus that many students can take a 20 minute walk to. The images foreground the spatial and aesthetic qualities of the interior, emphasizing its alignment with the traditional ramen-ya (ラーメン屋) model of casual dining in Japan. Such spaces are historically associated with comfort, informality, and post-work reprieve, where patrons gather to consume simple fare and alcoholic beverages. Collectively, the gallery documents how cultural identity is preserved, adapted, and experienced through everyday dining environments.