Village Whiskey | Philadelphia

Village Whiskey, Philadelphia, PA

Village Whiskey, Jose Garcas' newest creation in Philadelphia, is a combination of working class bar, comfort food and hard liquor, all wrapped up in a chic downtown experience.

Of course with a name like Village Whiskey you can expect to find a deep selection of whiskey along with bourbon, rye, and scotch. But it's the menu that really attracts me.

Starting with what they call bar snacks, I'm reminded of Dirty Franks back in the early days where you can still find a jar of pickled eggs behind the bar. The Tator Tots, Deviled Eggs, House-Made Cheese Puffs are all better than you thought and yet just what you hoped they would be. And we haven't even gotten to the Pickle Menu. Try the pickled Baby Carrots served with Black Olive Tapenade, Whipped Ricotta and Toasted Sourdough.

For your main course, you can go with the BBQ Pork Sammy, a pulled pork shoulder sandwich complete with fried pickle, but if you're going to eat at the Village Whiskey there's really only one option: The Whiskey King.

The Whiskey King is heart stopping burger made with 8oz of sustainable farm-raised Angus beef from Maine, Maple Bourbon Glazed Cipollini, Rogue Blue Cheese, Applewood Bacon and topped with a slab of Foie Gras. It's ridiculous. And that's why you have to try it. Just have the angioplasty standing by.

As long as you're in for a penny, you may as well go in for the pound and also order the Duck Fat Fries.

Just an example of something to get you going....

Fashion Shoot Behind The Scenes | NYC + Miami

Fashion Shoot NYC : Miami from David McCarty on Vimeo.

Back To School

Back To School from David McCarty on Vimeo.
This was filmed during a photoshoot in the Bronx for a Canadian client. Video portraiture and a little behind the scenes at a recent photoshoot. It was a back to school fashion thing, which we shot in a park in the Bronx, NYC. Since using a tripod would have required us to have permits, everything is handheld.

Photos : 2010 Nun's Beach Surf Invitational

©2010 Hopping Frog Studios | Mostly Old Guys

Here are some of the images I took at the Nun's Beach Surf Contest.

Igor Visits New Jersey

Avalon, NJ | ©2010 Hopping Frog Studios

Igor, the ninth tropical storm of the season, is coming to New Jersey. Actually, it's not coming anywhere close to shore, but it's just close enough to give us a nice swell. If you're not a surfer, then you're probably not even paying attention, but those of us still looking to get some nice rides before the weather turns and we have to squeeze into a rubber suit, we're pretty stoked.

After rather disappointing results from the last few storms (although to be honest I had a lot of fun with the last one), we're really looking forward to some good surf.

15th Annual Nun's Beach Surf Invitational

Nun's at Nun's Beach in Stone Harbor, NJ | ©2010 Hopping Frog Studios

We had our 15th Annual Nun's Beach Surf Invitational last weekend and it was a beautiful day. I took some video and some stills, judged a few heats and shot the shit with friends, but I mostly took it easy. I'm a little tired of working these events, truth be told.

In fact, I haven't even processed the pictures of video yet. The above photo is from a few years ago, when Sister Loyola was still with us. She was a peach. I can't for the life of me remember the other Sister's name. Maybe someone else remembers.

On another note, I had heard rumors that this was going to be the last year for the Nun's Beach surf event. While it is true that this was Bill Deger's last year running the event, others have told me that the event will continue. I'll have to take their word for it as I haven't heard who is taking over and these things just don't magically happen.

Jersey Bros : The Portraits

In addition to the documentary I'm working on (endlessly it seems), I decided that since I really didn't have enough on my plate, I'd also shoot stills for a coffee table book of black and white photography of the South Jersey surf scene. Here are a few of my selects.

20th Annual Brendan Borek Surf Memorial

Circle of Friends | Brendan Borek Surf Memorial | Avalon, NJ | ©2010 Hopping Frog Studios

The weather always seems to be beautiful. The waves always seem to be small. And the event is always a raving success.

This year was no exception.

It was my sixth or seventh year shooting the event, which kind of surprised me. I also designed a t-shirt, a sweatshirt and the event poster. It was also the first year where I had my underwater housing and could paddle out. It was a cool feeling.

Back To School | Bronx, NYC

Back to School Shoot | ©2010 Hopping Frog Studios

20th Annual Brendan Borek Surf Memorial Poster

Design + Photography: David McCarty. ©2010 Hopping Frog Studios

Dan Barry Album Cover

©2010 Hopping Frog Studios

Badass Axe

 

I love this kind of shit. Leather, wood, steel. This is from a company called Best Made Company. Absolutely gorgeous stuff. If I hadn't given my friend Bob an axe last year, this would be what he would have gotten this year.

Sailing Townsend's Inlet

©2010 Hopping Frog Studios

As part of a music video I was shooting, I jumped into the ocean with nothing but my camera and an underwater housing while Dan sailed back and forth. It was definitely creepy. Here is one of the stills.

Shark Fishing

Shark Fishing from David McCarty on Vimeo.

A day trip last weekend on the Od-D-Doe, my daughter Julia's boyfriend Mike's boat. A little anti-climatic from a shark point of view, but we had fun.

Canon 5DMII
Canon 24-70mm f2.8L
Final Cut Studio

Music:
"Someday Baby" R.L. Burnside
"The Burn" Long Miles
"I'm Ready" Dan Barry

Listen To The World Around You

I'm in an airport. Again. 

I spend a lot of time in airports and unlike the George Clooney character in "Up In The Air", I find nothing romantic about this.

But, when you're paying attention, wonderful things can happen. A writer I was reading recently caused me to pay attention.

I flew from Philadelphia today. I'm on my way to Edmonton by way of Toronto. I had gotten my boarding pass, checked my bag and was headed to security which was one level up. As I approached the escalator, I saw there was a hold up.

Let me say here that I DO share the Up In The Air protagonist's viewpoint about effeciency in travel. I hate to wait. I don't like being slowed down. There are not many roses in the airport and nothing good to smell otherwise. I want to get where I'm going and quickly and as painlessly as possible.

The cause of the hold up was an elderly Indian couple. Not Native American. Indian. 

They were standing before the escalator like deer in headlights. The way an aboriginal might stand before an escalator they had never seen before. The truth is she had trouble walking and he couldn't figure out how to carry both roller bags, hold up his wife, and navigate the quickly moving stairs.

Two young men were standing behind them and I heard one of them ask if they needed help. The young man was then trying to figure out how to grab his bag and both of theirs at the same time.

I had only a briefcase slung over my shoulder and two free hands so I stepped forward, grabbed both bags, and told them to go ahead. They manuevered each other onto the escalator and I followed. When we reached the top they stopped to get their bags but I urged them on so we would not back up the area. I moved in a few feet and off to the side and placed thier bags down for them.

Nothing about this story up to now is exceptional. Many people perform random acts of kindness without thinking about it. Myself included. Even if the reason is just to move people out of your way.

What happened next surprised me and I'm not easily surprised.

He looked me in the eye, raised his arms up to me (he was much smaller than I) and hugged me. Not a macho, half shoulder, slap you on the back hug. A full throated embrace. This is how I would expect my own grandfather to hug me....when I was ten. It was pure love and appreciation. You would have thought I'd saved his wife's life by catching her from a two story fall.

I smiled, a little embarassed and told him he was more than welcome. It had been my pleasure. And it was.

As I walked away, along with the other two young men who had witnessed the entire exchange, I said to them, "That certainly beats your normal air travel experience."

I would bet money that wherever they are tonight, they'll be telling that story as well.

The point of the story is not what I did for the man and his wife. The point is what he did for me and those two guys. I'm sure it will change how we see people when traveling. Old people (whom I normally adore) do not mix well with air travel in my world. Maybe this will change my viewpoint.

David (Sent from my iPhone)