Good Enough to Eat! Modernist Cuisine Gallery brings food photography to La Jolla

With excited eyes and growling stomachs, La Jolla foodies celebrated the opening of the 2,200-square-foot Modernist Cuisine Gallery, at 1241 Prospect St. on June 19. Featuring the work of Nathan Myhrvold, the photographer and co-author of the “Modernist Cuisine” cookbooks, the images are of bisected fruit and kitchen equipment; perfectly timed food reactions (think the small splash when an olive falls into a martini); and deconstructed sandwiches, spaced out to show each element.

As Myhrvold told La Jolla Light: “When I decided about a decade ago to create ‘Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking,’ I saw an exciting opportunity to do something new in food photography — to portray food in new and unexpected ways that simultaneously draw readers in and illustrate the science at work in one’s kitchen. My goal is to connect with people who see food as I do - as something that inspires passion and curiosity.”

As regular visitor to The Jewel, and noting Prospect Street’s proximity to both food and art institutions, Myhrvold said La Jolla was the “perfect” location for his fourth gallery. The others are in New Orleans, Las Vegas and Seattle. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. (858) 886-7721. modernistcuisine.com/gallery