The James Projects
Wine Dinners From Around The World
In my first year at The James, I developed custom maps to highlight the global wines featured in our dinner series. Each map was designed to showcase the exact region where the wine originated, with every course intentionally placed in its corresponding location. To enhance authenticity and visual impact, I incorporated themes, colors, and design elements inspired by each nation. The result was a clear, visually engaging presentation that not only educated guests on the regional pairings but also elevated their dining experience by seamlessly connecting the food and wine to its cultural roots.
K Vintners Rock and Roll Wine Dinner
For our K Vintners Rock & Roll Wine Dinner, I created a fully immersive design experience by producing custom vinyl records as menus for each of the 42 guests. Every record sleeve featured a uniquely photoshopped album cover with our Executive Chef Steven Blackburn’s face seamlessly placed on iconic rock records, ensuring that no two menus were alike. On the reverse, I designed an elegant layout that highlighted upcoming events, reinforcing brand storytelling beyond the night itself. Inside each sleeve, guests discovered a physical vinyl record with the five-course dinner menu printed directly on the back, blending music culture with culinary artistry. The result was a memorable, one-of-a-kind keepsake that elevated the dining experience and tied together the rock-and-roll theme with creativity, intention, and precision.
Wild Game Dinner
For our Wild Game Dinner, I engineered a visually striking design that captured the adventurous spirit of the evening. I created a custom cover image that set the tone for a menu centered around wild and exotic meats, using earthy textures and natural motifs to reflect the theme. The menu itself was designed as a wilderness map, with each featured animal illustrated and positioned across the layout to correspond with its course. This unique, immersive design not only showcased the artistry of the food but also conveyed the essence of the outdoors, turning the menu into both a functional guide and a memorable keepsake of the event.
Christmas At The James
For our Christmas Wine Dinner, I designed a festive menu concept that doubled as each guest’s personalized “Letter to Santa.” I created custom envelopes with the guest’s name hand-placed on the front, making every menu feel like a personal holiday keepsake. Inside, the menu was written in the playful style of a letter, phrased as each guest’s Christmas wish list where the “gifts” were the five holiday-inspired courses and curated wine pairings. The design incorporated seasonal motifs and warm Christmas colors, blending charm with elegance to match the celebratory atmosphere.
This creative approach transformed the menu into an interactive, visually appealing part of the evening, deepening the sense of holiday spirit while aligning perfectly with the dinner’s theme.
Wine Walk/Festival of the Vine
Twice a year, we host our Wine Walks on the patio, inviting guests to explore wines from around the world alongside carefully curated food pairings. To elevate the experience, I designed and produced a full suite of elegant print materials that blended function with craftsmanship. Each guest received a custom booklet that not only listed the wines but also provided space for tasting notes, reinforced our credibility as a wine destination, and featured beautifully designed pages promoting our upcoming events.
Beyond the booklets, I developed large, eye-catching signage at the entrance to attract walk-in traffic, streamlined order sheets for guests to easily purchase wines to take home, and sophisticated table signage for each food and wine station. Every piece was created with intention (clean layouts, refined typography, and thematic visuals) to match the elevated yet approachable atmosphere of the event. The result was a seamless, visually stunning guest experience where every detail of the print work reflected the quality of the wines and the artistry of the culinary program.
Passport Around The World
For our Decanting the World Wine Dinner, I designed a passport-themed menu that transformed the evening into a global journey. The gold-and-blue cover resembled a U.S. passport, while the back promoted upcoming events in a refined, on-brand style. Inside, each course and wine pairing appeared as a country-specific stamp, uniquely crafted to replicate authentic passport markings. The result was a visually striking, immersive design that captured the spirit of world travel while serving as both a functional menu and a memorable keepsake for guests.
Restaurant Signage
I design distinctive front-of-house signage that captures attention and conveys upcoming events or featured promotions in a way that is both eye-catching and thoughtfully crafted to complement our brand’s aesthetic.
For our restaurant’s outside menu board, I developed a clean, elegant layout that clearly presents our menus and hours of operation while seamlessly incorporating space to highlight the monthly featured event.
Menus
I engineered and continuously update our restaurant’s lunch, dinner, happy hour, brunch menus, and bar journal with a design that is both elegant and easy for guests to navigate. Because we operate as a scratch kitchen with a menu that evolves often, I stay closely involved in making timely updates to reflect seasonal ingredients, new dishes, and refined offerings. This balance of craftsmanship and accuracy ensures that every menu not only aligns with our brand’s polished aesthetic but also provides guests with a clear, enjoyable experience that mirrors the quality of the food and drinks we serve.
Holiday Menus
I create specialized menus for community events and holidays that both showcase the creativity of our Chef’s offerings and reflect the spirit of the occasion. Each design is tailored to the event theme, whether seasonal, cultural, or celebratory, ensuring that the menu feels like an extension of the experience itself. By blending thoughtful visuals with clear presentation, I craft menus that are not only functional but also enhance the atmosphere of the event.
Private Event Menus
I meticulously craft custom menus for private events, tailoring each design to meet the specific needs and preferences of our guests. From making detailed adjustments to highlight particular dishes to streamlining layouts for an expedited ordering process, I ensure that every menu enhances both the dining experience and the overall event. With a balance of precision and creativity, I am able to showcase our food in its best light while delivering updates quickly and efficiently, guaranteeing that each guest enjoys a seamless, elevated experience.
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Wine Dinners Featuring The Owners of Renowned Wineries
For our exclusive wine dinners with Robert Craig Winery Owner Elton Slone and Post & Vine Founder Rebekah Wineburg, I created custom menu and order sheet designs that reflected the prestige of each guest. For our dinner with Elton Slone, the cover highlighted the dramatic high-altitude origins of his wines through a visually captivating design, paired with a refined, minimalist menu layout on the back. For Rebekah, the focus shifted to her personal story, with the cover featuring elegant imagery of her, while the reverse side served as an order sheet for guests to easily secure her artisanal wines. To complete the presentation, I also designed simple yet sophisticated table signs that maintained The James’ standard of elevated branding and reinforced the exclusivity of the evenings.
Check Presenters
I design custom check presenters that are given to guests after every meal, turning a routine part of dining into an opportunity for engagement. Each presenter is crafted to elegantly promote our upcoming events and featured specials, ensuring the design feels on-brand while capturing attention. This approach not only keeps guests informed but also reinforces The James as a destination for memorable culinary experiences.
