A meal may be built similarly to that of a traditional film narrative: warm mixed Mediterranean olives set the scene, momentum builds with spiced, fried quail and tomato chutney, and the rising action culminates in a kobe bavette steak with Zinfandel butter. Dessert of course is the denouement. At Foreign Cinema in San Francisco’s Mission District, gourmands and cinephiles alike finesse oysters from the shells while an independent film flutters on the brick wall of the covered courtyard. The location is dramatic with stark concrete walls and high-ceilings, but the wood elements warm the minimalist decor; the foreign and art films cooking up the romance. With equal parts passion for food and celluloid, chefs Gayle Pirie and John Clark cater to those with an appetite for the visceral and the sensory. And as Sunday’s 83rd Academy Awards approaches, Foreign Cinema’s Cultural Director Bryan Ranere shares with us his favorites in food cinema:
Foreign Cinema’s Top 10 Film Feasts
10. Moonstruck — In Norman Jewison’s romantic comedy, the best scenes seem to revolve around food. I still want to dine amongst the characters in that great little neighborhood restaurant, not to mention, in Olympia Dukakis’ kitchen, when she makes the nested eggs and peppers!
9. Diner— The great camaraderie of late night eating and conversation is championed perfectly in this classic. Paul Riser incessantly asking, “Are you gonna finish that?” And, there’s the guy that eats everything on the left side of the menu!
8. Pulp Fiction — A great film that secretly celebrates delicious American staples: a drug dealer’s night-time bowl of cereal (remember: “Fruit Brute”), Brad’s last meal: “The Big Kahuna Burger” (which really looks delicious, despite the tension in the room), making a Quarter-Pounder actually sound good by calling it a “Royale With Cheese,” and of course, the infamous fictitious restaurant, “Jack Rabbit Slim’s” that serves the most amazing five-dollar milkshake.
7. Eat Drink Man Woman — Ang Lee’s story of a widower and great chef who tries to remain a central figure in his daughters’ increasingly complicated lives by serving elaborate and traditional Sunday dinners. Watching the food preparation will send you directly to your favorite spot in Chinatown.
6. Like Water For Chocolate — Incredibly romantic, sensual, and rich describes both the story and the food in this film. I named our decadent and spicy dessert-cocktail at Foreign Cinema after this movie.
5. Ratatouille — It’s quite an amazing achievement to make animated food look so tempting! It’s all the incredible details and obvious love for the process that makes this kind of genius.
4. Tampopo — A satire of genre pictures as well as a statement about the central role of food in Japanese culture, this “Noodle Western” is clever, sexy, and original. Happiness is a perfect bowl of ramen.
3. Big Night — A terrific small film about two brothers at odds over how to run their restaurant which, despite the great food, is failing. Any chance to put themselves on the map makes them pull out all the stops and the result is an awe-inspiring, meticulous example of the joy of cooking.
2. Babette’s Feast — It is impossible not to mention this film as it is the perfect example of food as art combined with the art of film. In a place that is so humble and devout theologically that the people have nearly lost their spirit, love, sacrifice, and incredible passion are brought forward through a sumptuous, beautiful meal.
1. Goodfellas — Without a doubt, one of my favorite films and one that always makes me hungry for Italian. Whether we’re stopping off for a late supper cooked by Pesci’s mom (on route to bury the body kicking in the trunk) or watching Henry Hill preparing a delicious dinner while simultaneously organizing a drug deal (with the FBI closing in), the meals seem almost as crucial as the incredible cast of characters. Ultimately, it’s the family meal in prison, where the wiseguys get the best of everything (good wine, lobsters, steaks, cheeses) and each man goes about his task for preparing dinner. Paulie even had a system for doing the garlic. He sliced it so thin with a razor blade that it would liquefy in the pan.
Photo: Foreign Cinema
