Chef the Movie

Have you seen Chef starring Jon Favreau and Sofia Vergara? For aspiring—or seasoned—foodies, it's delicious (and inspiring) to watch. Favreau plays Chef Carl Casper, a one-time "best new chef" who loses his culinary creativity (and eventually, his job) while employed in a kitchen whose menu is dictated by a wealthy restaurateur. So, he has to start fresh. What better way than with a food truck?

My favorite description of the film comes from Favreau himself in this interview with Food & Wine. He says that the reason he wrote the film is less about a fascination with food or the restaurant business, and more about a way to tell a universal tale:

"It's about losing the part of yourself that launched you," he says in the interview. I think that's such an interesting aspect of the film, especially in a climate that's all about reinvention and channeling your inner entrepreneur.

Even cooler, Favreau employed the LA-based founder of the food truck movement, Roy Choi, to be his culinary advisor for the film. Choi's one stipulation? He'd only do the movie if it looked absolutely real. The mouthwatering food scenes in the film are proof: His work paid off.

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