This is a vanity project of sorts, Favreau wrote and directed this movie he stars in. But it works well because he seems to be appropriately passionate about the subject.
Jon Favreau is acclaimed chef Carl Casper, and the owner of the restaurant is Dustin Hoffman as Riva. Business is good and Riva wants to keep it that way, by keeping a static menu of patron favorites. But acclaimed food critic Oliver Platt as Ramsey Michel visits and gives a very mediocre review, based partly on lack of innovation. This creates a falling out, Casper quits instead of continuing to prepare boring menus.
His ex-wife Sofía Vergara as Inez convinces Casper to travel to Miami with her and their son, and there he discovers Cuban food. In fact he ends up buying an old food truck, cleaning it, painting it, and installing new equipment, and hits the road, eventually driving it back to California with stops in New Orleans and Austin.
John Leguizamo is good as his sous chef Martin and young Emjay Anthony is good as the son Percy. Scarlett Johansson has a small but good role as Molly, Casper's friend and hostess at the original restaurant.
The movie is as much about friends and relationships as it is about food and restaurants. In fact, critic Michel is so impressed with Casper's rant towards him, and the success of the food truck experiment, bankrolls a new cutting-edge restaurant in California.
Jon Favreau is acclaimed chef Carl Casper, and the owner of the restaurant is Dustin Hoffman as Riva. Business is good and Riva wants to keep it that way, by keeping a static menu of patron favorites. But acclaimed food critic Oliver Platt as Ramsey Michel visits and gives a very mediocre review, based partly on lack of innovation. This creates a falling out, Casper quits instead of continuing to prepare boring menus.
His ex-wife Sofía Vergara as Inez convinces Casper to travel to Miami with her and their son, and there he discovers Cuban food. In fact he ends up buying an old food truck, cleaning it, painting it, and installing new equipment, and hits the road, eventually driving it back to California with stops in New Orleans and Austin.
John Leguizamo is good as his sous chef Martin and young Emjay Anthony is good as the son Percy. Scarlett Johansson has a small but good role as Molly, Casper's friend and hostess at the original restaurant.
The movie is as much about friends and relationships as it is about food and restaurants. In fact, critic Michel is so impressed with Casper's rant towards him, and the success of the food truck experiment, bankrolls a new cutting-edge restaurant in California.