Chef (2014 film)

Chef (film)

Company type	Film
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2014 (2014)
Founder	Jon Favreau
Products	Comedy-drama film

Chef is a 2014 comedy-drama film set on the road, written, produced, and directed by Jon Favreau, who also stars as a renowned chef. After a public confrontation with a food critic, he quits his position at a well-known Los Angeles restaurant and embarks on a new venture running a food truck alongside friends and his son. The ensemble cast features Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt, Bobby Cannavale, Amy Sedaris, Emjay Anthony, and Dustin Hoffman, with a cameo appearance by Robert Downey Jr..

Favreau developed the screenplay following his work on large studio productions, intending to return to a more personal narrative focused on culinary arts. Chef and food truck entrepreneur Roy Choi contributed as co-producer and oversaw the menu design and food preparation. Filming took place during July 2013 in various locations including Los Angeles, Miami, Austin, and New Orleans.

Chef had its debut at South by Southwest on March 7, 2014, before its U.S. theatrical release on May 9 through Open Road Films. The film was praised for its direction, soundtrack, screenplay, narrative, and acting performances, ultimately earning $46 million worldwide against an $11 million production budget.

Plot

Carl Casper, originally from Miami, serves as the head chef at Gauloises in Brentwood, Los Angeles. Well-liked by his team and hostess Molly, Carl finds himself at odds with the restaurant owner Riva, who prefers sticking to traditional dishes rather than Carl’s inventive creations. Meanwhile, Carl’s relationship with his affluent ex-wife Inez and their tech-savvy son Percy remains distant.

When the esteemed food critic Ramsey Michel dines at Gauloises, Riva insists Carl present classic dishes instead of his new menu. Carl complies but receives a scathing review. Following this, Carl publicly lashes out at Ramsey on Twitter, gaining significant online support. He devises a fresh menu and challenges Ramsey to a culinary "rematch," but Riva compels him to revert to the old offerings, prompting Carl to resign in frustration.

At home, Carl prepares the innovative dishes he wished to serve while his sous-chef Tony presents Ramsey with the previous menu items. Ramsey ridicules Carl online for backing down from their challenge, sparking a viral confrontation that tarnishes Carl’s reputation and prospects for employment.

Feeling defeated and struggling to find work, Carl turns to drinking until Inez encourages him to go back to Miami to reconnect with family. Motivated by Molly’s support, Carl accepts and rediscovers his enthusiasm for Cuban cuisine. Inez’s ex-husband Marvin provides an old food truck so Carl can restart his career. As they refurbish the truck together, Carl bonds with Percy; Martin, a former line cook from Gauloises, also joins their team.

Carl, Martin, and Percy journey back toward Los Angeles in the food truck serving Cuban sandwiches and yuca fries. Percy uses social media to document their travels, which leads to success in cities like New Orleans and Austin where they offer regional specialties such as po' boys, beignets, and barbecued brisket.

Upon returning to Los Angeles, Carl rebuilds his relationship with Percy and accepts his assistance running the food truck; Inez also becomes involved. Ramsey visits to explain his earlier harsh critique—disappointed by what he considered subpar fare but now impressed by Carl’s revival. He offers financial backing for a new restaurant that will grant Carl complete creative freedom. Six months later, the new establishment opens successfully alongside the celebration of Carl and Inez’s remarriage.

Cast

• Jon Favreau portrays Carl Casper
• Sofía Vergara plays Inez Casper
• John Leguizamo appears as Martin
• Scarlett Johansson features as Molly
• Dustin Hoffman acts as Riva
• Oliver Platt takes on the role of Ramsey Michel
• Bobby Cannavale is cast as Tony
• Amy Sedaris portrays Jen
• Emjay Anthony plays Percy Casper
• Robert Downey Jr. appears as Marvin
• Russell Peters acts as a Miami police officer

Musicians such as Gary Clark Jr., Aaron Franklin—owner of Franklin Barbecue—and general manager Benjamin Jacob appear in cameo roles as themselves. The seasoned Miami Cuban musician Jose Caridad Hernandez "Perico" embodies the character of Inez Casper’s father and Percy's grandfather ("Abuelito").

Development

Jon Favreau, who not only directed and starred in Chef but also authored its screenplay, completed the script within approximately two weeks. His intention was to craft a modestly scaled independent film centered on culinary arts and chefs, drawing inspiration from documentaries like Jiro Dreams of Sushi and narrative films including Eat Drink Man Woman and Big Night.

The screenplay, semi-autobiographical in nature, reflects Favreau’s personal journey managing fatherhood alongside a demanding career, while transitioning away from large studio productions toward a more intimate, low-budget project. This mirrors the storyline of Carl, who shifts from leading a prestigious restaurant to operating a food truck.

Favreau collaborated with restaurateur Roy Choi, the innovator behind the Kogi Korean BBQ food truck, who contributed as both consultant and co-producer. Prior to filming, Favreau attended culinary school and gained hands-on experience working with Choi’s kitchen team. Choi was responsible for designing the film’s menus, notably the iconic Cuban sandwiches that play a pivotal role in the narrative.

Casting

The initial principal cast alongside Favreau included Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, and Bobby Cannavale. To prepare for his role as Martin, Leguizamo worked as a line cook at The Lion located in the West Village. In May 2013, Robert Downey Jr., whom Favreau had previously directed in two Iron Man films, joined the ensemble. Later that month, additions included Scarlett Johansson and Dustin Hoffman. Favreau considered the casting process highly successful, expressing particular admiration for ten-year-old Emjay Anthony’s performance.

Filming

Principal photography commenced in July 2013 in Los Angeles. Additional shooting locations encompassed Miami, Austin, and New Orleans, selected for their vibrant culinary and musical traditions. Miami scenes were captured at landmarks such as the Versailles restaurant, Fontainebleau Hotel, and the Cuban nightclub Hoy Como Ayer in Little Havana. Filming in New Orleans included the iconic Café du Monde within the French Quarter. Austin locations featured Franklin Barbecue and Guero's on South Congress Avenue. Scenes set in the Gauloises restaurant were shot at Hatfield's fine dining venue in Los Angeles. The restoration of the food truck was filmed at a storage facility in Los Alamitos, California, while shopping sequences took place at Charlie's Fixtures in Los Angeles. The concluding food truck scenes were shot along Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice during a First Friday event.

All food prepared on set was consumed by cast and crew members. Dialogue during food truck sequences involving Favreau, Leguizamo, and Anthony was largely improvised to authentically capture kitchen interactions and banter.

Soundtrack

The Chef soundtrack was issued by Milan Records on May 6, 2014, just three days prior to the movie's official debut. This compilation features a fusion of Latin jazz, New Orleans jazz, and blues, mirroring the film’s diverse locales of Miami, New Orleans, and Austin. Mathieu Schreyer served as the music supervisor, curating the selections, while additional incidental compositions were created by Lyle Workman.

Release

Chef had its world premiere on March 7, 2014, as the opening film of the South by Southwest festival, where Favreau, Leguizamo, Anthony, and Platt were present. The film was subsequently showcased at the Tribeca Film Festival in April. On August 19, Open Road Films announced a U.S. re-release scheduled for August 29 during Labor Day weekend, significantly increasing its theater count from 100 to between 600 and 800 screens.

Home media

The movie became available on DVD and Blu-ray formats on September 30, 2014.

Box office

Initially released in the United States on May 9, 2014, Chef opened in a limited run across six theaters before expanding to a maximum of 1,298 locations by June. By November 2, 2014, it had earned $31.4 million domestically.

On the international front, Chef saw its strongest box office returns in Australia ($2.8 million), followed by the United Kingdom and Spain (each with $2.6 million), and Mexico (exceeding $1 million), amassing close to $15 million outside the U.S.

Critical response

According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Chef holds an approval rating of 87% based on 191 reviews, with an average score of 6.8/10. The critical consensus reads: "With its engaging cast and witty script, Chef delivers a feel-good comedy that is both flavorful and familiar." On Metacritic, it received a score of 68 out of 100 from 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable" feedback.

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars, describing it as "an artful surprise and an exuberant gift," praising its entertaining blend of humor, emotion, and authenticity. Ty Burr from The Boston Globe also gave a 3.5-star rating, commending its blend of humor and heart despite some flaws. Richard Roeper at Chicago Sun-Times rated it three stars, highlighting the film’s humor and well-developed supporting roles while noting occasional lapses in plot and character depth. Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times emphasized the "excellent supporting cast" alongside a script that avoids typical family clichés.

Joe Leydon from Variety found the storyline somewhat predictable but described the overall experience as "pleasant and frequently very funny." Stephen Holden of The New York Times characterized it as "aggressively feel-good," acknowledging it as shallow yet enjoyable. Michael O'Sullivan from The Washington Post gave it 3.5 stars for its appealing food cinematography, vibrant supporting characters, and subtle humor; he called its message about relationships "sweet and sustaining." Mick LaSalle at SFGate considered it Favreau’s finest work so far due to strong lead chemistry and vivid minor roles.

Scott Bowles of USA Today rated it 3.5 stars, describing it as "a nuanced side dish" and one of the year's most heartfelt films. Ken Choy from Wide Lantern pointed out some structural weaknesses but recognized the emotional resonance achieved in the latter half.

In contrast, Chris Cabin of Slant Magazine gave a low rating of 1.5 stars, criticizing its lack of realism and credibility. Amy Nicholson from The Village Voice labeled it "charmingly middlebrow," calling it both comforting cinema and self-aware satire. Eric Kohn at Indiewire regarded it as a "self-indulgent vanity project" that falls short in delivering broad thematic depth.

Television series

In 2019, Favreau and Choi launched a documentary-style television spin-off on Netflix, titled The Chef Show. The series features them exploring recipes and cooking methods while collaborating with prominent personalities from both entertainment and culinary fields. A second season followed in 2020.

Remake

The film was adapted into an Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama named Chef in 2017. Directed by Raja Krishna Menon, it stars Saif Ali Khan alongside Padmapriya Janakiraman.