Original subtitles

Amanda is...

OK.

Hi! What's going on with the music?

Can't hear yourself think, let alone write.

- Mom, we're just talking. - Nobody's talking over that. You guys are supposed to be doing

- your homework. - Later.

- See you at the concert this weekend. - Yeah.

- Nope. - Yes.

I said you're not going to a concert unsupervised.

Mom, everyone is gonna be there.

My brother's gonna be there.

- It's not happening. - 'K.

Goodbye, Jessica.

You never let me do anything.

Just because you have no life doesn't mean the rest of us

- shouldn't have fun. - I have a life. Just so happens I have a blind date

- tonight. - Really?

- Mm-hmm. - You should wear that.

It'll go over really well.

Maybe I will.

Why?

Ladies.

It's been a long time.

Hi, I'm a really big fan. Can I get your autograph?

Anything for a really big fan.

- There you go. - Thank you.

Hey! Great news, I got you booked on the Today Show.

- What? That's fantastic! - And then I'm gonna need you

for half an hour for the investors' meeting.

We gotta push it. I gotta work on the dinner menu, I told you.

The menu's fine, OK? We need to work on the cookware

and frozen food and franchising this place.

- Wanna taste it, chef? - I'm sure it's good. Thanks.

Wow, you're so pushy.

Is that why we didn't work out?

I'm pretty sure it's more complicated than that. OK,

look, you got 30 minutes. Right now I gotta change

for this blind date my sister set me up on.

Doesn't Leslie know you don't need any blind dates?

Apparently not.

You know what? Can you just...

Oh!

- Hi there. Nice to meet you. - Oh, hi.

- You look great. - Yeah, you too. Cheers.

You're Matthew Everston! I am such a huge fan. I love this restaurant.

Thank you very much. I heard you were pretty, but I'd say that is an understatement.

- Ha! - Who told you that?

- Your sister, my book editor. - She told me all about you,

how you were a successful writer.

Was, past tense.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Sorry to interrupt, but are you Terry Russell?

Yeah.

I have read everything you've ever written.

- Oh, thank you! That's so nice! - I can't wait for the next book to come out.

- When is that happening? - Uh, soon. Soon-ish.

Good night.

- It was very nice to meet you. - Likewise.

- Hi. - Hi.

I'm sorry, I just didn't notice you there.

Wow, not doing yourself any favours with that one.

- Let me get us a couple drinks. - You're living up to your name.

Can I get my usual, please? Thanks, buddy.

- So, pretty sweet pick-up lines. - You like those, huh?

Out of curiosity, what happens if you settle down

with somebody? You gonna be Chef Cupid forever?

Sure, why not?

- Alright, enjoy your blind date. - Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Guy Fieri's a loudmouth, Bourdain's a bad boy,

and I'm the guy that you have fun with. It's a just a brand.

Can't separate the rice from the pudding, pal.

I think it's hilarious you're a romance novelist.

Why's that?

Because you claim to be an expert on love, yet here you are,

totally single, not even giving this blind date a chance.

Nice to meet you, Chef Cupid.

Well, that went well.

So tell me more about you. I really do want to know.

What is Dominic Barone doing here?

Don't worry about it. He had the coq au vin.

- Why didn't I know about this? - I told you last week

while you were being interviewed for Gourmet Magazine.

- Your hair had amazing... - I should've been the one that cooked for him.

You were on a date with Danielle Steel!

- Look, I'm sure you're a nicer... - Not now.

Mr. Barone!

I wish I had known you were coming.

Matthew Everston.

Culinary superstar.

Pioneer of the French gastropub scene.

Is that what you're gonna write in your review?

To start off with,

followed by the fact that you've become a parody of yourself.

What do you mean, parody?

You know how much I respect you.

My coq au vin was stale.

Unimaginative. It was like taking a bite

out of something that was sitting out all day,

something created for a photo shoot.

Mr. Barone, you can't write that. We're about

to sign investors for franchising and we're launching

a frozen food line. Come on, gimme a break.

Perhaps that's the problem, Matthew.

You've become the face of your food

and you stopped being the heart of it.

So, is he right? Am I a sellout?

Don't let Barone get inside your head. You're a two-time Iron Chef.

- Not anymore. - People don't read reviews.

It's not gonna change anything.

- When's the investors' meeting? - They're rescheduling it again.

"Rescheduling." They're pulling out.

Proof that a guy like Barone can shut down a restaurant with one review.

Honey, he's like the biggest Peter Pan case I've ever met!

He doesn't want the right girl, he wants just the next girl, you know?

I'm really sorry, I just... He's actually a really nice person.

I think he just hasn't, you know, met the right girl.

- That is him calling right now. - No, don't answer.

- I'm answering. - Come on. Don't!

I am answering.

- Hey, d'you hear what happened? - Of course I did.

Psh! It was the worst night of my life.

- Come on, I'm sure it wasn't that bad. - Oh no, it was that bad.

As your younger sister, I need to tell you

that at some point, you're gonna need to stop hopping

- from lily pad to lily pad. - Yeah, yeah.

Wait a minute, what are we talking about?

- The date with Terry. - Oh, yeah.

Could you please not set me up with any of your uptight friends

- anymore? - I'm not uptight! I'm a good-time girl!

- I'm fun! - Is she right there? Am I on speakerphone?

- Nope, gotta go! - Hold on! Wait, I need to talk to you about my res...

My restaurant.

'Cause I'm finished.

- What was that? - Forget it. Just forget him,

it's time to focus on you. So how's the book coming along?

I mean, it's, you know, it's coming. Sort of.

- I know that face. - What face?

I'm trying, I swear I'm trying. It's just, like, the divorce,

and Abby, everything's so hard.

I need to be straight with you. If you don't finish your book

by September, you're gonna lose your publishing deal.

We need to deal with this and we need to move past this hump.

I know what you need.

- What? - Inspiration, adventure,

romance, a beautiful place just for you.

That sounds magical. Too bad that doesn't exist.

Actually, it does.

Keys to my family's place in France.

I thought you were going there this summer.

You need it more than I do. Besides,

I'm completely swamped here.

And if it gets that book out of you that I know is in there, then it's a win-win.

No, honey, I can't just, like, leave my life

and go frolic in France.

That's crazy. Besides, what would I do with Abby?

Bring her. You need a little crazy.

- France? - Yeah.

♪♪

♪ Les quelques sous que tu vas gagner ♪

♪ Faudra pour ça durement travailler ♪

♪ Yé, yé, yé, yé, yé ♪

♪ Te lever aux aurores ♪

♪ Automne comme été ♪

♪♪

♪ Tu auras beau économiser ♪

♪ Tu ne pourras rien mettre de côté ♪

♪ Yé, yé, yé, yé, yé ♪

♪ Et là-dessus encore ♪

♪ Heureuse si tu peux ♪

- Merci, monsieur! - ♪ Aller danser ♪

Abby, we have arrived.

Great. We're in the middle of nowhere.

What are we supposed to do here for the whole summer?

Can't you see how spectacular this is? How many kids get to go to France for the summer?

Spectacular is hanging out with my friends in the city,

not hanging out with adults.

Oh, hi! Is this the Everston villa?

Oui, and who are you beautiful ladies?

I'm Terry, this is my daughter Abby.

I am René-Claude, a friend of the Everstons.

- Enchanté. - Merci.

Well, I hope you have a lovely stay.

- I certainly hope so. - Au revoir.

Au revoir!

Mom! Mom, I have no bars!

Seriously, did you even find out if there's Wi-Fi at this place?

Or what's the password? You know I have to text Jessica the moment I get here!

Abby. Take it in, honey.

Excuse me?

- You? - You?

What?

What are you doing here?

- What are you doing here? - Uh, I live here.

I know that, but your sister promised this place to me for the summer.

- Did you and my sister set this up? - Don't flatter yourself.

- Hey, you're Chef Cupid! - Yeah, I am. And who are you?

- I'm Abby. - What are you doing here?

She's my daughter.

Ha! Wow. Leslie failed to mention you had a kid.

Not a kid. I'm 15, actually.

- I even went to your restaurant after my homecoming. - Yeah, what d'you think?

- Meh. - Look, I'm here for a very important reason

and I can't, I mean, we can't leave.

Yeah, well, neither can I. I'm sorry to inconvenience you,

but there's a fantastic hotel right up the street.

They've got a pool, and room service, and a... slide.

- I'm calling Leslie. - Me too.

- Hello? - Hey Leslie, I'm here at the villa and your writer friend

- mysteriously showed up. - Um...

I'm really sorry, Matthew, but you didn't tell Mom or Dad that you were gonna be going there.

Dad promised me the villa, and I promised it to Terry.

- I can't take it away from her. - Yes, you can.

I don't care how you do it, but they need to leave now.

Hi, Leslie, honey, is this your idea of a sick joke?

I promise you I had no idea he was gonna be there.

What am I supposed to do about my deadline?

I've had a very traumatic experience, OK? I need time by myself to think.

Put me on speaker. The house has nine rooms and four bathrooms.

It can certainly hold three people. You're both adults.

I have faith that you can work it out and accomplish everything you need to and have fun.

Love you both.

Where were we?

What?

Mom! Mom, I have two bars! I'm gonna go call Jessica, OK?

Alright, this is how it's going down. I like things clean,

nothing on the counters, especially in the kitchen. If you use a knife,

hand wash it, don't put it in the dishwasher. In fact, don't use

- the dishwasher at all. - OK, fine. I like to write in the mornings, and Abby sleeps in

- so you do not make a sound until 2PM. - Fine...

- It's 1:45. You don't speak. - You're not writing.

It's a rule! Deal?

Deal.

Morning, honey.

It smells good. Is there coffee?

There's a coffee maker, but I don't know how to use it.

It keeps leaking from the bottom. So weird.

Oh no, no, no, no, no. Please tell me this isn't happening.

This is my kitchen. It's also my sanctuary.

I'd appreciate it if you would treat it as such.

So you know how the coffee maker works?

Yes, I know how the coffee maker works.

And you know what? Don't touch it. I will be in charge of the coffee.

Great, can you make mine with the mocha mix? We brought our own.

Do you want a pancake? It's called a chocolate coconut hazelnut surprise.

- I can show you how to make it. - Get it out of my face, please.

- Why? You don't like food? - When it's edible, yes.

- You guys are banned from the kitchen. Out. - What would you like us to do

- when we wanna cook? - I take it you don't cook very often.

Yeah, Mom boils water and orders takeout. I'm the cook.

Don't care. Out. Out, come on, come on. Scram.

- Can you guys stop talking, please? - No, we can't.

As a matter of fact, we're amending the house rules. Number one,

I'm allowed to talk in my own house. Number two, if you are going to cook,

you need to learn proper prep, execution,

and just basic sanitation.

- That's not gonna work for me. - Get out.

- Guys, I'm trying to write! - Does anyone even care that Jessica hasn't texted me

in two days? Two days, Mom! I'm going outside.

I'm going upstairs.

I'm going crazy.

OK.

Oh!

So you don't cook, you don't date,

you don't ride a bike, and you call yourself a romance novelist.

I can ride a bike. I just don't want to.

Suit yourself. It's a long walk

- back from town. - I'm a New Yorker! I love to walk!

Mm-hmm.

I made you some lunch.

I used your tomatoes, pine nuts, shrimp,

a little bit of goat cheese, basil, boom!

You didn't cook today and I know you're hungry.

I don't even know where to start.

Presentation's hurting my eyes.

A plain white plate? No garnish?

Well, then just close your eyes.

So what do you think?

- You just threw this together? - Yeah.

I don't have much to work with at home,

and you have some great ingredients, so I kind of went with the flow

and how I was feeling.

I need to get out of here.

I like it.

Oh, merci. Ketchup, please?

- Ketchup? - Oui, s'il vous plaît.

Excuse me, are you Terry Russell?

I am.

I'm Jean-Luc. I've only met you through your words.

- Oh! - May I?

Oh yeah, please, please.

You managed to elevate the romance genre with rich characters.

Are you sure you're not French?

I'm pretty sure.

That's really nice, Jean-Luc. What do you do?

Oh, uh, I'm a chef.

Just own a little restaurant in the next village.

What are you doing in France?

I'm just relaxing, trying to write a little bit.

Great idea. France is a magical place.

I'm starting to get that sense.

Oh, you must come to La Saveur de France.

- The annual cook-off next month. - Oh!

Yeah, the best chefs of all the villages compete.

OK!

Nice bike. What are you doing here?

Just getting some groceries. I see you're taking in the local flavour.

Matthew Everston. What a surprise.

- Very busy, non? - Just doing a little R and R at the old villa.

Jean-Luc was just telling me about the Flavour of France competition.

- You should join that. - I don't think so.

Oh, come on! You're a star chef from New York City. What are you afraid of?

Just here to relax. I take it you won last year?

Four years in a row. This will be my fifth.

- If you win. - I will win.

Well, I hope we see each other again.

I'm here all summer.

Au revoir, Terry.

Everston.

Don't tell me you're buying that French cheese.

That guy's so charming.

Why don't you have a little omelet with your ketchup?

I will.

Hey. You're on your phone again? Why don't you try living in the moment?

This is your moment, not mine.

Don't you wanna see the countryside?

No.

What about a bike ride?

- You wanna walk into town? - No.

I'm actually watching this video of Matthew.

I quit!

Who is that guy? He's like a totally different person.

I know. Not like the downer that he us now.

He kind of reminds me of you when you were fun and would write all the time.

Oh, I gotta take this.

What's up, Jessica?

Wait, she said that about me?

Why would she say that?

Mmm.

- What are you doing? - That's amazing. Is there wine in there? You can taste it,

- it's great. - Would you like it if I read your unfinished book?

- No. - Well, that's my unfinished work, OK?

And it's terrible.

I can't sleep.

Yeah, me either.

Alright, well, I'll give you your space.

Wait. Wait a sec.

Come back here.

- I have the perfect cure for insomnia. - Yeah?

My grandpa's secret hot chocolate recipe.

- Thank you. - Yeah.

- I mean, it's good. - Right?

You know what it needs, though?

- No, no, no... - Ah, ah, ah, ah.

Can you just live a little, please?

- Ironic coming from you. - What's that supposed to mean?

- Alright, fill me up. - Yeah.

Look...

- I'm sorry about before. - Oh, don't. It's fine.

We both have a lot going on.

Your sister told me about your review. I'm very sorry about your restaurant.

I just haven't had a bad review since culinary school.

I used to frame mine

and put them up on the wall so I could prove them wrong.

Yeah, I don't know if I can do that.

Well, you can't let them take anything from you.

I'm not letting them take my marshmallows, that's for sure.

You love it.

Why would you do all that work when you can just buy the stuff?

Because it'll taste better.

I wanna make you a chocolate gelato with basil that'll blow your mind.

That actually sounds really good.

You have no idea.

It's one of my favourite desserts on the planet.

What's up with you?

My friend Jessica's been spending a lot of time with Savannah

and she's not a cool girl. She's... she's not nice at all.

Well, that's not good.

And every time we talk, she's all weird and she has to go.

Look, if there's one thing I've learned over the years,

it's that if Jessica's a real friend, she will be there when you get back.

You should help me do a little digging over here. You up for that?

- Yeah. - Come on, then.

- You dig, I'll plant. - OK.

- There you go. - Thanks!

Mmm.

Matthew, that's magical. How do you do it?

Oh, that's fresh lemons from our 300-year-old orchard,

organic lavender from the garden, no big deal.

- Yeah. - How's the writing going?

It's not. No, I got nothing.

And if I don't get this book turned in, I'm done.

- Sounds like you're in good shape, then. - How do you figure that?

Ah, well, at my restaurant, we've got these nights

where we're just slammed, we run out of the special, the tables will be all impatient...

I'm sorry, did you just say good shape?

It's that moment of pressure, when it's do or die, everything's on the line;

that was always when I was at my best.

So this...

it's in there.

The pressure's just gonna help bring it out.

- OK. - Uh, there's a Jean-Luc here?

What? He really wants me to join that cook-off, doesn't he?

- Like I got time for that. - Nope. It's for Mom.

Oh.

Really?

- Jean-Luc! - Bonjour.

These are beautiful! How did you know

- where to find me? - This is a small town.

Listen, you've given me so much through your books,

so I decided to make you my special dish.

- Beef bourguignon. - Oh, my God!

This is incredible! Merci!

I actually came here also to ask if I could take you out to eat some time.

Oh, um...

I don't know, I mean, I've got so much work and...

- I understand. - Yeah.

OK. OK, yeah, maybe.

- Maybe? Maybe is good. - Is it?

- I'll take maybe. - OK.

Bonne nuit, Everston.

Au revoir.

I mean, it's OK.

- No, it's fantastic. - Yeah, it's pretty good.

- You know why it's so good? - The wine he used?

The mushroom. He used chanterelle instead of white button. Why haven't I

- thought of that? - And that changes the whole taste?

Oh, you guys tried it! How is it?

Well, um...

- That bad? - That good.

Hey, chef! We're going on a field trip. Chop-chop!

We are?

Yeah. Your kitchen's down, you're out of the special

and your tables are getting impatient. Let's go.

OK, I'll go.

On one condition.

I got you.

- No, let go. I got it, I got it. - Got it? Ready?

Ah, I'm doing it!

Yes, you are. Just like riding a bike!

- You good back there? - Yeah, I've got it!

♪ Je te dis fais attention si nous allons dans cet endroit ♪

This way, this way, this way!

♪ Avant la bagarre Je te préviens ♪

- What is that? - Mm, smell that.

- What is it? - It's delicious.

What is it?

- Oh, you're supposed to hit it? - No, you're not a drummer.

This is... Sorry. That's so nice!

- You have to try this cheese. - Is it OK?

Here, do you want the rest?

I love these.

What's the difference between this and this?

Um, that one's green.

Dark green.

- This smells so delicious. - Yeah.

OK, I'm gonna go to the boucherie.

- I will go get us gelato. - You don't know what you're missing.

- Bonjour. - Bonjour.

- Where's Pierre? - You're that American chef,

- aren't you? - Yes, I am. Matthew Everston.

I'm Nadia. What can I get you, Matthew?

Well, I'm not sure yet.

Did you come here to work with Jean-Luc?

No, I did not come here to work with Jean-Luc.

Too bad. Jean-Luc is amazing.

Yeah, he's terrific. So what do you have that's good? What's fresh?

All of it. Everything is organic and raised on our family farm.

So everything's the best. But, um,

if you wanna try something really special,

you should try our lamb sweetbread. Very creamy with a wonderful,

- delicate flavour. - Hm! Well, I'm convinced.

But it is very difficult to cook. Maybe some ground beef for your American hamburger?

I think I can handle it.

But anyway, if you have a problem, come back for a chicken.

- Good luck, chef. - Merci.

You know what? I got a better idea. I'm gonna make you

the best sweetbreads that you've ever had in your entire life.

Come by the Everston villa tonight, up the old road, 7 o'clock.

- Parfait. - Parfait. See you soon.

Looks good.

Hmm. Wow.

- I'll go talk to her. - No.

No, let me.

I know what you're gonna say, and the answer

that you're looking for is hiring a maid.

Well, that would definitely help,

- but I actually had another idea. - Oh yeah? What's that?

Why don't you come in the kitchen and help me cook something?

Come on.

Alright, here's some fennel. Most people throw that out,

but I love to use it as a garnish. Pretty tasty.

- Where should I put it? - Just put it on top.

Now, it might taste good, but it's also that it'll look good.

What are you guys cooking? Chicken?

Taste it first, then I'll tell you what it is.

I've never tasted anything like that before.

- It's good, right? - Yeah?

- What is it? - It's lamb.

- It's lamb? - Organs.

- Wait, what? - Don't worry, it's just a pancreas.

Just a panc...? Oh, gross! Guys!

- You said you liked it! - Now I need water!

- Come on! Want another bite? Here you go. - Stop!

Why would you make me eat that? What?

Oh, really? Oh, really?

No, don't! Stop!

Ow! Stop it!

Don't you dare!

Abby, stop it! Ah!

Matthew?

Oh, the butcher.

- The butcher? - Yeah.

Oh, it's the butcher.

- I get it. OK, Abby, come on. - Wait, you have a date with the butcher?

No, it's not a date, it's a butcher-chef thing.

It's a business dinner.

Just gimme a second.

- Hey. - Bonsoir, chef.

- Nadia, hi. - You forgot?

No, no, I lost track of time.

- It smells good, you cooked the sweetbreads! - Oui...

- Oh, wow! - This is...

- Look, why don't we go eat outside? - D'accord.

Mom?

Mom, are you OK?

Hm? Oh! Yeah, baby, I'm fine.

- Why don't you call Jessica? - That's OK.

I'm kinda more into what's going on here.

Like the fact that you sort of like Matthew?

No. Abby, no. Absolutely not.

- Just checking. - Because even if I did, which I don't,

- he's on a date right now, downstairs. - With ze butcher.

Oui, ze butcher.

That, downstairs? That's just an old habit.

Just like you never wanting to put yourself out there.

Hey, I do wanna put myself out there, OK?

Good.

When did you get so grown-up?

I don't know. I read all the Terry Russell books.

And wipe the flour from your face.

Ah, Matthew!

Right?

It's getting a little chilly. Let's move in.

There's a person in my home!

You know what? Ah, it's stupid.

So I had to catch my own fish.

And there's this huge fire and it was crazy.

I don't know why I would do something like that.

I worked in Paris for a few summers.

Alrighty. No way.

Oh!

Yeah, those were some great days back then.

No!

Ah!

You OK?

No, I got it. I got it.

What happened?

I don't know, I was sleepwalking or something.

You sleepwalked into the pool?

- Is this your wife? - My wife?

- No! - No, we're not married.

He's telling the truth. We're not.

No, she's my sister's friend, that's all she is.

Yeah, I mean, yeah, I'm his sister's friend.

That's it.

OK, this is too weird. I'm sorry, I have to go.

Wait!

It's not a party until somebody falls in the pool, eh?

So, what is it?

It is...

swordfish.

- Have you had it? - Duh, I grew up in Manhattan.

Mm-hmm. Alrighty, then.

What do you do with it?

Hm? How do you cook it?

What does it go with? You have the whole kitchen

at your disposal.

Who are you, and what have you done with Matthew?

- Look, Abby, you've got good instincts, alright? - Hi, guys!

Wow!

Uh,

- where are you off to? - Well, it would seem I'm going on a picnic.

With who?

I'll get it!

- You look nice. - Thank you, you too.

- Where are you guys going? - Huh?

It's a secret.

- When are you gonna be home? - Matthew!

I meant, uh, what time does Abby gotta go to bed?

- We're both big girls. - Have fun, Mom.

- You have no game. - What do you mean I have no game?

- He's got no game. - Yeah, then why is the scoreboard Jean-Luc one,

Chef Cupid zero?

Oh, really?

Alright, well, I will enter the contest, then.

Yes! Are you serious?

Yes! I'm coming for you, Jean-Luc!

You know, this reminds me of Moonlit Promises.

- What?! - Yes, when Selina and John

- walk through that meadow and find love. - Oh, I'm so cheesy.

- No, that was one of my favourites! - You're being very sweet,

thank you.

I don't think you understand how much I love your novels.

I mean, you taught me that my crazy fantasies for romance were possible.

- Well, I mean, they're silly books. - Not at all.

I could do this. I could spend summers in France

and leave the craziness of New York behind.

- It suits you. - Yeah?

Walking around with his funny little picnic basket.

I don't know what she sees in him.

- I do. - Why, because he's tan,

fit and French? Boring.

Boring? Are you kidding me?

My mom writes about guys like Jean-Luc, but has never actually dated a Jean-Luc.

No, no, no, no, no! Aw!

Left it in too long!

- So what about you? - Well, I like to travel.

- Yeah? - I'm a car enthusiast.

And I study languages.

How exciting! I love all that.

Yeah, the only problem is that I don't have anyone to share them with.

A beautiful octopus salad.

- Octopus? - Mm-hmm.

Jean-Luc, that's good! That's very good! Oh, I'm in heaven right now.

Well, that makes two of us.

So, uh, tell me about your next book.

Um, well, it is about a woman who's struggling at work

and so she goes and spends time in a beautiful villa

- and she falls in love. - With a Frenchman.

- No, not with a Frenchman. - Sounds like you need to do a rewrite here.

Actually, her love interest is staying in the villa with her

and he's very obnoxious, but he's charming, so she...

Have I mentioned how much I love this salad?

- It's ruined. - I don't think anything's ruined yet.

- I wasn't paying attention. It's over. - Not talking about the fish.

- What are you talking about? - All I'm saying is that there's a way to fix things.

Call it the special ingredient.

Raspberries?

Try it.

It's delicious.

Good work.

- Hey, how'd it go? - Um, good.

I mean, your sister would be happy, he's read all my books.

I hear a "but" coming.

No, I mean, there's not a "but". He's charming,

he's handsome and he's clearly very well read.

But I'm just not sure about the zsa-zsa-zu, you know?

The zsa-zsa-what?

Yeah, the zsa-zsa-zu, like when you're, um,

with someone and you just... you know.

Yeah, zsa-zsa-zu's your problem.

- No, it's not. - Yes, it is,

because it's not real. It's writers like you that have created

this unobtainable standard that us men can never live up to.

And the women that buy into this zsa-zsa-zu garbage,

they wonder why they're bitter and alone.

It's an excuse

so they can hide and not hold themselves accountable,

like, "Oh, it didn't work out because I couldn't find my zsa-zsa-zu."

Well, it does exist.

You just have the emotional toolbox of a 17-year-old,

always looking for the next younger, prettier butcher

- or whatever you're looking for. - If calling me shallow

makes you feel better about yourself, by all means, go ahead.

In your next book, instead of Trevor, just call the villain Matthew Everston.

What? How does he know about Trevor?

Abby?

- Where's Abby? - Abby?

It seems that we have been set up.

Well, in that case...

- Thanks. - Mm-hmm.

- Shall we? - We shall.

Oh, wow, that's delicious.

- Yeah. - What's in that?

It's like cinnamon, a little cayenne?

I had no idea my kid could cook like this.

I know, right?

Look, I need to apologize

about last night. No, no, really. Just listen.

I had myself all wound up

and I took it out on you and I'm sorry.

Well, we both said a lot of stuff maybe we shouldn't have.

But you haven't lived with two girls before, so I'm gonna cut you some slack.

I'm sure it is challenging, to say the least.

Well, it's not that bad.

Friends?

Friends.

- It's good, right? - It's great.

Hey there.

I'm gonna go for a walk. Wanna take a writing break?

Yeah, I would love to.

You came at the perfect time.

I just finished my chapter.

Just like Samantha from your third book, telling people to celebrate the small victories.

- It's just so embarrassing that you're reading those! - Yeah, do not,

under any circumstances, tell me what happens with Julia and Charles.

OK, done.

So, this villa's been in your family for a long time?

Yeah, as long as anyone can remember. During World War II, it was briefly used

as a hospital. There's a lot of history.

Well, it is certainly a magical place, Matthew.

- It's pretty special, right? - Yeah.

Alright, stop right there.

- Shut your eyes. - What?

- Shut your eyes. - OK.

- Don't move. - I won't.

- OK. Open your mouth. - What?

Trust me.

It's pretty good, right?

- I need to go write. - Right now?

- Mm-hmm, yeah. - Wait, wait. Hold on.

Before you go, I just wanna ask you

if you wanna go have dinner with me at my favourite restaurant in the whole world.

I would love that.

She'd love that.

Mom, what's taking so long?

I don't know. It's, like, too much.

- No. No, it's beautiful. - It's not a date.

- It's not. I mean, it's dinner. - Yeah, whatever you wanna call it.

Shut up!

I'm sorry for being annoying in the beginning.

- What? - Yeah, I'm having a blast.

Honey!

I'm having the best summer with you.

- Really good job on the hot chocolate, by the way. - Thanks.

- Maybe there's two artists in the family. - Yeah, yeah. I love you.

You're gonna be late. On your date!

You look fantastic.

Mademoiselle.

♪ Quand on est ensemble toute la nuit ♪

♪ Nous dormons jusqu'au matin la main dans la main ♪

♪ En dormant, si tu as rêvé de moi ♪

♪ Moi, j'ai rêvé de toi ♪

♪ Quand on est ensemble, le soleil vient ♪

♪ Du bonheur dès le matin Dénouer nos mains ♪

♪ Et très vite nous invite sous le ciel clair ♪

♪ À sauter dans la mer ♪

♪ Quand on est ensemble ♪

♪ Comme elle est douce la plage ♪

Well, here it is.

- It's like something out of... - A romance novel?

Welcome, Matthew!

- Please don't ask for ketchup. Hello. - We are overjoyed

that you could come. Please, please, please, follow me. Your table is waiting.

Fantastic, merci.

I just can't believe that a place like this actually exists.

It's my favourite place in the world. Thank you.

- Oh, René! How are you? - Good, how are you?

Good to see you. Very well. Let me introduce you to my good friend...

- Terry. - How do you...

- We met. Is this your restaurant? - Oui!

- Let's have a seat. - OK.

- Tell me about René. - He had this incredibly famous restaurant in Paris

called Le Cochon de Lait, alright? He had everything.

And one day, he just closed the doors,

- came home and opened Evangeline's. - Why?

You know, I don't know. He never told me.

- So he's the one that taught you to cook. - Yeah.

Yeah, I was this really annoying

13-year-old kid who, instead of making mud pies, wanted to know

how to make gourmet food,

- so he was kind enough to take me under his wing. - Excusez-moi!

We've been waiting for 45 minutes and we have not received our appetizer.

And we would like to have more wine, s'il vous plaît.

- And there is no table out here either. - Please, be patient.

Gimme one sec, I'm just gonna make sure everything's OK.

René, what's going on? Where are the cooks? Where's François?

Jacques, our sous-chef, got sick, and François didn't show up.

Alright.

Let's do this.

Veal ragout, sole meunière, duck confit. Alright.

Here we go.

- Just like old times. - The best of times.

♪ Ensemble ♪

♪ Nous n'avons plus qu'un seul coeur ♪

♪ Plus qu'un seul coeur ♪

♪ Le soir se fait tendre ♪

♪ Et doucement nous reprenons le chemin ♪

♪ Qui mène à demain ♪

- Shh, shh! - I'm sorry for tonight.

What? No, you did it. The food, the wine, it was great.

René is just the sweetest. It was fun to watch you help him.

He is. We couldn't have done it without you.

Well...

Mom!

What's up?

Hey.

Honey, what happened?

Jessica and Savannah are saying mean things about me on social media,

like I've become a snob because I'm in France

and I've become a country girl.

I don't understand.

She's supposed to be my best friend.

Whoa, hang on. First of all,

you shouldn't care what somebody says or writes about you.

Yeah, Matthew's right.

If you just ignore them, then they're powerless over you.

Yeah, and second of all, if Jessica really was your best friend, she wouldn't be saying

- those things about you. - No, best friends are supposed to be there for you, babe.

- They pick you up when you're down. - Make you laugh.

Motivate you.

None of this would have happened

if you didn't bring me to this stupid villa.

You got a minute?

I know you're pretty upset.

Mean girls, man...

Look, I want you to know that in life,

friends are gonna come and go, babe.

So are boys, and work, and parties.

But the one thing that does not ever, ever, ever go away is your passion.

And you found that this summer, you did. I'm so proud of you.

So, I know Matthew's over at Evangeline's and they could really use some help

in the kitchen.

What do you say? You wanna go over there?

- Yeah. - You're a good girl, Abby.

Come on.

Keep your fingers safe with your knuckles.

That's it.

- She's a natural, just like you. - Oh, yeah?

- Hey, hey. - Jean-Luc!

How are you?

CÇa va et toi?

- I knew you were here. - I am, I am. I'm fine.

I just, I've been really busy writing and...

Yeah, I'm here. I'm helping out.

How about joining me for a drink later?

Oh, Jean-Luc, um, I'm so sorry. I have to help Matthew

get ready for the Flavour of France competition.

Oh. I didn't know.

- He's competing? - Yeah.

It looks like it.

I'm going to win, you know.

He's very good.

Oh, wow!

You do know that you're totally gonna win, right?

Maybe you're right.

But if I'm even gonna have a chance,

I need a sous-chef.

Me? Are you kidding me? Yes! Yes, I'd love to!

- René, I'm gonna need you too. - Oui, oui!

Let's do this.

♪ We know, we know, we know ♪

♪ We're never too far from home ♪

♪ Where will we go ♪

♪ Where will we I know, I know, I know ♪

♪ I know I'm never alone ♪

♪ Wherever we go Wherever we go ♪

♪ We know, we know, we know ♪

♪ We're never too far from home ♪

♪ Wherever we go ♪

- ♪ Wherever we go ♪ - Three!

♪ Wherever we go ♪

Stop!

- So, what are you gonna make? - Um,

filet, duck confit...

Coq au vin?

Why would I go back to the dish that destroyed me?

The plan is to reinvent myself.

You can reinvent yourself by reinventing the dish.

And how am I supposed to do that?

You know what my favourite food is?

Toaster pastries.

OK, just stop talking.

No, listen. Anytime I start to get bored with them,

they come out with a magical new flavour.

- So what are you saying? - I'm saying do your dish,

but make it new and improved.

Hey now. It's your big day, how are you holding up?

OK, I have a feeling today is gonna be a good day,

so in light of that, I grant you permission to speak.

If it pleases my grace.

Look, whatever happens, thank you.

- Come here. - Come over there?

- Go. - It's the worst timing.

Just go.

There he is!

- What are you doing here? - Bringing you back from the dead.

Wow! This place is amazing.

- Who are you? - I'm Terry.

- Who are you? - Diane, Matthew's business manager.

- Oh! - What happened to flying under the radar?

- Dominic Barone is coming to the cook-off? - You're welcome.

- Dominic Barone the food critic? - I got the vegetables.

Oh, hi! Are you an intern, sweetie?

You should not have sprung this on me.

Don't worry about it. I got this. OK?

Let's go win a contest.

OK.

Go get 'em. How can I help?

Hey, Mr. Barone. It's good to see you.

As if your manager gave me any choice.

- Yeah. - But she did say you would make it worth my while.

I'm gonna do my best.

- Good. Good luck. - Thank you.

Hi. An honour.

What if he's right? What if I've lost my mojo?

Well, sometimes you gotta lose your mojo to get it back.

Why don't you just cook like you're cooking for me and Abby?

OK.

- Good luck. - Thank you.

Maybe you should focus on the dish.

Good point.

Bonjour, and welcome to the 42nd annual Flavour of France,

celebrating our villages and all of our best chefs.

- Game face, Matthew. - You will have two hours to cook

- your signature dish while the rest of us drink wine. - Great.

Then, our judges will taste.

- Double great. - Scores will be allocated and the winner

will be announced. Ready,

set, cook!

- Abby, can you prepare the lavender garlic butter? - Got it, chef.

René, let's sear these suckers.

So Terry, what brought you to France?

I'm a romance novelist and I guess I kind of got blocked,

so I came here in search of a story.

Did you find one?

I think so.

Jean-Luc!

Jean-Luc! Jean-Luc! Jean-Luc!

We've reached the halfway point, chefs!

- How are the mashed potatoes? - On track.

Come on, Abby!

How's the braise?

Jean-Luc! Jean-Luc! Jean-Luc!

Coq au vin, really? Is he doing that on purpose?

Matthew, forget him, OK? This is your dish too.

Come on, Matthew, think. Think.

Abby, make your raspberry sauce.

The wrong ingredient will knock us out of the competition.

- I don't know... - I hit rock bottom because I was not taking chances anymore.

That sauce is a chance that I'm willing to take.

You're not an amateur. You're a chef.

Now make it happen.

- Et voilà. - Five, four,

three, two, one!

- Time's up! - OK.

Raspberries on coq au vin?

- That's a bold choice. - Yeah, just try it.

- Merci, chef. - Thank you, Matthew.

Look, whatever happens, kid, you did a great job.

If I got a restaurant to go back to in New York, that dish is definitely going on the menu.

- Really? - Yeah?

Well, you do have a restaurant here if you want, Matthew.

I think it's time for you to take over Evangeline's.

- What are you talking about? - It is time to announce

our Flavour of France winner!

Chef...

Matthew Everston!

- Bravo! - You did it!

Ah, I'm so proud!

Come on down, Matthew!

Congratulations.

Merci beaucoup! Thank you all very much!

- I don't believe it! - You did it too.

I guess the best man won.

Yes, he did.

Good job.

♪♪

♪ Les quelques sous

♪ Que tu vas gagner Faudra pour ça ♪

♪ Durement travailler ♪

♪ Yé, yé, yé, yé, yé ♪

Oh, oh, oh, look at that!

- Did you make this? - Mm-hmm.

- Honey! - Didn't poison them, did you?

♪ Tu auras beau économiser ♪

♪ Tu ne pourras rien mettre de côté ♪

- Just give me a second. - Uh-huh.

Mr. Barone.

Hey, look, I want to apologize for how I acted in New York.

Everything you said was true. Honestly, you did me a huge favor.

I know, because your cooking today

was absolutely extraordinary.

Well done.

Thank you very much, sir. Coming from you, that means a lot. René!

I'd love for you to meet Mr. Dominic Barone, from the Times.

- This is my mentor. - It's an honour, sir.

Matthew told me about the mix-up.

It's a great story.

- Yeah, I mean, we got used to each other. - I can tell.

The thing is, Matthew sweeps women off their feet

and then he moves on. He's Chef Cupid; it's who he is.

It's not gonna change anytime soon.

- Throw a little paprika in there. - Yeah? You think so?

Oh yeah. We're getting fancy.

- What are you guys doing? - Oh, just talking about cooking.

- I got a little surprise for ya. - Yeah?

Try this.

Mmm! That's delicious.

Love that you didn't ask what it was.

- No, really, what is it? - You don't wanna know.

OK, so there's something that I wanna show to you

- and I'm kind of nervous about it, so if you could just... - It happened! It happened!

- You gotta read this! - What happened? What are you talking about?

Is this the lifestyle section?

"Inventive Flavour of France recipes:

"local fare never tasted so fresh.

Chef Everston found himself in France. We can only hope that he'll return to us."

The Guardian, Vogue, Bon Appétit, everyone is writing about you.

- You're the comeback kid. - I can't believe this came out so fast.

That's not it. Producers in LA want you to do a show called Chef Cupid.

Every week you'll go to a different location: Rome, Barcelona,

Tokyo. You'll cook a different romantic meal for a different single woman every week.

- Are you kidding? - No.

Oh, that's incredible!

- I'm back! - Congratulations.

- I'm back! - Yeah.

This is crazy!

Wow!

Oh, I'm sorry, what were you saying? You want me

- to see something? - No, don't worry about it. It's nothing.

- Are you sure? - Uh-huh.

- OK. - Congrats.

Thank you!

Chef Cupid's back.

Hey! I miss you. How's it going?

Great. I've finished the book.

Hurray.

That's the saddest hurray I've ever heard in my life.

I think you're gonna like it. It, uh,

it's good. I put everything I had into it.

I am so proud of you! Honestly, this is a huge accomplishment!

Mm-hmm.

Also...

I kind of fell in love with your brother.

- Oh, no. No, you didn't. - I did. I showed up

to write, and he was here, and he was just, like,

"Oh, you can't eat that,"

and he made me try all these new things

and I didn't like it.

Then I saw what you meant. He really...

He's, like, the best guy.

And now he's gonna go do this Chef Cupid show

where he's got all these single ladies in the audience

and he's cooking for them, and I'm going back to my apartment.

And I'm probably gonna die of fructose and preservatives and no one's gonna care.

Terry, you are a wonderful mother.

You are my favourite author and you're actually

one of the nicest people I've ever known, OK?

This is the first time I've seen you out of your comfort zone

in years. You should be really proud of yourself.

OK.

Come home.

I think it's time to go to New York.

- Hey. - Hi.

- What are you doing? - Summer's over. It's time to go home.

So you're just gonna leave?

Can we talk about it?

Yeah. Yeah, come here.

- This has been a wonderful summer, Matthew. - Yeah.

I wouldn't trade it for anything.

You really opened up my world, and I just want you to know that I'm grateful for it.

That's it?

Well, no, I mean, we're gonna go have dinner at Evangeline's to say goodbye to René.

No, I mean, that's...

that's it between us?

You're going back to being Chef Cupid.

And I'm gonna go back to...

writing about romance.

When do you leave?

On the red eye tonight.

Come here, gimme a hug.

What is it?

Open it, find out.

René gave that to me when I was your age.

And you're just gonna give this to me?

Abby, you have this unique ability

to look at things in a very different way.

Don't ever lose that.

Yeah. I'm gonna miss you.

I'm gonna miss you too, kid.

But you're gonna come visit me, right?

Yeah. We'll cook together.

Hmm...

Diane! There you are.

Yeah, I wanna talk to you about your schedule. I mean, it's crazy,

- but we can do this. - Listen.

I can't go back to New York with you.

I'm not Chef Cupid anymore.

I want different things.

Because you think you're in love?

- I gotta go. - Matthew.

Yeah?

I'm happy for you.

OK.

When I close the restaurant, I will come visit you in New York City.

Can we go row boating in Central Park?

Yeah, sure.

But I don't want you to close Evangeline's. I can help out.

- I can come back next summer. - Oh, you know I would love that,

chérie, but it's time for this place to say bonne nuit.

You and your mother will always have a place here

- in France. - René.

Thank you for everything.

Thanks, René.

Go!

So I figured out why René left everything back in Paris.

Why?

'Cause he fell in love with Evangeline.

He didn't care about fame, he just wanted to do what he loved

with the person that he loved the most.

Love is what makes this place magical. Everybody that comes here

feels it. It's infectious.

What are you doing here, Matthew?

I fell in love.

I'm sorry that I acted stupid and got caught up in all that craziness.

I had all of that. It just made me miserable.

- You have your TV show and your investors. - I don't care about that.

- I care about you and Abby. - But you worked so hard for this.

I can cook anywhere. Everything I need is right here.

- You know that I read your manuscript? - You did?

Well, what did you think?

I thought it was fantastic.

And it's our story.

I kind of need to know what happens next.

I'm just scared you're gonna change your mind.

I wanna do this with you.

You and Abby are everything to me.

I love you, Terry Russell.

Oh, I love you too.

- Hey! - I knew you had it in you.

Champagne!

Merci!

Well, guys,

I just figured out the special ingredient.

Oh?