Original subtitles

♪ Something is in the air

♪ Must be the time of year

♪ It's getting cold but let it snow ♪

♪ You're keeping me warm right here ♪

♪ And I can hear the sleigh bells ringing ♪

♪ Listening to what my heart's singing ♪

♪ You're what I want for Christmas every year ♪

♪ And I said la-la-la la-la ♪

♪ La-la la-la-la la-la-la

♪ La-la-la la-la ♪

♪ La-la la-la-la la-la-la

♪ Let's make our way outside

♪ See all the Christmas lights ♪

♪ We'll wear our touch ♪

♪ We'll join everyone ♪

♪ By the fire inside ♪

♪ And I can hear the sleigh bells ringing ♪

♪ Listening to what my heart's singing ♪

♪ And I can feel the love you're giving ♪

♪ You and me a new tradition ♪

♪ You're what I want for Christmas every year ♪

♪ Hmm

♪ Yeah yeah eh eh eh ♪

♪ Hm-mm-mm-mm ♪

♪ You're what I want for Christmas every year ♪

My perfect taste-tester, just in time to tell me

how tasty my taste in baking is.

-What is this? -Red-velvet cheesecake pie.

Red-velvet cheesecake?

You don't make red velvet or cheesecake.

It's for my mom's new bed-and-breakfast restaurant.

I'm making the dessert menu for her, remember?

Right, but you don't make red-velvet pie.

You make pretty little pastries like these over here.

I used to make red-velvet pie with my mom when I was a kid.

You do realize how many calories are in this slice of pie, yes?

You do realize that there is pie

sitting in front of you right now, yes?

Yes.

What? What is that?

It that a white custard in the cream cheese?

What on Earth is this perfection?

Oh. Really?

I haven't made anything like this in so long,

I was worried I lost my touch.

Why have you never put anything

like this on one of our menus?

Oh, please, like anyone in Los Angeles

wants to eat something so decadent.

You mean you can't make a non-holiday, gluten-free,

dairy-free, low-fat, Keto-Paleo variation?

You would love that, wouldn't you?

I would, almost as much as you're gonna love

hearing who has a rez tonight.

Who?

-Tanner Rhodes. -Are you serious?

Look, I know he's your sworn nemesis,

but why don't you let him try a slice of this little heaven?

You just might change his mind about your food.

The only thing that I wanna change Tanner Rhodes' mind about

is his ill-conceived choice

to step foot into my restaurant tonight.

Don't you mean my restaurant?

Nina, don't make me take away

your taste-testing privileges.

Uh, no. Don't joke like that.

Oh. It's so good.

Thank you.

Wow, it looks so lovely.

Maybe to make up for the food, no?

Mm. Now, Pepper, we have not even tried the holiday menu.

Maybe we'll be impressed.

You're always far too optimistic about the food, Tanner.

It's a good thing you can't mince your words in a critique

like you do with all these pleasantries in person.

Now, Pepper, I don't pretend pleasantries.

I'm a nice guy, I just tell the truth

about the food, that's all.

And that is why our restaurant reviews

are the most hyped in LA.

Nina, how are you?

Good evening, Tanner. Pepper.

-How are you two doing tonight? -We're great.

-Mm-hmm. -So nice to see you.

And the holiday decor in here,

obsessed.

Aww, thank you.

Your server will be with you shortly.

Are we, um...

Oh, no, tonight we are off the record.

We are here just to enjoy the food, no critique.

Oh, well, all right, then.

Why don't I start you two off

with a bottle of Merlot on the house, anyway?

I know that's your favorite as I recall, Pepper?

We would love that. Thank you, Nina.

-Sure. -Hm?

What? No holiday cuisine review?

Oh, I've done my columns for the week.

Well, throw it in for Monday column.

Why wouldn't you review?

Pepper, if I start eating a meal with a review in mind,

then I can't help myself.

So tonight I'm dining as a regular patron,

not a critic.

Whatever you say.

Here you are. Enjoy.

It looks lovely. Thank you.

All right.

No review this time.

I don't wanna hear what you have to say.

I don't care what he thinks about my chicken.

Unless he liked it. Did he like it?

I already told you he said he's not here

to review the restaurant.

But he did smile big at his first bite.

-Smile big? -Well, you know, he-he smiled.

It's better than anything he's given you before.

Look, I don't need Tanner Rhodes' validation. Okay?

Our restaurant does not need Tanner Rhodes' validation.

Food critic Marla Kravitz said

the skin on my roast chicken sings.

Josie. How are you this evening?

I'm great. Extremely well. Running a four-star restaurant.

-No big deal. How was dinner? -The roasted chicken was lovely.

Oh, good. I'm so glad you liked it.

Oh, and what is this?

Special dessert.

Is it a special dessert or a dessert special?

A special dessert. It's not on our menu.

It's meant for my mother's new bistro up in Big Bear Lake.

And is this a red-velvet pie?

The best red-velvet custard cheesecake pie

you will ever have.

Well, this doesn't look like

a Josie Byrde Bakery dessert to me.

That's 'cause it's old-school Josie.

I think you're gonna wanna use a normal fork.

And it's vegan?

Only in our dreams, Ms. Fine.

Shall we?

Oh, wow. That's delicious.

Thank you. And it's, uh, on the house.

Happy holidays.

Josie, uh, your red-velvet pie,

it's not bad.

Not bad.

Well, thank you.

I'm so glad that you got a chance to try my, uh,

my baking again.

Hope it wasn't "More trite than taste," right?

Your words, not mine. Um, if you'll excuse me...

I just have to, uh, go back into the kitchen

and, um, make our menu pastries.

They're light and fluffy, yet full of flavor,

and low-calorie, so...

Uh, Josie, she's not still upset with me

over that old review, is she?

No, of course not. Maybe a little.

Ha! Hi!

Oh. Hey, mom. How are you?

Good, good. Nolan and I are just setting up.

Getting ready for our esteemed guests.

-Hey, Jos! -Hi.

Oh, that's wonderful. Hey, Nolan.

Actually that's why I'm calling. I've got some really good news.

-Yeah? Yup.

Guess who our first guest of honor

at the grand opening of Byrde's B&B Bistro is.

Marla Kravitz.

Oh. Big-time food critic.

That's great. -Uh, yeah, that's, that's great.

-But she's so-- Yeah. -Critical? Yeah. I guess.

But she loves comfort food, mom, so I really think she's

the best person that we could've asked for for your menu.

But it really makes me nervous. But I'm ready, I'm ready.

Bring it on, Marla Kravitz.

Yes, that's the spirit, because Marla Kravitz

is the icing on this holiday fruitcake

because we also have Iris Davenport.

-Uh, you're kidding. -Nope.

Apparently, she broke up with that professional sports guy

and she wanted to do something fun for the holidays,

so it was either Saint Bart's or Byrde's B&B Bistro,

and we won.

That, that is incredible!

Oh, my God, I, oh... I'm so excited.

The Iris Davenport, I mean, I-I watch her show,

like, every single day.

-All the time. -Yeah.

I know, what if she falls in love with us

and asks you to go on her show?

From what I remember, she's incredibly sweet

from when she used to come in to the bakery.

Uh, that is so wonderful.

That's so great, Jos.

I, uh, I can't wait to try that legendary

tres leches Christmas cake.

Your mom says it's gonna be our featured dessert.

You know, it's my favorite thing I've ever made.

Um, so when are you getting here?

I think I can leave Saturday morning.

I just need to double-check that my sous-chefs

can survive without me.

Okay. Great news. Can't wait to see you.

I'll see you soon.

Hm.

-There she is. -Hey, Nolan.

-Great to see you. -You, too, of course.

Glad to see you're still

admiring my mother as much as I do.

Ah, of course. I can't imagine myself anywhere else.

Plus, she promoted me to management.

Oh, yeah? Congrats.

Thank you. Here.

-Let me take this. -Thank you.

Your mom is pulling out

the decorations as we speak.

-She waited, for me? -Of course! Her only daughter?

Oh! There she is. Oh, my little girl.

Successful entrepreneur and celebrated chef.

I learned from the best. Mom, you smell like Christmas.

-Do I? -Yeah.

Mm. I don't know. Come.

-We decorate.

Ah. I'll just take this to the room.

Aw, dad's Mallard duck ornament.

He sure loved that summer flock of ducks on the lake, didn't he?

I think they used to come back every summer

just for the food he gave them.

Yeah.

I sure miss his hugs.

Yeah, well, I'm sure wherever he is,

he misses yours, too.

Ah, so tell me everything new.

-Are you seeing anybody? -Everything new?

Mom, you were at my house for Friendsgiving in LA,

like, a month ago.

Well, you could've started seeing someone

between then and now.

Well, I haven't.

Not really sure when I'd have the time to, to be honest.

Six nights a week I'm cooking romantic dinners

for people on their date nights.

Sweetie, you really need to start

making more time for yourself, you know?

Okay. I will.

When my career is in a more stable, better place.

What are you talking about?

You run a successful business, you make great money,

you're the head chef at a great restaurant.

How many expectations are you gonna put

on this career of yours?

I don't know, maybe I wanna have my own show

or restaurant empire.

You're one to talk. You live where you work.

I am not young and looking for love.

Who says I'm looking for love?

Nolan's still single, you know?

I'm just saying it would be really romantic

to get, you know, high-school sweethearts

back together on the lake.

Mom, no. Not gonna happen.

Hm. I gave him a promotion.

Uh, okay, I'll stop.

Hey, Shannon.

The, uh, Adlers were asking if we're still serving dinner.

Oh, um, yeah, let 'em know we're-we're making

our annual, traditional chicken and dumplings,

uh, for the soup kitchen,

but they can join us if they'd like.

Okay. I'll let 'em know.

Hey, uh, Jos, you, uh, missed a spot.

-Ten o'clock. -Thanks, Brolan.

Still not okay.

Stop.

Oh. Ooh.

Josie, your rosemary bread is gonna pair so perfectly

with these dumplings. Here, you have to try this.

Mm. Yum! You're using more thyme than you ever have before.

You noticed. Good catch.

Someone's developing taste buds.

Ah. Watch it. Don't forget who taught you everything you know.

You did not teach me how to make this rosemary bread.

Touche.

Hey, you look nice.

I am playing server and manager this evening.

-Ooh, what do we have here? -Ah.

Those are for those in need.

Uh, Nolan, there are two side salads in the fridge.

Could you get those out, please?

-Yeah. Sure. -For the Adlers.

You know, with the real restaurant

opening up this Christmas Eve

and things start kicking up the way they are,

we could really use some extra help around here.

Yup, we're gonna have to find mom a great sous-chef,

and someone that I trust with my desserts.

Interested in the job?

Well, if that means being

in the kitchen with you more, then sure.

I really appreciated all your help with the opening, Josie.

Of course, mama, anything for you.

Hey, you know, I-I just,

I just don't think I would've had the courage

to-to change the dining room into a bistro

if it weren't for all your success.

-I'm so proud of you. -All right, fine.

I learned everything that I know from you.

Smart girl.

-Hello. -Thank you.

-Merry Christmas. -And to you.

Look what Ms. Rose gave us to bring home.

Mm. Is that her famous pickled cranberry relish?

-Oh, I love it. -It'll go great with my bread.

Well, sorry to tell you, sweetheart,

but your rosemary bread didn't survive the soup kitchen.

That's all right. We can make more when we get home.

We have an endless supply of herbs in the greenhouse.

Yeah.

Hi, Becky. Happy holidays.

Oh, here. Take two.

Well, the Christmas craze has officially begun.

-This is all we've got left. -Uh, all right, mom.

I'm gonna go put this in the car and then I'll help you pack up.

Yeah. Perfect.

-Need some help? -Oh. Ah.

-Oh. -The relish.

-Is that cranberry relish? -It was.

I am so sorry about your shirt.

Tanner, what are you doing in Big Bear Lake?

Well, I came here to find out what the secret ingredient was

in your perfect whipped cream. I-it's outstanding.

Is that Tanner Rhodes?

You must be Mrs. Byrde of the famous new B&B Bistro.

-Call me Shannon. -I-I can see the resemblance.

I'm sorry. What is happening right now?

Oh, well, Mr. Rhodes enquired

if he could participate in our grand opening review.

-Mm-hmm. -Which will be wonderful.

I mean, it'll be like

the trifecta of taste-testers.

-Trifecta. -Sorry. What...

You're, so you're gonna be reviewing my mother's bistro?

Yeah.

Which means you'll be reviewing

my desserts.

-Mm-hmm. -Of course, dear.

-Mm-hmm. -And he'll love them.

Yeah.

[instrumental mu

-What was that all about? -Mom, you know.

His last review practically put my bakery out of business.

Oh, honey, your exorbitant rent put your bakery out of business.

Your desserts were just fine.

You never liked my desserts there.

That is not true.

I, I thought the menu was just fine.

I just didn't think the, the menu was very true to you.

Wow. Okay.

Well, all the same,

obviously, I wouldn't have wanted him here.

-Why would you have invited him? -I-I didn't invite him.

Uh, Josie, yesterday he emailed me

and he asked about our availability

and then he booked our last room.

It, it was his decision to come, not mine.

Okay.

I thought we decided on candied bacon

for the breakfast spread.

I can combine it. Coffee-glaze candied bacon.

-No, that's too busy, mom. -Not the way I'm gonna do it.

-Ugh. -Oh! The casserole.

Got it? Yeah. Ah.

Well, something smells ready to gobble-gobble.

That is mom's orange-sage, turkey-herbed casserole.

Mm, and, you know, I bet you that would be

even better on bread with lunch tomorrow.

It makes a delicious leftover sandwich.

I'll make you one tomorrow if you want it.

Great. It's a photo-worthy casserole, too.

Mom always said even the ugliest dishes

can be photo-worthy with a little garnish.

-Mm-hmm. -I like that philosophy.

Marrying the worlds of beauty and taste

in my experience is seemingly

one of the most difficult things for a chef to do.

Exactly. And whoever said it had to be one or the other?

Right, you know, I kinda feel like if it's made with enough

love, that the presentation will just speak for itself.

I like that, if you wanna go take

a seat in the dining room, I'll serve you.

Great.

-Okay. -Yeah. Thank you.

What's the deal with you and the new guy?

You, uh, you know him before today?

Yup, that's the guy who ruined my bakery

with his bad review. But it's not gonna happen again.

-What are you doing? -Serving our guest.

Wow.

Dinner is served.

Care to join me?

I'm still confused why you joined us here.

I know you didn't drive all this way

just for the secret ingredient

in my homemade whipped cream.

Which I'm not giving you, by the way.

Uh, look, I came up here for some rest and relaxation.

Um, isn't that enough?

No, Tanner, it's not,

because now it is about work.

And you've got my mom all excited, just like you had...

Haven't you done enough damage to my career already?

I'm a food critic, okay, Josie?

I have to be as honest with my reviews

as you are with your cooking.

And besides, your career seems to be doing just fine.

Now. It took a year to bounce back.

I was just doing my job. And I said I was sorry.

In a formal email.

And I also invited you out to dinner

to make up for that.

Yeah, like I'm gonna go out with the guy

who burned down my bakery.

Well, look at your restaurant now. Okay?

The food is good. I mean, you've grown.

So is that why you're really here?

Um...

Look, the truth is,

I find you and your red-velvet pie...

endearing.

I-it's not just about the whipped cream.

So I came up here to see what this Christmas cuisine

was all about.

Fine.

But I can't risk you ruining my mother's new venture,

so, you like the food, you don't like the food

you only write about the food if you love it.

Ah, so we're striking deals now, are we?

But only if I love the food.

Pretty much.

If you don't like the food, just tell me,

but that's it.

You know, I hope this isn't your introduction

to Iris Davenport and Marla Kravitz

in a couple of days.

Mm. This is good.

Yeah. I know. Everything here is.

I hope to find out.

-This is a cute store. Thanks.

Do you have any crushed peppermint or straight-up

dark chocolate, by chance?

Over there. -Thank you.

-Josie. -Hm?

Hey, what are you doing here?

Uh, just, um, getting some goodies.

What's with the scarf on your head?

It's not a scarf, it's, uh, fashion.

Okay. Uh, well...

Um, hey, um, since we're both out,

did you maybe wanna grab some lunch?

I know, I know you know all the best eateries around here, so...

Actually, yeah.

This candy is kinda making me hungry.

Great. What did you get?

Uh, it's a, another secret ingredient for one of my dishes.

Oh, so that's why you were hiding on me. Okay.

Well, I'm sure I'll figure it out once I taste the dish.

-Maybe not even then. -Yeah. Maybe then.

-Just have to wait and see. -We will wait and see.

Ready, dear?

Ho, well, I am glad that we decided

to split the buffalo blue sandwich

because I would be bursting at the seams right now.

But, uh, thanks for having lunch with me.

I certainly never would've imagined seeing the day

where I'm sitting across from Tanner Rhodes eating lunch.

Well, we were bound to bond over something someday.

This chicken sandwich is a perfect start.

And you know why, uh...

I just wanted to apologize for my review.

Partly 'cause it, it wasn't mine alone.

-What do you mean? -Well, my managing editor.

Pepper, she had her hands on it before it hit print.

And Pepper sometimes likes to color outside the lines

and use words that can affect people's businesses.

And although I can't apologize for doing my job,

I can apologize for its effects.

I see.

Well, thank you for your apology.

I guess everything sort of happens

the way it's meant to, right?

Yeah. And it's Christmas time.

It's time to make things right.

And besides, if your mom's menu

is half as good as her casserole we had the other night,

I'm telling you, she is in for a rave review.

It's not my mother that I'm worried about.

Oh. You're worried about my thoughts on your dessert menu.

-Aren't you? Maybe.

Although I am more confident now

than anything I've ever made before, but...

Well, then, why don't you tell me

what is on the menu for the big holiday review?

Sans Santa's top-secret ingredients, of course.

We'll be serving three dessert samples after the main course.

My mom wants to test everything out since I'm not gonna be

around after the holidays.

Hm, so

three desserts and zero complaints.

Come on. Tell me.

Well, we have Rudolph's red-velvet reindeer-cheesecake

custard pie which you've already tried.

Yes. With the perfect whipped cream.

We have Santa's snickerdoodle cookie bake

with pecan and praline icing.

Wow. Okay, keep going.

And last but not least, we have

my old Christmas tree tres leches cake.

Tres leches?

-Did you just say tres leches? -I did.

And you're gonna use real milks?

Yes, I'm using real milks.

Wow, I find that just fascinating

because your bakery back in LA, you didn't use one real milk,

let alone three with real cream.

That was my big-city bakery.

Mom wants to have a comfort menu

with things that we used to make together growing up,

so that's what I'm giving her.

And what inspired the change back in LA?

I don't know, um, chefs I used to work for,

trends that were hot at the time.

People's waistlines?

I mean, it's LA. You know how it is down there.

People like to eat healthy and clean.

I thought I was making what would sell.

Yeah, no, I totally get it, but, I mean,

your red-velvet pie with the cream-cheese custard

is a far cry from your vegan, low-sugar, red-velvet macaroons.

But have you ever thought about, you know, marrying the two,

sort of just meeting in the middle?

Nope. Maybe I should.

I did have more fun making this menu

than anything I've made before.

Yeah, and I think that when people try your food,

it'll shine through the menu.

Some people like my bakery.

But you just weren't one of them.

I thought I was making what the people would like.

What about what you like? Hm?

I'm still figuring that out.

It's so much bigger than...

You're back!

Pepper, what are you doing here?

Oh, my plans to go to Connecticut fell through.

Mom and dad went to Tulum.

I didn't wanna be someplace warm for Christmas,

and since LA is warm, I took a lift here.

Uh, Oh, I-I see you've met, uh, Ms. Byrde.

Uh, Josie, uh, you remember Pepper.

She is my managing editor at The Beatdown.

Yes. Hello again.

-Welcome to our B&B. -Thank you.

So-so are-are you staying?

I am. Exciting, right?

Mum, I thought the, all the rooms were booked up

until the thing when the people come on Wednesday.

Oh, the Adlers are leaving this afternoon,

so I can actually offer her a room with a view.

And I hear later tonight is the annual

cookie Christmas bake-off.

Uh, it's just a little family tradition.

Well, I don't know about you, but I, for one,

live for a good bake-off.

Well, then you're in for a treat.

Oh. Pun intended.

You're so funny. I love it.

You ready?

And go.

-Wow. -Right?

This casserole sandwich is really good.

Yeah, I had this for dinner last night.

And it tastes even better today,

just like I said.

It's actually kind of surprising

considering how not good the food was

at the Byrde's Bakery.

You know, Pepper, uh, don't you think our critique

was a little bit harsh, you know? "More trite than taste."

-I mean... -Tanner, hardly.

You're always totally fair with your critiques.

Yes, but those weren't exactly my words.

And from what I could remember, they were yours.

You know, sometimes you like to add

a little bit of spice to my work.

-Am I right? -Yeah, 'cause spice sells.

And I was only saying what you couldn't.

Okay, but there's one thing that I know for sure.

That red-velvet pie has just enough spice for everyone.

And I'm excited to try the Christmas cuisine.

May the best woman win.

I'm just glad that I can make it here

to celebrate the spirit of the season with you.

Okay, so who is ready for the bake-off?

Ooh.

Ooh. We are!

Wow. They look delicious.

Okay. Whose is whose?

Pepper, we can't tell you that.

It's a competition.

But I can tell you that in the p...

In the past, we have both won.

Okay. Well, the, who should go first?

I'll go, and I bet I can tell you

whose is whose after the first bite.

But you won't, since it won't be fair to the other contestants.

All right. Here we go.

Mm. Sweet, but not too sweet.

Mm. Yummy.

Fluffy. Tough choice.

Uh, well, Pepper, why don't you go and then I'll go?

Okay. I'm gonna try the snowman first.

Good. It's a bit rich.

This is just delish.

I'm Team Gingerbread all the way.

Ah, well, I guess I'll go.

Let's see. Team Gingerbread. Very festive. That's...

Just a little taste. Mm.

White-chocolate glaze on the top.

-Very nice. -Nice and buttery. Creamy.

Let's see, um, tryin' a snowman here. Let's see.

Hm. Nice and buttery.

Fluffy. It's pretty good.

Hm. Tough choice. What say you, good sir?

I think I'm gonna go with Team Snowman.

Hm.

Well, I'd have to say that, uh, I'm Team Snowman as well.

-Frosty for the win. -Oh.

I finally beat you again.

Again? When was the last time you won?

-I was 12. -Oh.

Well, congratulations.

So how's LA? Mom says the restaurant's doing well.

Yeah. It is, actually.

The food is interesting

and my business partner is great.

She, she really knows how to keep

the dining culture thriving there in a way

that I was never really able to do on my own.

That's so great. I'm really happy for you, Jos.

Thanks.

So, uh, you seeing anybody?

Nope, actually, um,

I kinda took myself off the market

after I broke up with Brett.

Yeah, I, uh, I never really liked that guy anyway.

You never met him.

I heard enough about him from your mom.

And I know your dad wasn't very fond of him,

so he mustn't have been that great.

Looking back, maybe he wasn't.

He wasn't a bad guy, he just, um, wasn't the right one.

I'm glad my mom has you here to help take care of this place.

You're one of the few people I trust

to actually help take care of her.

Well, you know, she actually pretty much raised me

since high school, too, you know?

I mean, I was here almost every day.

Yeah. You were.

Yeah. Those were great times.

Taking your dad's boat out to the lake,

doin' flip dives off the dock.

We had fun.

It has been a while. Maybe I'll come back this summer.

Yeah, you better. See if you still got that flip dive.

Like a swan.

-Hey. -Oh, hey there.

What are you doing out here in the cold?

Well, it's not that bad. It's actually kinda nice.

I mean, besides, I went to college in Chicago,

and this kinda feels like summer weather.

And you can't really beat that view, can you?

Yeah. It's a pretty great view, isn't it?

Yeah. So this where you grew up?

Yeah. My parents bought this place when I was a kid.

Before that we lived on the other side of the lake.

My dad actually proposed to my mom right here on the water.

Took a bunch of red roses

and spread them out all around them.

That's amazing. Props to him.

-What you working on? -Oh, uh, it's nothing.

It's just my book.

I didn't know you wrote books.

Yeah, I mean, i-it's been five years in the making,

so I wouldn't exactly call myself

an accomplished writer quite yet.

-But, um, yeah. -What's it about?

Um, well, it's called Cooked For Culture.

And basically it's an insider's view

of large cities across the US and how cuisine shapes them.

So anything from a small dinner menu

to, you know, big-city nightlife.

It sounds intriguing.

You know, you should check out

some of LA's less upscale restaurants.

There is this one Mexican dive in mid-Wilshire.

The food there is so good.

I, uh, apprenticed there for, like, a year.

It's actually what inspired my tres leches cake.

Hm. Mid-Wilshire. Remember that one.

So why is this five years in the making?

Uh, well, I mean, partly because

dining and trending culture keeps changing and, you know...

Yeah, but if you wait for the trends to stop changing,

then you'll never finish.

-Mm-hmm. -It's why it's called trending.

Touche.

Okay, so trending and what else?

What was the other reason?

Well, uh, partly,

I'm a little worried that

not everybody's gonna wanna read

what a foodie food critic has to say.

You know, when I was a kid, my mom was actually an accountant.

She liked to cook, but she didn't

have that confidence that she does now.

It's my dad that actually pushed her

into pursuing it.

I remember, he'd be like, "Shan, you, you keep using this recipe,

but then you keep complaining about

what's wrong about the recipe.

Unless you get in the kitchen and you work through it

and you figure out how to fix it yourself,

then the recipe's never gonna evolve.

So maybe you'll never know unless you try.

Well, we can't all be fearless entrepreneurs like you,

Ms. Josie Byrde.

Yeah.

My fearlessness landed me with a failed bakery,

so...

Actually, forget everything that I just said.

Yeah, but, you know, I bet your dad's pretty proud of you

for all you've accomplished.

Yeah, he was my biggest fan.

He died a few years ago.

Oh, I'm really sorry to hear that, Josie.

Thank you.

He got to see his dream lived out.

He's wanted to buy this place ever since I was a baby.

The previous owners, they used to throw

these huge Christmas Eve feasts.

You know, they would have tons of different chefs,

all sorts of different cuisines.

It was awesome.

I think that's probably what inspired my mom

to really, you know, try

to make it into something that she wanted to do.

Well, I think it's what inspired both of you, kind of, isn't it?

Hm.

When their kids grew up and moved out,

that's when they decided to sell the place to my parents.

It was my dad's idea to turn it into a B&B.

Really?

He promised them that we would

try to keep up the

Christmas Eve feast tradition

as long as we could.

Hm, and now it's not just going to be for holiday feasts,

it's gonna be a full bistro year-round.

It's crazy, right?

Man, it's so funny how things happen

when you think about it.

Yeah, well, sometimes it takes time

to find the right ingredients for the perfect dish.

Hm.

I will let you get back to writing.

I was just headed down to the greenhouse

to get some vegetables.

Uh, well, you know what?

Actually, I've hit my quota

for the day. Two pages.

Uh, do you want some help?

-Sure. -Great.

Wow. -Yeah, it's...

It's kind of... Yeah, whatever.

Well, it's good to be down here.

-Right? Yeah. -Like...

You know? But it's not like...

But it's kind of cool, yeah.

Uh, wow.

And it's all decked out for the holidays.

-It's a cute effect.

Yeah, mom turned the greenhouse into a hand-me-down house

for all of the holiday decorations.

Every time she buys something new in the bed & breakfast,

the old stuff retires out here.

Hm. I like it.

It's just missing a Christmas tree.

Oh, please. Don't give her any ideas.

I'll come here next year and there'll be scotch pine

growing in the south side.

So what are we picking for?

Well, I'm gonna make a couple of quiche

for breakfast in the morning.

Ah. What is your quiche niche?

It's a Christmas quiche.

So I'll probably do traditional holiday fair.

Bell peppers, spinach, little gruyere.

Bell peppers. Incoming!

Oh.

Hey, what did you do that for?

What's wrong with my pepper?

Uh, well, that's a green pepper.

I'm only gonna put red peppers in my quiche.

-Spinach will be my green. -Ah.

So you can't just throw a green pepper in there?

Well, a green pepper is actually just a young red pepper,

hasn't reached its maximum flavor potential.

Well, some people may say, like, a successful food critic,

that if you picked the right green pepper,

it has just as much flavor as a red one.

Well, mm,

while some food critic might say that,

a certain successful chef might argue

that a green pepper's bitterness will overpower the taste

of an already powerful quiche.

And a green pepper with its seeds

and insides ripped out of it

is much less bitter than one that's intact.

And that green pepper still has no place

in my holiday quiche.

Tell the gruyere you want it there

and see what the gruyere says back to you.

Aha.

See?

Perfect red pepper.

Wow. Score!

Uh. Okay. Oven's all yours, sweetie.

Thank you.

All right, our bedrooms are ready

for our celebrity guests tomorrow.

Wonderful. Thank you.

You betcha. What else do you need?

Mm. Can you get some gift-wrapping out of the attic?

We have to do some gift-wrapping.

I'm gonna check on Pepper and Tanner

and then I'll meet you in the den.

You got it.

Wow. Looks great, Jos.

Thank you!

What's with all the giddy humming?

Can't a girl like holiday music?

Not if she's my daughter.

She's a 100 percent focused on food,

unless she's focused on something else or someone else.

Come on. Who is it? It's gotta be Nolan or Tanner. Spill.

The only thing I'm gonna spill is this quiche mix

if you don't move and let me put it in the oven.

Okay.

Corner pocket.

-Really? -Ha-ha-ha.

Hey, can I offer you guys something to drink?

-Oh. -I've got some hot apple cider.

Yeah, sure, I'd love some hot apple cider.

Here you go. Careful. It's really hot.

-Hm. -So how's Josie doing up there?

Oh, she is cooking up a snowstorm.

-Hm.

-Oh, that is good. -Very, very yummy. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Okay, mister.

You and I need to decide what we wanna do for New Year's.

We have been invited to eight different restaurants

with pre-fixed menus, and I'm thinking

maybe peruse the menus, plan on hitting at least three.

Um, well, actually, I was thinking

of working on my book for a little bit this afternoon.

Fine.

I, um, guess I'll go look at the menus by myself.

So, you guys a thing?

-Oh, Pepper and I? -Mm-hmm.

No. We're just, we're just colleagues.

-Does she know that? -Yeah, I mean...

You know, Pepper's a strong-willed woman,

and she gets what she wants most of the time.

And you're the one thing she can't get. Right?

Pepper's just, she's not really my type.

Really? She's so beautiful.

Yeah, she is. but I guess I like someone

who's a little more unassuming.

What do you mean by that?

Pepper's like a,

she's a really rich flan.

You know, what you see is exactly what you get.

And, uh, well, I'm more of a creme brulee kind of guy.

So you mean, a little crunchy on the outside,

but still soft and sweet on the inside?

Precisely.

I know someone just like that.

She's upstairs in the kitchen and I think she needs some help.

Hm.

That looks like it's about finished.

Oh, Tanner, you scared me.

Oh, you scare easy. It's good to know.

Do not try that again.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, I come here in peace and holiday prosperity.

I promise.

Mm. Ah. You were right. It is good.

That piece fell on the floor.

Five-second rule?

It was a strong ten-second casualty

in my food-to-floor statistics.

Okay.

It's a perfectly even bake, but it's not yet finished.

What? You know that just from the smell?

Tsk. And I know my mother's oven.

Did you need something?

I just came up here to see if you could use any help.

Oh. You help me...

-You cook? -Hey.

I could be a good sous-chef.

I can be the little elf helper to your Mrs. Claus.

Well, thank you. That's, that's very sweet.

But, uh, you kinda missed the mark,

'cause once that's done, I'm done.

Well, what are you gonna do until then?

Um, I don't know. Why?

You play pool?

-I'm okay. -Perfect.

Play you for a chance to reveal

the secret ingredient in your whipped cream?

Come on.

Wow.

Now when I win, what do I get?

-What do you want? -Mm. I don't know.

Maybe a special thanks in your new book, if you ever finish.

How about a mention in my book?

Mm. Better be a positive one.

-Oh.

-Do you smell that?

The quiche.

You're always so much better than me at this.

Did you hear that squeal?

Probably a raccoon.

-Oh. -Uh, no... Your hand!

Oh. Thank you.

-It's burnt. -Sorry.

Mm. No. It's my fault.

I should have beat you faster.

-Well, now what? -Now we make a new quiche.

-We? -Yeah.

Come on, pool shark, let's go.

Hello?

Hey. What about...

Oh. Nice, you're learning.

I just need to get some strawberries

for my tres leches cake topping.

Ooh, have you ever tried one of these fresh out of the ground?

They are so sweet.

You wanna try one?

Tanner?

I told you, do not sneak up on me.

Jeez.

-Oh.

Oh. Santa scare you there, bud?

Oh, no, no, no. No, no. Ah. You're gonna need to erase that.

Oh, I'm sorry. I told you not to sneak up on me.

Catching this on video is like a Christmas wish come true.

Stop.

Well, you, uh, smell really nice.

What do I smell like?

Well, like brown sugar and cinnamon spice.

Mm. And everything nice?

That's a little bit of a stretch.

-Ah.

Okay, sous-chef, start chopping.

Okay.

Oh, no, no, no, no, sous-chef.

We still have a ton of desserts to make and a cake to bake.

-Desserts? -Yeah. Desserts, for tomorrow.

The red-velvet pie has to come fresh from the fridge.

And as you know, the three milks in tres leches

have to soak overnight.

♪ La-la la-la la-la-la

♪ La-la la-la la-la-la ♪

♪ All the stockings you will find ♪

♪ Hanging in a row ♪

♪ Mine will be the shortest one you'll be sure to know ♪

♪ La-la la-la la-la-la

♪ La-la la-la la-la-la ♪

Oh, it's done?

Even better than the first one.

Hm.

There you are.

-Uh, yeah. -Uh, what are you guys doing?

I, uh, I, I have helped Josie, uh, burn a quiche,

and so now I'm helping her, um, not burn the next one.

And why are you guys doing it in robes?

We got sprinkled on.

Uh, the, the sprinklers in the greenhouse turned on us.

They, I mean, they turned on, on us.

Anyway, um, are there, like, raccoons up here?

Something in a mask was staring at me from my bedroom window.

Yeah. We do. We have lots of raccoons.

Little masked nosy little critters.

Like to rummage through our trash, too.

Gross. Can you please make sure it's gone?

Yeah, I'll, uh, I'll go take a look.

Thank you.

Oh.

-Mm... -Beautiful day.

Beautiful.

-Marla! -Iris.

OMG! Look at you!

-Mwah. Mwah. -It's been forever.

-Mm. -Oh.

-Smells delicious.

Ooh-whee. -Oh.

-Thank you. -Ooh.

Oh, my...

Hello and welcome. I'm Shannon Byrde.

And, and I see you've already met Nolan.

Good morning. Thank you so much for having us.

Oh, my gosh. The pleasure is all ours, Iris.

-Marla, good to see you again. -Good to see you, too, Josie.

And so nice to meet you, Shannon.

It's really nice to meet you, too.

I'm sorry your husband couldn't make it.

Oh, he actually had to stay in LA, he has a deadline

for a holiday article himself tomorrow, so...

That's too bad, but thank you so much

for making the effort to come all the way up here.

And I have to tell you, I adore your podcast.

Oh, thank you, it is the only place

that I can be a completely unfiltered foodie.

And Iris Davenport.

Uh, this is incredible. I... Your...

Your show is like my, my everything,

especially the home-and-garden segments.

I mean, I-I literally have stolen ideas

from your onsite kitchen for my own. I...

Thank you! Oh, you know...

I'm gonna have to borrow some amazing ideas

from this bed and breakfast for my set, too.

This place is darlin'. Right, Marla?

-Oh, yeah. -Oh, my goodness. Oh.

-This is Stu, my assistant. -Hello.

And full-time photographer. Chick-chick.

He'll be happy to take all your photos for all your spreads,

for your menus, articles, whatever you may need,

just so long as I can use them

for my online Christmas spread this week.

Sure. Sure. Nice to meet you.

-Oh, nice to meet you. -Thank you.

And I'm sure you guys all know Tanner and Pepper.

Oh, yes. Tanner and I go way back.

We've disagreed quite a few times on our critiques

of new establishments.

But we have agreed on so many more.

Okay, so what's on the agenda for today?

Right. Well, food, food and more food.

So I hope you brought your appetites.

-Yeah. -I am so excited.

And I cannot wait to eat all of the things.

Oh, same here. I have my pen and paper ready to review.

But I only need one hand to eat, so let's do this.

Mm. That candied bacon.

Is that brown sugar with maple

or, you know, is it...

Mm. Maybe. That's a secret, too.

Well, uh, even though I'm kosher

and I can't actually eat the bacon, it's pretty obvious.

-A nose, nose, Tanner. -So is it your first time here?

Ah.

Hey, guys, uh, Stu wanted to take some photos.

-How are we looking? -Uh, yeah.

-It's all yours. Awesome. Thank you.

-Food looks delicious. Hope you're hungry.

Oh, I can eat all day, every day,

especially if it's tacos.

Oh. Uh, Pepper loves tacos.

They're, they're actually her favorite.

Oh, uh, wow. Uh, that-that's amazing.

Thank you for that little tidbit.

Yeah.

-Ooh. Shannon. -Oh.

This looks incredible!

Let's just hope Mr. Stu here got all his photos

'cause there's not gonna be a shred of evidence

left here today.

Well, let's hope not.

Breakfast is served.

Mm. Thank you.

Do you guys really think they enjoyed the food?

I mean, Marla didn't smile once.

She-she'd just, like, take a bite and write something down.

Shannon, of course, they did. The food is amazing.

Yeah. He's right, mom. It was a total success.

-Really? -Yeah.

-Mm-hmm. -But it's not over yet.

We only have four hours

to prep for lunch, so...

Okay, Pepper, what's going on?

Why couldn't we talk up at the house?

What's going on between you and Josie, huh?

Me and Josie? Nothing.

Tanner, don't lie to me.

It's clear that you're flirting with her. Just admit it.

Pepper, I know that we went out

on a couple of dates back in the day,

but we both agreed that on-the-job dating

just wasn't for us.

What are you even talking about?

I'm simply saying that my personal life

is none of your business.

-Okay? -This is not about you and me.

This is about you and her cooking.

You have a Christmas column to do, and it needs to sizzle.

It's not going to if you write some heartfelt critique

'cause you have some silly crush.

Mm-hmm, and I am going to write a fair and honest critique

like I always do. There's no conflict of interest here.

Tanner, really? You've got to be kidding.

-Of course there is. -The food is good.

I mean, there's no need for us--

Just think about this for a second.

You write a mediocre review at her bakery,

then you give her mom and her

a glowing review for their new menu

at the same time that you fall for her?

Tanner, that's a conflict of interest.

We must remain objective. Think about your career, okay?

Hm. Mm. Mother. Oh, my gosh.

You've outdone yourself. It's never tasted better.

I think it's better than dad's chili.

-What? No way. -It's a tight race.

Uh, well, I gotta give credit

to the butcher down at the Big Bear Bakery.

That's where I got the ham.

Well, it's a mighty fine ham, ma'am.

Nolan, have you seen Josie?

Because I would really like for her to see

how this young lady is showering me with praise.

Yeah, you have been pretty chipper the last couple of days.

What gives?

Nothing. I'm... It's, it's a good day.

I'm just happy to be home for the holidays.

-Hm. -I'll be right back, guys.

He's gonna find out about your little crush.

...five, six...

-Hey. -Hey.

-You all right? -Yeah. No, I'm good.

-Okay. -Here. Let me give you a hand.

Psst, you-you tell me what you and Marla

were whispering about at breakfast,

and I'll make you one of my famous pies

to take home to your parents for Christmas.

Well, it was a debate over the candied bacon.

She was convinced that it was a maple sugar glaze,

but I know there's more to it than that.

Ah, well, a chef never reveals

her best-kept holiday secret ingredients.

Ah, and a good critic always figures it out

before the final act.

If you figure out the secret ingredient in either,

I'll make you free desserts for a whole year.

Huh, are we talking Byrde's Bistro desserts

or are we talking Byrde's Bakery's?

Ouch.

I think I wanna get married here.

During the summertime, of course, not now.

Well, shouldn't your, uh, fiance have a say in that?

Once he tries the food, he won't be able to say no.

Wait, I didn't know that you were engaged.

But, you know, love is out there.

Well, this is a great place to get married.

I was even thinking of having Josie and Shannon on my show.

Mother and daughter chef. My audience would eat that up.

How darlin' is that? Stu, what do you think?

Uh...

Oh, I think I'm getting really hungry right now.

Ooh-whee! This looks incredible!

Now, what is that, like a, like a cranberry sauce?

That is my cranberry caramelized onion jam.

-With a hint of pepper. -Hm.

It makes our holiday ham sandwich pop.

Oh. You had me at holiday ham.

-Yeah.

Who doesn't love a bit of pepper?

Uh, but what's this here on the side?

That is our festive Christmas cold cucumber and tomato salad.

-Ooh. -Right?

See, not everything on the menu is super heavy.

-And it's vegan. -Wow! Whoo.

Getting your healthy greens in here as well?

Yes. Bravo.

Well, I do love a good vegan dish,

but sadly I cannot partake

in this amazing-looking maple-honey-glazed ham either.

Uh, that is why we made you a special slab

of honey-maple-glazed duck.

Oh. Be still my heart. I love you both.

All right. Dig in.

-Stu, you wanna.. -Yeah, sure.

I'm sorry for reaching. Hey. Just a little...

-Oh. -Yeah.

-Thanks. -Yeah.

You're not hungry?

It's a little too, uh, sweet for me.

-Oh. You don't have to do that. -Oh, no, it's fine.

Uh, your mother's actually having an intensive

cooking conversation with Marla

about vegan and kosher dishes,

uh, neither of which sound appealing to me.

So, um, what are the rest of your holiday plans?

Oh, yeah, um, I was gonna drive late tomorrow night

to Orange County to spend Christmas Eve with my parents

and then Christmas Day, get some lunch.

But my parents aren't really foodies like me, so...

Oh. Find that hard to believe.

Yeah, actually, I never even really knew

what good food was growing up.

My mother just wasn't really into cooking

and my dad had reflux issues,

so my mom just made everything

super plain and super boring.

And then neither of them really wanted to go out to eat.

And so when I went to college in Chicago,

I finally got to see what a real restaurant was.

-I was in a whole new world. -Wow.

Well, Chicago's a good place to start.

It has great restaurants and deep-dish pizza.

Yeah, my, uh, freshmen 15 pounds

actually was from deep-dish pizza.

-Thank you very much.

So you're gonna take off in the morning, then?

Yeah, um, but when we're back in the city,

I was, I was hoping to see you again,

uh, if you, if you'd like.

Yeah. I think I would like that.

Uh, Josie, listen, um, there's something I need to tell you.

-The review for your bistro-- -Oh, look.

I just want you to be fair.

And I know you love the food and you like us,

but what's fair is fair.

I, um... Sorry, I didn't meant to interrupt.

Nope, you're good.

-Did you, um-- -Nolan and I used to date.

In school. It was a long time ago.

But, um, we're just friends now.

Yeah. No, I mean, I totally get it.

Yeah. He seems like a real nice guy.

He is. He's more like family.

Well, uh, I think lunch was a hit.

Tanner, how did you fare?

Five stars, Mrs. Byrde.

Five stars. Call me Shannon.

I think it's time to start the main event.

Hm.

Oh, I'll, uh, I'll be... Shannon.

Let me guess.

Were you just, like, out here

waiting for me to get back?

Oh. How did you know?

Yeah, I was... That's exactly what I was doing.

No, I'm just kidding.

I was looking at some photos

from breakfast and lunch.

Got some great ones of you. You wanna see?

-Ah. Sure. -Yeah?

Okay.

Well, that's a, that's a good one of Iris.

She's so cute.

There you are.

Yeah. They're all right.

No, that's, that's the money shot.

I'm telling you. This is a money shot.

Here. I got another one.

Oh, beautiful. That looks beautiful.

-You look dapper, Nolan. -Thank you, Shannon.

The, uh, holiday sangria is ready to go.

Excellent. So is this.

Um, can you temp this with foil so we can go get ready?

Yeah. Sure.

-Hold up. -Wow.

You chose the wrong career path.

America's next supermodel.

You're too sweet.

-You look beautiful. -You cleaned up well yourself.

Thank you. -Oh, I love your dress!

We seriously have to go shopping after this.

Do you do Rodeo after Christmas sales?

It's the only time I do Rodeo.

Okay. Wow! We should be throwing a gala tonight.

What are we gonna do if we get food all over these clothes?

Oh, we'll just shoot the photos before. Not a problem.

Welcome, esteemed guests.

Please make your way into the bistro dining room

and join us for our first official Christmas cuisine.

-Mm, thank you. -I'm excited.

-Thank you. -Escort me.

Here we have our warm winter salad.

We have our sun-dried tomatoes, peas and potatoes casserole.

And our vegan delight, sweet-potato pot pie.

And while our menu will change annually,

each holiday season we will have one entree special

in addition to the dessert menu.

There will be a staple.

Our tasty turkey tenderloin

stuffed with sweetbread stuffing and bone-marrow gravy.

Wow. -Okay. That sounds great.

I'll try not to salivate while I take these photos.

Oh, uh, Nolan, could you get the Sangria?

-Oh, I'll help. -Oh, wait.

Before you go, I just wanna get one group photo.

Oh. Mm-hmm. -Sounds good?

Okay. On the count of three.

-Uh, say cheesecake. -Okay.

One, two, three.

Cheesecake.

-Okay, everyone.

Sharing time.

We would like to know the most memorable

Christmas cuisine story.

-Mm. -Who'd like to go first?

-Anyone? No pressure. -Josie, you go.

Mm.

Thank you, mom.

Um, I guess I have one that takes place

right here at the B&B.

-Oh. -So when I was a little girl...

Um, I was too young to buy my parents gifts,

so I used to bake them things

and then, um, I would wrap them up.

I think one year, maybe I was nine,

and I made these beautiful eggnog pudding cups

and I wrapped them up

and I gave them to my parents on Christmas Eve.

And my dad was so excited he was finally getting a gift from me

that he, he shook it very hard just to see what was inside

and the pudding exploded and went all over the foyer.

Oh.

She cried all night long.

All right, mother. You go.

-Ah. My turn. Yes.

Um, I think my favorite Christmas cuisine story

is the first year that you could help your dad in the kitchen.

And very much like her dad...

...she threw food everywhere

and the kitchen was such a mess.

And, actually, if you all take a look

at the kitchen right now,

you'll see that things haven't really changed much

all these years later, but it's so delicious.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Okay, wait. I have one.

So, um, my parents absolutely love Christmas,

it was their thing, so we would do this big dinner every year

after our church Christmas service,

where I would sing, of course.

And, uh, there is this one Christmas

where there was this little kid

that found a wishbone in his turkey.

He got so grossed out that he just,

pop, threw that thing right on my head.

-No, you didn't.

I'm not kidding, he literally hit me

as I was singing in the parish hall.

-My only Christmas wishbone. -Shut up, Stu.

Uh, what about you, Tanner? Tanner, what about you?

You must have some interesting Christmas cuisine stories

with all of your travels, right?

Uh...

Spill it. -Go on.

Uh, no, honestly. Not really.

Um, most of my Christmases now

are spent with my parents in the OC

at some fancy seafood restaurants

'cause it's the only time I can actually get them to go out.

Um, um, but honestly, uh,

I think that, uh, this Christmas will be the one to beat.

Just being here with, uh, with you guys.

-Cheers. Cheers to that.

A-and what about you? Pepper, do you have a story?

Um...

You know what, I'm sorry, I think I'm gonna have to pass.

I'm not feeling too well.

I think I had too much to eat earlier.

What are you talking about?

Sweetie, you barely touched your lunch.

Yeah, I went for a jog

and I don't, I don't think it's sitting well.

-Um, if you would all excuse me. -Of course.

Well, all right, then I guess I'll go.

Have I shared my favorite

Hanukkah cuisine story with you all?

Yes, you have. Well...

-I'm gonna tell you again.

So what do you think? How's it going?

Mom, I think this bistro's gonna be a huge hit.

-Really? -You heard Iris.

She wants to invite us onto her show.

You know millions of people watch her show every morning.

-Oh, my God! -Oh, my God.

I'm so, uh, uh, thankful.

So thankful for a wonderful daughter like you.

I love you, mama.

Now they just have to fall in love with our desserts.

Oh. Okay.

Mum, my whipped cream is missing.

-Did you do something with it? -No.

Mum, it's not here.

I need it for the pie and the cake, it's imperative.

Also, the strawberries are gone!

Sweetie, calm down, I-I've got another carton

of strawberries, and-and we'll just whip more cream.

No, we, we can't whip up more cream, mum. I...

I wasn't anticipating extra guests

and I, I didn't bring any more

of the Mexican vanilla bean from LA. I...

-It's the most important part. -Okay.

Well, we'll-we'll fix it. We'll figure this out.

No, it's useless.

How's this happening?

Whipped cream in a can?

Hey. We're about to have some dessert.

Uh, you wanna come join us?

I'm not hungry.

Pepper, uh, listen.

I'll write a fair and honest critique

that will make everyone happy, all right?

Including you.

And just remember that I have final edit.

I have to be fair to our readers

when there's a conflict of interest.

Fine. I won't review the cuisine here at all.

You promised me a holiday critique that would sizzle.

If you can't deliver, trust me,

I tried all the food as well, I will.

So what, hm, you're just gonna lie about the food,

and skirt over the fact that it's surprisingly quite good?

No, no, I'll tell everyone the truth,

that the tasty comfort menu here is neither healthy nor friendly

to those with dietary needs.

Wow, is that really what you think?

-Was this you?

Well, you didn't seem to mind our tasty comfort menu

when you ate all of my homemade whipped cream.

You've ruined my entire dessert menu.

-Josie, we can explain-- -And what?

You, you were just gonna give us a bad review

before even trying the food here?

-No, Josie, that's not what-- -Tanner, stop.

Look, I don't know what either of you were planning,

but I should have trusted my gut from the beginning.

You weren't invited here to critique my mom's bistro,

so I would appreciate it if you kept our names

out of your publication entirely.

Josie, please. Let me explain. I can...

I forgot, we-we do actually have

two new arrivals coming in the morning and, um,

Marla and Iris have decided to stay through Christmas Eve,

so if you could just, um,

check out by 11:00, pl-please.

I'm sorry about the whipped cream.

Wow. I had no idea she would take it that hard.

-It's just one online review. -Yeah, Pepper.

Because you don't think about anyone except for you.

When we get back to work, things are gonna change. Okay?

I'm done.

Thank you.

-Are they coming? -No.

It's just us, I'm afraid.

Uh, is this, uh, whipped cream from a can?

Actually, it is.

We had an incident

and my homemade vanilla-bean whipped cream

won't be making an appearance this Christmas.

That's okay, dear.

Sometimes we just have to, mm, improvise.

Right? -Thanks.

Uh, well, um,

the snickerdoodle with pralines and cream looks beautiful,

uh, but it's hard to critique a dessert

that's not really there, you know?

Of course, Marla, we understand.

Mm.

-Mm-hmm. -Mm.

-This is actually quite good. -Wow.

This is really, really fantastic.

Yeah.

I really hate to say this,

but despite the store-bought cream,

I can still totally see the potential

in both of these desserts.

You two will have a hit bistro on your hands.

-Seriously? Absolutely.

I can't wait to come back next year to try the real deal.

Oh. Seriously, this is to die for.

-Congratulations. -Mm.

Can we have seconds?

What have I done?

Girl, it's nothin' you can't fix.

It's Christmas time. Remember?

Good morning.

Have you seen Josie by chance?

Pepper...

Josie told me what happened.

I understand that you have a job to do,

but leave Josie's name out of it.

Shannon, I am sorry.

You have been so sweet to let us stay here.

There won't be a bad review.

Your food is good. Great, really.

It's me who needs a bad review.

Anyways, I'm gonna go talk to her

before I leave, if that's all right with you.

She's around the corner.

Thank you.

Josie, hi.

Can we talk for a sec?

Where do I start? Um...

I want to say I'm sorry.

I came here with this whole idea in my head

of having a romantic, cozy Christmas with Tanner,

and I got here and I realized

he was already having one with you.

I'm used to getting my way.

I was a brat and I lashed out, and that was wrong.

Just know that it is my fault.

Tanner did not wanna write a bad review

for your bistro, seriously.

Tanner wrote and approved that first review, didn't he?

So how do I know he would've done differently?

I don't really know, but it's Christmas.

Time to start believing we can be better,

do better, right?

He's a good guy, Josie.

Don't throw away what you guys have started

based on one mistake he made when he barely knew you.

If you do, down the road you may realize

this one's on you.

Thank you.

Hey.

Were you just, uh,

out here waiting for me to come back or...

-What?

Yeah, I'm actually trying to call a car.

But I'm not having any luck.

Guess since it's Christmas Eve.

Oh, well, uh, I'm actually

headed back to, uh, LA if you need a ride.

You're not staying for the eating,

singing and Secret Santa?

Nah, I don't like the food too much.

And just Iris is staying,

and Marla's husband's coming back out.

And I got a bunch of neighbors

waiting for me for a cookout down the hill, so, uh...

And a ton of photos to go through.

Well, if you're sure you don't mind...

And if you join me for Christmas?

Absolutely not. Hey, why don't I get your bags?

How about we see how the drive goes?

Ah. Drive first. Ah, okay, well, what?

You got, you got something, uh, better to do for Christmas?

-Actually, no, I don't. -Ah, hop on in, my lady.

-Morning. -Morning.

Hey, uh...

That guy is not too smart walking away from you, you know?

Oh, uh, I'm not really sure I gave him much of a choice.

But thank you for saying that.

Nolan, you-you really are, uh--

We're family. That's what we are.

I just, I want you to be happy, Josie.

I want that for you, too.

-Merry Christmas. -Merry Christmas.

-Yeah. Come here.

-Mm.

-Oh.

That must be Marla's husband.

Oh, I hope he's hungry, because our menu

is up and running!

-Hey. -Hey.

I just got some of these from the, from the greenhouse.

Um, Nolan said he'd serve breakfast.

-You ready? -Yeah.

Always ready to say Merry Christmas to dad.

It's so funny, I can't picture

dad doing this for your proposal.

I just never took him as a romantic.

-Sweet, yes. But romantic?

Well, your dad was what I would call

a selective romantic.

I mean, sure, he would, he would pick the moments

to do something cheesy, like, propose with roses,

but...

it was the little invisible things

that made me say yes.

Invisible things?

Yeah, like...

Like, this inn.

You know, I, I was so worried we couldn't afford it,

so he did a ten-year projection to show me that we could.

Or something as simple

as just knowing I was having a bad day

and getting in the kitchen and starting dinner

before I-I even had a chance.

Like, when your grandmother died,

I was such a wreck.

And he just did everything.

You know, everything, the-the funeral and the flowers

and calling people

before I could even get out of bed.

He was listening even when I didn't know he was listening.

Yeah. I think I know what you mean.

This food critic,

are you starting to think he was something special?

I don't know, mom.

I guess I was sort of hoping that he would be.

Well, if he is...

he'll realize not to let something special get away.

-Ah. -Oh.

I'm kinda surprised you didn't go back with Stu, to be honest.

I thought you'd have some big, fancy holiday party

or family gala to attend to.

Nope.

I mean, my parents are on a mission in Mexico,

and, of course, there's a bunch of Hollywood parties, right?

But I don't know, I'm kind of loving

this cozy Christmas here at home.

You know what'll make it even better?

What?

If you would sing for me, please.

-Marla! -You know you want to.

-Marla! -Come on.

Okay, fine.

You don't have to ask me twice. Let's go.

Okay.

Is, is that...

It's dad's famous white chili.

-Wow.

And dinner is served.

-Ah, shoot. -Whoo!

Cheers to everybody. Yeah, yes.

-Well done. -Absolutely delicious.

So I hear you might be singing tonight.

Yeah, you know, love is in the air

so maybe.

-Oh.

Josie, I think you should check your phone.

Pepper sent you somethin'. You're gonna wanna see this.

After all this yummy food,

this goes out to the spirit of the season

and love for each and every one of us.

♪ Dancin' around the mistletoe ♪

♪ Making sure that I don't miss ♪

♪ Waiting for you underneath a chandelier ♪

♪ For your kiss

♪ Dancin' around the mistletoe ♪

♪ People rockin' everywhere ♪

♪ Bells are ringing angels singing ♪

♪ Love is in the air ♪

♪ Let's deck the halls ♪

♪ And mingle merrily ♪

♪ This is the season to rock the night away ♪

♪ Dancin' around the mistletoe ♪

♪ Baby don't you be shy

♪ Stay right here close to me

♪ And kiss me through the night ♪

What are you doing here?

Well, um, I thought it might be a little difficult

for you to pass out the leftover cake and pie

without the proper whipped cream,

so I, uh, I brought you this.

Brown sugar candy from the local candy shop.

Yup.

It's a good palate,

but this is the secret ingredient

to my candied bacon, not my house whip.

Keep digging.

How did you...

This is my Mexican vanilla bean.

They only carry this in one place.

-How did you find this? -Yeah.

At the little dive Mexican place on mid-Wilshire

that you told me about a couple of days ago. I found it.

They were a little hesitant to sell it to me,

but, uh, I got it for you.

Wow. This is, um...

Thank you.

I got you something, too.

-Wow. -I know.

-Uh... -For when you finish your book.

Wow. Josie, you designed me a book cover.

This is amazing. Thank you.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

And maybe with a little more time spent with you,

you might even inspire me to finish it.

That is, if you'll ever forgive me.

Pepper sent me your final review.

She said she's running it as is.

Yeah.

And the one secret ingredient that each dish here shares,

fully responsible for rounding out

their full-bodied flavor...

Mm-hmm.

...is simply love.

Mm.

♪ La-la la-la la-la-la la-la la-la la-la-la ♪

♪ La-la-a la-la-la la-la-la ♪

♪ La-la-la la-la-la la-la-la la-la-la ♪

♪ La-la-la la-la-la la-la-la ♪

♪ Jolly old Saint Nicholas lean your ear this way ♪

♪ Don't you tell a single soul what I'm gonna say ♪

♪ Christmas Eve is coming soon ♪

♪ Now you dear old man ♪

♪ Whisper what you'll bring to me ♪

♪ Tell me if you can ♪

♪ La-la-la la-la-la la-la-la la-la-la ♪

♪ La-la la-la-la la-la-la ♪

♪ La-la-la la-la-la la-la-la la-la-la ♪

♪ La-la la-la-la la-la-la ♪

♪ When the clock is striking 12:00 ♪

♪ And I'm fast asleep ♪

♪ Down the chimney broad and black ♪

♪ with your sack you'll creep ♪

♪ All the stockings you will find ♪

♪ Hanging in a row ♪

♪ Mine will be the shortest one ♪

♪ You'll be sure to know

♪ La-la-la la-la-la la-la-la la-la-la ♪

♪ La-la la-la-la la-la-la

♪ La-la-la la-la-la la-la-la la-la-la ♪

♪ La-la la-la-la la-la-la ♪

♪ Ah-ah ah-ah

♪ Ah-ah ah-ah ♪