Original subtitles

♪ It's that time of year ♪

♪ Where we show some love and cheer ♪

♪ When the lights shine a bit brighter ♪

♪ I can't wait for the snow pine cones and mistletoe ♪

♪ Let's take a little stroll ♪

♪ No baby don't let go ♪

♪ 'Cause it's Christmas ♪

♪ Do doo-doo do doo-doo ♪

♪ A celebration right here ♪

♪ Do doo-doo do doo-doo ♪

♪ Yeah it's Christmas ♪

♪ Do doo-doo do doo-doo ♪

♪ My favorite time of year ♪

♪ Do doo-doo do doo-doo ♪

♪ Yeah it's Christmas ♪

- Hola, Carmen. - Oh. Hola, Sue. Buenas.

Don't mind me. I'm just tidying up a bit.

- Anything I can help with? - No.

Unless you can replace my porcelain Christmas tree.

- Then no. - Well, maybe I can help.

I know it's not your mom's, but I know how upset you were...

- When it broke, so... - Carmen!

It's perfect!

- You like it? You're welcome. - Yes. Thank you so much.

Hey, just leave it right there, I'll find a place for it.

- Okay. - Hola!

- Hola! Hola, abuelita. - Feliz Navidad!

I brought you some leftover pollo guisado.

Abuelita, there's plenty of food here.

No such thing.

Okay, okay, nos, vamenos?

Are you sure you're okay on your own?

Yes, go, go, go! Enjoy your Christmas shopping.

- All right. - Okay.

- Buh-bye. - Adios.

All right.

Thank you. Happy holidays.

There she is.

Hi, Victor, Shirley, I was wondering if you two

would show up today. What would you like to order?

I don't think I've tried the Pan de Mallorca.

- Ooh. What's that? - Oh, it's a sweet bread roll.

My abuela used to make these every weekend

back in Puerto Rico. We'll take two.

I am so excited.

- Shall we? - Sure.

Carmen, this is exquisite.

Mm, I have to say, these taste exactly

like I remember hers did. You know...

Your baking never ceases to amaze. You have a gift.

Well, my family used to own a postre shop in Puerto Rico,

so everything I create, I make using their recipes

that they've passed down for generations.

You see those jars behind me, they're pineapple chunks

that have been soaking in rum for about a year.

Do they need to be soaking that long? No.

But that's the way my family does it.

I just thought of something, our Lansby View Hotel hosts

an annual Christmas gala, famous for our big holiday feast.

It's a wonderful event and a great cause.

Even though it's on Christmas Day,

everyone who's anyone goes.

The event not only benefits those in need,

but has also become a way to showcase up-and-coming chefs.

This year's sponsor is famed food critic Anna Maria Garza.

That's right, all our chefs move on to do great things.

The exposure alone can jumpstart you into who knows what!

You should interview.

Call that number, they'll give you all the information.

Make sure you say Victor and Shirley sent you.

I-I've, I've never actually run a kitchen,

so I don't think I would be the person you're looking for.

Oh, no, you hush now, you are exactly

what that stuffy ol' party needs.

And I think it's perfect timing

'cause aren't the interviews on Monday?

That's right.

Promise us you will at least consider attending.

- Yeah, I will think about it. - Mm. That's a start!

We'll take it. Let us know if you need anything at all.

Oh, thank you. And the rolls are on the house today.

- Oh. Carmen! That is so sweet. - Thank you.

- Bye. Happy holidays! - Oh, Pilar! Hi.

Hey, hey. Hi. I'm here! I'm here!

Sorry I'm late. Sorry I'm late.

That was Mr. and Mrs. Flores, right?

Yeah, they came for their Pan de Mallorca.

Oh! Oh, wow!

It's almost all sold out and it's not even 2 p.m.

That must be a new record. Aww...

- The Christmas tree is fixed. - Yeah, I got a new one for Sue.

Ay, of course you did. Such a bleeding heart.

- What is that? - Oh, it-it's nothing.

Ooh! Someone gave you their phone number?

- Is he cute? Can we call him? - No, no.

It's Victor and Shirley, it was just...

Um, it's this holiday fundraising gala that they have

every year in their hotel in Lansby View, I guess.

Wait, it's not the Lansby View Hotel, is it?

Actually, yeah. Why?

Carmen, that's only the social event

of the holiday season at a five-star paradise! That's all.

They didn't invite you to it, did they?

Because if they did, I am so going with you.

- And where are you both going? - Nowhere! No...

Wita, Victor and Shirley invited Carmen

to a very fancy holiday party.

Oh, so you're gonna miss Noche Buena?

No, no, no, no. It is not like that.

They're looking for chefs that can handle a menu

on Christmas Day, but it sounds way out of my league, so--

So what? That's incredible!

You're going to interview, right?

I don't, I don't think so, I mean,

they're probably looking for somebody with more experience.

Okay, Carmen, stop selling yourself short.

They personally invited you because they know

you're the best. You have to do it. Abuelita, tell her.

You have to do it, mijita.

Really, you have to do it. Tell her.

See, wita and Sue said you have to.

I'm applying for you then.

No, no, Pilar! You cann... No, I don't even qualify.

It says that you need to have a degree in culinary arts

or some sort of chef certification!

Oh, your certification is in your heritage!

- You learned from the two best! - Exactly!

See, and I'll certify you right now if I have to.

You fake it till you make it, mamacita!

Pilar, you can't do that!

Uh-huh? See? There.

Easy enough. You're in.

- Pilar, you submitted me? - Yes.

- Pilar! - And you're going!

Now go call and tell them that you applied,

so they can make sure to bring you in.

Go ahead, I'm, I'm not moving until you do.

Go, we have an early dinner to get to. Go!

Okay! Okay. So demanding!

Oh... Did you eat today?

Because you always forget to eat when you bake all day.

Yeah.

Dinner's almost ready.

- Hi. - Hola, mi amor.

- Papi, hola. - Hola, mijita.

Oh. Mm. You smell like anela.

And you smell like Arroz con gandules.

You know what? What am I missing?

Everybody is extra cheery for some reason

on a regular Sunday night dinner.

Mm, well, it's not every day that your granddaughter

is invited to display her famous postres

at our city's finest holiday event.

Well, I-I still have to interview.

I haven't gotten the position yet.

Ay, but we are still so proud of you, preciosa.

Yes, yes, but I don't want everybody asking me

a lot of questions about it. Can we just enjoy dinner?

Yes, yes, we promise. Mira. Not a word.

Now, what would you girls like to drink?

Vino.

Okay, bente, Luis, help me set the table.

So I'm not gonna say a word, but I do wanna say,

if you wanna feature my sofrito on your big holiday menu,

I'll be happy to offer my services.

- Oh-ho-ho! Salud! - Salud!

Wow!

Everyone.

This is awesome.

- Oh! I'm... - Oh! Sorry.

Oh... You know... It's okay.

I, uh, have extras.

It's good.

Guess I should be watching where I'm going.

No, that's okay.

Sorry about that.

Jax! Hey!

- Francisco. - It's nice to see you.

- Nice to see you as well. - Aw, Jax is here.

We might as well all go home.

Come on, Bonnie, since when are you afraid

to cook up a little competition?

It's not a competition if you can get to smile to the judges.

You're at an unfair advantage.

- Good to see you, man. - Good to see you as well.

So where is your number two, Ben?

Sorry! I'm here. I'm here. I'm here.

- The unstoppable dinner duo. - Hm.

Now we really don't have a chance.

I noticed that the utensils at our old

restaurant weren't polished, so I had them done.

Oh, great. I had our knife sharpened, so we're good to go.

How sweet. Polished silver.

Mm-hmm.

- So... - Hi, I'm Carmen!

Carmen, hi. You brought cookies.

Yes. Uh, traditional Puerto Rican cookies.

Although some of them did get lost on the journey over here.

Hello, chefs. Most of you know my wife Shirley.

Nice to see you all. Ben and Jax, it's been a while.

Nice surprise.

Okay, you all know where the kitchen is,

so you can go ahead and set up your stations.

We're gonna get started very soon.

Why did we even show up at all?

Pawns. Or maybe prawns. That's what we are today.

Tasty little shrimp, and they're the lobster.

Bonnie, you're making me hungry.

That's what I do.

As most of you know, we prefer to hold these interviews

in a fashion similar to that of a cooking contest.

We find it more enjoyable this way.

Never one to keep things boring, are you, Mrs. Flores?

You have an hour to prep and cook

your best dish before presenting it to us.

And even though we're not serving to the masses,

remember, presentation always matters.

Also, and most of you know this, we always hire two positions.

An executive chef and a pastry chef,

so lean in to your strongest suit.

I didn't know we were supposed to bring anything.

- Uh, supplies, I mean. - Hey, don't worry about suppl--

I have some extra ingredients from the cookies I made earlier.

Some of the senior chefs like to bring their own stuff

'cause they like the way they feel.

This kitchen's got everything

you can possibly need.

Thanks. Hey, I-I'm Carmen, by the way.

I didn't get to introduce myself

since I was making a mess earlier.

Jax.

This kitchen is way fancier

than any place I've ever cooked.

Oh. What, what is this?

Pilar, you are a lifesaver.

Ready, set.

Go.

- Oh! - Oh!

Don't worry about it. Happens to the best of us.

Hm.

Just have fun.

Behind.

Coming through!

What's that about?

Alright, chefs, that's time. Hands up.

If you'll follow me into the ballroom,

and don't forget your dishes.

These all look delicious.

- Shall we? - Hi.

- All right. - So nice to meet you.

Thank you for this.

Oh, this is beautiful.

Ooh. Thank you.

- What was in that jar? - Oh.

Pineapple chunks soaked in rum.

- How long were they soaking for? - Long enough.

I was saving them for a special occasion.

Thanks.

Mm.

- Not too shabby. - Very good.

Hi.

- Mm. - Delish.

Mm. Perfectly done.

Oh, what do we have here?

Wow, look at Carmen's, honey.

Nice. All right.

Mm...

Wow!

- Good job, guys. - We'll be back.

We're gonna discuss.

Looks like you nailed it.

What culinary school did you go to?

Um, I went to the Culinary Academy of Mi Familia.

It's in Miami.

I've never heard of it.

- Hm. - Where did you go?

We both went to one of the best culinary schools in the country,

the New England Culinary Institute. Ever heard of it?

Of course! Hm.

Carmen, is it?

How did you hear about this event, anyway?

Victor and Shirley invited me.

Mr. and Mrs. Flores?

- Okay. - Let's go.

So, we want to thank you all for your hard work.

It's impressive to be surrounded by such talent.

However, there can only be two winners.

And tonight the winners are...

Jax, for the executive chef position.

And for our pastry chef...

Congratulations, Carmen!

Again, thank you.

Have a lovely night, and Merry Christmas.

Hope to see you all next year!

Will you two please follow us?

Right this way, guys.

So, as of now we have a full house,

which means there will be lots of moving parts.

But I don't want you to worry about that.

- That's what we live for. - Exactly.

Our event planner will handle all of the decor,

hiring the wait staff and all the other details.

Your two are focused on your menu and on your cooking,

and that's it.

And thank you again so much,

Mr. and Mrs. Flores, for this opportunity.

Same. I'm so very excited. I will not disappoint you.

We picked you both because we believe you'll be a good team.

We've been in this industry our entire lives

and have been hosting this holiday charade

for nearly a decade.

One thing we've learned is that desserts hold as much weight

as the main courses, especially in the holidays.

So not only do we wanna make sure that the menu has

as many desserts and pastries as it does main courses,

but for this event we consider the executive chef

and pastry chef as equal.

We want you guys to work together to create a menu

that reflects both of your cooking styles.

So you guys have to agree on

every single dish you put out there. Okay?

We can't wait to see what you come up with.

So good luck.

So, uh, is there anything, um, I can help with?

- Anything you need me to do? - No, sorry.

I'm just, uh, thinking about what needs to be done.

Um, only got a week to make this menu perfect, so...

Actually, I was thinking about a couple of dishes

just off the top of my head...

What? What did I say?

No, it's just, uh, before I interviewed,

I'd already figured out the foundation of the menu

that I'd, I'd serve, so...

But Victor and Shirley said we should collaborate

on the menu together. And it's Christmas.

So a Christmas party like this,

don't you think deserves a new, festive holiday-worthy menu?

You may have a point. Uh...

It's a lot to do with very little time, though.

J-just so you know, I have extensive experience

working large-scale events, and I've created tons of menus

from scratch for parties just like this one.

I didn't know that, um, but I guess if Mr. Flores

invited you personally, then that makes sense.

So if you don't wanna serve my menu, then...

what should we serve?

Oh. No, I... I-I didn't mean tonight, no.

Why don't we, w-why don't we go home and-and-and actually

think about what inspires us both?

And, um, we can regroup in the morning.

Tomorrow morning?

Okay. 9 a.m. sharp.

9 a.m. sharp. Yes, I-I will be there. Of course.

My leftovers.

What? I-I don't like to waste food.

- D-did you, did you want one? - No.

Are you sure? They, they don't bite.

- It's good. - Hm.

Mm, can I?

Thank you.

Carmen! So, how did it go?

Oh, no, you didn't get it?

- I got it! - Ay, Carmen!

My heart can't take your emotional whiplash.

Oh, and thank you for the jar. Really saved the day.

Well, you never know when you're gonna need it.

- Rum cake? Hey! - Uh-huh.

- So, tell me everything. - Ay, Pilar.

Everyone had supplies! I didn't have supplies!

Oh, my God, what did you do?

Well, I used the pineapple chunks.

Everyone had a coat. I didn't have a coat!

- Do we need to get you a coat? - Maybe.

- But right now we celebrate. - Hm.

Oh, I am so proud of you.

- Morning! I come bearing gifts. - You're late.

You know, in the future, when you say you're gonna be

somewhere at a certain time, you really should honor that.

Uh, it's only three minutes past 9:00.

Which makes you three minutes late.

And, look, even if you were on time,

you're not early, which means you're late.

I-I would have been here on time, but I stopped

at a really cute Christmas pop-up on Spring Street.

And I have this thing, I love trying treats during

Christmas, it's really a thing, so I had to check it out.

But I got you one.

Thank you.

Whoa.

This is really well-made.

Thank you. It was my abuela's.

She passed it down to me along with her recipes.

She's really an amazing cook.

You'll have to try some of her food someday.

All right, speaking of food, we should really get started.

All right.

- Let's tackle this menu. - Okay, let's do it.

So I like to break things into four quadrants, okay?

We have apps, main courses, sides, then desserts.

And once we figure these out at a macro level,

we can start to hammer out the details of the...

- What are you doing? - You know, I don't really...

I don't really work this way. I'm not really into lists.

We really need to be organized.

- Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. - Hm, why don't I start?

So I'm thinking maybe a Sole Meuniere.

Sole Meuniere, so...

It's a French Sole dish, pan-fried,

baked, deboned, served with a brown butter sauce.

Oh. Oh, yeah. Okay, yeah, I know, I know.

Yeah, that-that sounds good... Uh, b-but...

Do you think that that's right for Christmas, you know?

Okay. You go.

Okay, I was thinking Arroz Con Dulce.

It's rice pudding.

Rice pudding is made

with only three ingredients.

Mn-mn.

This is going well.

Okay, we're not getting anywhere.

Do we need to decide on the menu today?

Do we need to decide on the menu today? Yes! Of course we do!

We have so much to do, Carmen, we're running out of time.

We still have to figure out the details, we have to prep,

we have to perfect the recipes.

This would never happen

if Ben was here.

Well, I was the one that made it into this kitchen, not Ben.

You're right. That was rude. I apologize.

It's fine, I'm just... I don't think we should rush things.

We should take our time, see what inspires us.

We may be able to make some real holiday magic, don't you think?

Sounds like you wanna wing it.

No. Carmen, I don't wing, okay?

I-I... Winging it is not in my vocabulary.

All right, I'm not saying winging it, I'm just saying,

all this talking and list-making,

it's making the menu feel inauthentic.

Okay, how about this, how about we close our eyes

and see what our imagination tells us?

I understand that my approach is a little more methodical,

but there is a science to cooking

and there is a formula to creating a menu.

So we need to focus and get organized.

It's the only way we're gonna wow this party.

Well, to an extent, yes, but when I cook,

I, I let my palate and my heart guide me.

In my opinion, I think that's the approach we need

to really wow this party.

Tell me the truth, have you really

created a menu for a party this size?

Carmen, you know how many people have RSVPed to this, right?

I...

Fine. No. No.

The biggest party I've catered to was 50 people, okay?

I-I-I was basically raised in a bakery.

I know what people love to eat. It's quality, not quantity.

Okay, okay, you know what, doesn't matter

'cause we are here now, so let's, uh,

let's combine our efforts.

You can let the heart guide you, but you've got to write it down.

We've already wasted half of the day and we can't afford

to waste any more time, all right?

So I am going to focus on the entrees

and you can bounce off some of your dessert ideas

and we'll see what matches up.

So, then, you're still in charge?

That's not what I'm saying. Uh...

We both know the executive chef usually creates the menu

for events like this, okay,

and the pastry chef focuses on desserts.

And the entree is the biggest part of the meal--

Well, in your opinion.

Seems like our best option here is to divide and conquer.

So we should do what we do best, both focus on our own courses,

then we can mix and match as we please.

So...

So you want me to focus on the desserts

and you do the rest?

And if we can't find a pairing that we both agree on,

then we compromise. Deal?

All right. Deal.

He acts like he's better than me, so I've never

gone to culinary school, I've never run a restaurant before.

Doesn't mean I can't hold my own.

Carmen thinks her way is more authentic

'cause it's not planned. But how do you not plan anything?

Well, what, do they just wing it? How do...

How does she get anything done?

How does he ever get anything done?

I mean, creating his list took half the day.

- All we did was talk. - Well, maybe...

Try and find another way to communicate with him.

I mean, you can get a little wound up.

We've all seen your whirlwind of energy in the kitchen.

He may need some time to get used to it.

You remember how long it took me to get used to Jorge?

And he still drives me crazy.

- I can hear you, you know? - I love you.

Yes, abuelita?

Is there something you'd like to add?

This Jax, it seems like the two of you could learn a lot

from each other.

Hm.

See, you and I are always in sync, but with her,

I mean, how does she expect to get into her groove

if she keeps going rogue?

What kinda culinary school teaches their chefs

to follow their heart? It sounds weird.

Maybe it's not the school.

Maybe it's just who she is.

She does make phenomenal cookies though, I'll give her that.

Okay, well, while you were eating cookies,

I spent the day working out ideas for

restaurant layouts. I'd love for you to check 'em out.

Sorry, man, I've totally been dominating

the conversation, haven't I?

No, it's okay, it's a bit more casual

than what we're used to, but I think they could be great.

These are, these are amazing! Wow!

What do you think the bakery that she works at looks like?

You think they just wing it? It's got to be so messy.

Sorry.

Oh. I finished it!

Do you like it?

- Pretty, no? Thank you. - It looks great.

What did you get wita?

You mean to say you haven't gotten

our 75-year-old abuelita a Christmas gift yet?

No, I don't know yet. I haven't decided on anything.

Okay, but if you don't do it soon,

it's your holiday funeral is all.

Okay. Okay. I will stop and get her something after work.

And, uh, you're right, I'm gonna try something new

with Mr. Big Shot tomorrow. Wish me luck, girl.

You got this.

Someone wise once told me if you're not early, you're late.

Person does sound wise.

I do appreciate the punctuality. Thank you.

- You're very welcome. - What do we got over here?

Un-uh! Excuse me. Nosey much?

Fine. Then you don't get to look in mine.

I'm not worried, I'll see yours when we're done cooking

and tasting everything.

Game on.

I'm actually excited to be cooking something.

I was thinking the same thing.

Wow, wait, does that mean that we're actually

on the same page about something?

I suppose we are.

Oh.

- Sorry. - Um...

Hey, uh, if you don't mind, I like to listen to some music

while I cook, especially during Christmas.

Really gets me in the zone.

Uh, I, I could get into it.

So, uh, you got any holiday plans

other than the big holiday fiesta?

Uh, actually, originally I was supposed to go see my parents

in Provo.

- That's where I'm from. - And now you're not?

Uh, well, with this event going on

and all these plans with the restaurant with Ben,

I don't really have the time, so...

Well, that's kind of a bummer, I mean, having to choose work

over family. I can't imagine.

It's really not that big of a deal, just me and my parents,

so it's usually pretty mellow.

And we celebrate Christmas and everything, it's just...

Well, it's the complete opposite in my house.

Every dinner is a big deal. And, I mean, Christmas?

That's the biggest deal, especially the night before.

And if I don't show up for that, they'd probably

show up wherever I was.

That doesn't sound so bad,

having a family that's crazy about you being home.

Actually, kinda nice.

So you said that, uh, cooking's in your blood, right?

Besides you and your grandmother,

anybody else in your family cook?

Well, more like who doesn't cook?

Uh, everyone in my family, except for my sister, Pilar.

We let her handle the beverages

'cause it's the one thing that she can't mess up.

But lucky for her, her husband, Jorge, is a great cook.

If you wanted to discuss roasts and beans, she'd be the girl

you wanted to talk to, I call her the coffee bruja,

because she's always concocting

some new flavors or something like that.

I'm a coffee snob, so I like her already.

What about you? Anybody in your family like to cooking?

My, um, my grandmother was an incredible cook.

My mom and dad not so much, they love food,

but, uh, they're more of a seek-and-find

than a, uh, a do-it-yourself.

- Um, hey. - Oh.

- You're kinda... - Oh, that's just...

That's just me, you're gonna have to get more towels

by the end of today.

Okay.

Oh. You know what?

- Oh, jeez, um... - I'm...

I am sorry! I'm just...

I'm not used to sharing a kitchen 'cause every time

I bake, I always arrive early before anyone's there.

And when I'm catering, everything's ready to serve.

You didn't have to share a kitchen in culinary school?

Uh, yeah. Uh, yes, yes, I did.

I just, um, just seems like a lifetime ago. So I'm...

You know what, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go over there

and set up, and I'm gonna let you prep that.

All right.

Oh, let me help you.

- Thanks. - Mm-hmm.

All right. What do you think?

Oh! Fancy. Fancy. Presentation's ten out of ten.

Mm... It's very good. Mm.

Hm.

What's...

What are you not telling me? Come on, be honest.

Well, the thing is, I'm-I'm just not seeing

the, the holiday aspect of it all.

Is there anything that we could do to spice it up?

Maybe add a-a garnish or something?

Okay. Uh...

You know, maybe your dishes will give me some inspiration.

Let's try 'em.

- Just, uh... - Yeah.

Mm.

Uh-oh. Okay.

I-I-I know what that face is. Let's hear it. Come on.

No, no, no, no, no. They-they, well, taste amazing.

I'm just, uh, just wondering if there's a way to, if...

You see, a holiday party of this magnitude requires dishes

that are a little more, um, sophisticated?

That's why Victor and Shirley said we should

work on the menu together, as a team.

Yeah.

Oh. Mrs. Flores.

- Hi. Good afternoon, you two. - Great to see you.

- Hi. How are you? - I'm well, thank you for asking.

I don't wanna take up too much of your time, I just have a few

small housekeeping items to discuss with you first.

Here's the list, all your sous chefs, your line cooks,

the catering staff for the big event.

Just take a peek, let me know if you have any issues

with anyone, other than that,

I just need your ingredients to order.

Oh, we haven't actually settled on the perfect menu just yet.

We are very close, though.

You know, why don't you just leave the vendor's info with us,

and we will send the list as soon as we're ready?

All right.

But you have to have it in by the 22nd.

- At the latest. - Of course!

You need to fill those forms out, if you have any

questions, give me a call. It's pretty standard.

- May I? - Of course! Yeah.

You know I can't turn this down.

Mm!

Delicious as always.

- So beautiful. - Thank you.

Are those the dishes you guys are thinking about serving?

- Yes. - No.

- Maybe? - Hm.

They seem a bit inconsistent.

Kinda like your answers.

Yeah, uh, we're still trying to iron out some of the kinks.

But nothing to be worried about, we're really enjoying

this time that we have to cook

and really getting into the holiday spirit and all.

I'm not worried. We have complete faith in you two.

- I'll see you in a bit. - Thank you.

Okay. We gotta do better, Carmen.

We can't screw this up.

We can. A-and we will.

Maybe we just have to listen to each other more.

Oh! You know what?

- I-I got to go. - You have to go right now?

Yeah. I told you. It's family dinner, they'll come find me!

Ah... Okay, uh, I-I guess I'll see you in the morning, then?

- Yeah. Bright and early. - All right.

Uh, do you want me to wrap up your leftovers for you

before you go?

Uh... No, actually, you know, I...

I'll put 'em in the fridge and maybe we can snack on it later.

Okay. Well, wait, why don't I do that? You got to go. Go on.

Actually, would you like to join us?

Maybe, um, if you had dinner with my family,

you'd get a sense of who I am

and, um, where I come from.

Yeah, sure. That...

I mean, who's gonna turn down a home-cooked meal?

Great. Okay.

Uh, let's do it together.

- We can come back for that. - Yeah.

Mami? Wita?

Oh! Carmen!

Oh, who have you brought?

Oh, this is Jax. He's the head chef for the hotel event.

Well, co-co-chefs. We're both the heads.

- Oh? - It's nice to meet you.

Ah. In this house we hug our hellos.

Welcome.

- Thank you. - Mm-hmm.

I'm gonna go tell your mother and father

that we have another guest for dinner.

Oh, I don't wanna be an imposition.

- Oh. - Oh, don't be silly.

Setting another plate is no imposition.

And we have plenty of food.

So, come on, it's time to eat! Let's go!

- Ay, it smells great, wita. - Oh, it's all ready.

Oh, she's here!

And she brought a friend!

Everyone, this is Jax. Jax, this is my family.

My mother Esperanza, my father Luis, my sister Pilar.

Where's... Oh.

- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.

Jorge, her husband, and of course

you already met Wita Rita. But you can call her Rita.

Or you can call me wita, or whatever else you like.

Welcome, Jax. So happy to have you join us.

Thank you. So great to meet all of you.

This-this smells delicious.

Oh, well, thank you.

Let me get another place-setting.

- Would you like some wine? - I'm good, actually.

Oh, maybe just one since I'm having?

- Hm? Hm? - Just a little bit.

I mean, if wita's having, then...

Okay.

Did you know that unroasted coffee beans are actually green?

Wow! Really?

- Never heard that before. - I have!

Well, then maybe I'll use them in my next green bean casserole.

So, how's the menu coming along?

Uh, everything is, um...

Um, it's great. Ahem. We're almost there.

And I can see why Carmen is so passionate about cooking.

This spread is unbelievable.

Oh, well, thank you. We hope that you join us again.

I would love that.

Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

- J-Jax? What are you doing here? - Carmen. Hey.

This is, uh, the place you got that delicious hot cocoa, right?

- Yeah. - Figured I'd return the favor.

- You got me one, thank you. - Of course.

- Amazing. Yeah. - Shall we?

Your family is amazing, by the way.

It was really lovely meeting 'em last night, so...

- Thanks. - Thank you for inviting me.

Of course! They love company.

They'd get together every night if my sister and I agree to it.

I believe it.

It really is nice that you're so close with them.

And that food, Carmen, it was unbelievable!

I realized last night that I've never actually had

true authentic Puerto Rican cuisine before.

Well, you're in good hands now, I mean, there are

a few traditional Puerto Rican hideaways,

you just have to know where to look.

Does that mean you're gonna show me?

You know, we have some time.

Come on, I wanna show you something.

- Uh, we should-- - Get to work?

This is work.

This is work. This is work. Come here.

Okay.

Gracias. These are the best empanadas in the city.

- Oh, yeah? - Mm-hmm.

- Oh, I got it. - No, I got it.

Thank you. Thank you.

So should I just get right in there?

Mm-hmm. Just try it.

- Here. - Thank you.

Come here, wait.

This is the best empanada I've ever had in my life.

- Yeah. - Why is it so different?

Well, we marinate the beef in achiote paste.

I've had achiote before, but this, this is something special.

It's got a, like a punch of spice.

- I taste the pepper. - Mm-hmm.

Oh, good amount of cumin in there.

Oh, yeah.

Some coriander, oregano...

garlic and cloves.

- There's... Is that annatto s... - Annatto seeds.

Wha... This is so good. Thank you.

The dough is like, like, like pie crust,

but it doesn't break when you bite into it. Why?

- It's the masa harina. - Masa harina.

Yeah, masa harina is ground corn flour,

it contains a leavening agent.

- So did I miss anything? - Of course. The main ingredient!

Passion! Pasion.

The chef's love for his food. You can taste it.

I definitely can. And this filling is so hearty.

Yes, it is. One night say savory, maybe even entree?

Okay, I will admit.

Sometimes pastries can be meals.

So when did you come to the city?

Uh, well, I've been here most of my life.

My family moved here when I was ten. How about you?

Hm, I've been here for a few years.

Yeah, I came from New York.

I was there for a while working with this amazing chef

who helped me get my bearings after school.

And my parents were very happy because I was working

at a Michelin-star restaurant.

Mm. So why come here?

I felt like I needed to carve my own path.

Plus, it brought me closer to my parents.

That makes sense.

Oh, wait a second. I just forgot.

I haven't gotten a Christmas present for my abuela.

Come on, I wanna check this out.

Okay.

She just turned 75, and I wanna get her something special.

Well, Wita Rita is special,

so we should make it good.

Well, how about, how about this?

Yeah, I mean, look, she's gonna love whatever you get her.

But I think we, we gotta make it perfect.

Ooh...

What do you think of this?

Oh, that, that's fancy. Could I see that, please?

Thank you.

And you can put a picture in it.

Exactly. My grandmother had one just like it.

My grandfather gave it to her before he went off to the war.

He said, "Now, I can be close to your heart every day."

That is so sweet.

You know what? Yeah. I'm gonna take it, please.

Thank you. My abuelita is gonna love that.

Did you know that my grandmother is the one

that taught me how to cook?

Yeah, I was an only child, so I was always bored

and I would just follow her around the kitchen.

One day she put me to work,

and then we started cooking

Christmas dinner together.

We had a tradition, we would bake fresh gingerbread

every year and make a house out of it.

I love that.

Okay, we actually should get to work now.

- Yeah, we should. Thank you. - Thank you.

You know what, we, we have to make one more stop

because there is a key ingredient

that our kitchen is missing.

Okay, you're right. I like it.

Yeah, but it's not perfect.

Duh, it needs decorations.

One sec.

- What are you doing? - No, just trust me.

What?

Needs a little pop of color.

- Oh. - All right, and...

Some string and...

- Well... - You just trust me.

Okay.

- Thank you. - What are you...

- Follow my lead. - Okay.

- Oh, I see what you're doing. - How about this? Yup.

- I'll poke, you thread. - Okay.

Oh, that is a pop of color.

- All right. - Perfect.

We are going to have stained fingers.

At least it's gonna look super cute.

So I can't stop thinking about those empanadas.

Oh.

I was thinking if you wanted to create some,

like, pastry-type appetizers, that would be cool.

Seriously? Oh. Yes, I-I would love that.

- Perfect. - Thank you.

Thank you.

Hey, thank you for letting me add my empanadas to the menu.

I mean, how could we not? They're the new best in town.

- Yeah. - It's all in that achiote.

I'm glad you really liked it.

Wait, wait, wait, don't do that.

Somebody has to check and make sure

that you are doing a good job.

Plus, Jorge isn't home yet,

so I haven't had any dinner.

Hm.

Mm, this smells delicious.

Was this you, or was this the handsome guy

that you brought over for family dinner?

All right, please, don't start with me.

- And, yes, he made that. - Mm!

He is a great chef!

You should marry him, you'll have well-fed babies.

No, Pilar, we're colleagues. Nothing can happen.

But what about the next week afterward?

Look, you can't live with me and Jorge here forever.

I mean, at some point we're gonna have kids.

And, I mean, either that or

Jorge's just gonna drive you so crazy

that you won't be able to take it.

All right, come here. You know...

I'm just teasing you, you know that, right?

You know you always have a home here.

- Now, what's in that other box? - Empanada I made.

This is so good. Mm-hmm.

Hey, guys.

What, what's going on? Is everything okay?

Sit, mijita. There's something I need to tell you.

I'm moving to Puerto Rico.

Wait, what?

Which means that she's selling Coqui.

No, no, no, no, Coqui is one of the very few

Puerto-Rican owned cafes in the city.

Our-our community cannot take a loss like that.

I know, I know, and I hate to leave this place behind

and you girls, you girls...

But, you know, I've been doing this for such a long time.

And it's a lot to manage for my age.

And I miss my family in Puerto Rico.

So i-is there anything that we can do? Maybe we can help.

I have a little bit of money saved from catering--

Aye mi amor, I wish it was that simple, really,

but this is a big responsibility.

And I have to sell this place by the end of the year.

What?

I'm still thinking that

we take a more subtle and subdued approach to decoration.

Oh, um, I, of course, am leaning

towards the brighter option.

Don't you think red screams Christmas?

I do. It does.

Um, small concern

that the decor will distract from the dish itself.

Okay, so we do no decoration or...

Or we, we meet in the middle

and we find a combo of the two.

Yeah, that-that could work.

Great. So what do you say?

We choose your top two apps, my top two entrees,

two of your desserts, two of my sides, and, voila,

we have a perfectly delicious and eclectic menu.

All right, you have a deal.

All right, I just finished the list of what's left to do.

We can give it to our sous chefs and we will be good to go.

I've never used one before, but...

A sous chef? Seriously? Not even in school?

Actually, I've been meaning to talk--

My esteemed chefs,

do not forget to put your orders in by tonight.

Of course not, Ms. Flores. We will get that to you shortly.

Wonderful. Can't wait to see that menu.

You did submit your grocery list.

- Right? - No, not yet.

We barely settled on a menu. How could I have known before now?

I've had a list going for two days and I've been updating as

we go. Hey, they will get you anything you want.

You just have to order it now.

I mean, if we have time to decorate a tree,

we definitely have time to make our grocery list, right?

Okay, yes, okay, I-I will...

I'll get it, get it to you tonight, I promise.

Thank you.

Is everything okay?

Yeah, it's not a big deal.

Hey, talk to me.

Just my, my other job,

the cafe where I work at,

the owner, she's, she's moving back to Puerto Rico

and she has to sell the cafe before the end of the year.

I'm sorry to hear that.

It's a staple in our community

and it's hitting everybody pretty rough.

Pilar is taking it especially hard.

Hey, you think I could head out early?

I make a mean guava pastelito.

I was thinking of dropping by to cheer her up.

Sounds nice.

Hey, I've never actually made

a g-guava pastelito before.

I mean, if you're up for it, I, I'd love to learn.

I'm heading to the farmer's market on 7th.

I just, I need to get some fresh guava.

There's a farmer's market on 7th?

It's a local co-op where

vendors and restaurant owners,

they donate whatever produce they're not using.

Kind of like ugly produce, but it's the best quality in town.

- We'd have to go right now. - Okay, yeah.

We can grab the stuff and we can make them here.

Try these.

- Yeah? Is it good? - Yeah. Mm-hmm.

- Which one should I try? - Oh, any of them.

- They're all delicious. - Oh, I don't like too spicy.

- But I do love flavor. - Come on, you got this.

- Chipotle. - Uh-huh.

That's good. We need to come back here.

Oh, this is what you were talkin' about.

This is it. Hola, Julio.

Ah, I see what you mean.

- I, uh, I frequent here a lot. - I can tell.

Oh, let me.

- No, no. Gracias. - Ah. Thank you very much.

Ben. Hey.

Hey, um, what are you guys doing here?

Not workin' this afternoon?

- Actually, we got off early. - Huh, again. Hm.

Yes, but we managed to finish the menu.

- And it's perfect. - Mm.

So what brings you guys here?

Are we shopping the ugly produce?

Uh, actually Carmen says this is the best place in town.

And now I'm seeing you here, so I'm starting to think

I'm the only chef that didn't know about it.

Carmen, you remember my colleague Ben, right?

Uh, partner formerly, and sous chef.

Yes, we are known as the dynamic dinner duo.

It's nice to see you again, Ben.

Likewise.

We're actually getting ingredients

to make guava pastelitos. P-pastelitos?

- Pastelitos. - Pastelitos.

If you'd like to join us.

Uh, I can't. Uh, I should get home now.

Uh, you know, get working on the plans

for our restaurant-opening. But you guys have fun.

Uh, Jax, let's just catch up later?

- Absolutely. - Bye.

- We got everything we need? - Yeah.

All right. Let's do it.

- Typical, like-- - Yeah, and then...

I'll teach you how to slice it.

You slice 'em.

Team work.

I like this right here.

Is that how we do it? I'm just joking, just joking.

So we'll use this one.

Super simple.

Oh, my...

- They look perfect. Mm-hmm. - We did good.

Sorry, we're closed.

Good, because we brought treats.

We made pastelitos.

Come on.

Mm. Oh, it's so good!

- Thank you so much, Carmen. - Of course, sis.

This place really is a small treasure.

It's got so much charm, it's, it's in a prime location.

It's really a shame she has to sell it.

Either of you ever considered taking over?

Uh, well, financially

it's just not in the cards for us.

But I hear that you're maybe opening up a restaurant soon?

Yeah, uh, with my colleague Ben.

Although, it's been in the works for a while. Mm.

Guess we're a, a little picky, to say the least.

- I'll say. - Well...

- I hope for its great success. - Thank you.

Hey, and if you ever need a sassy barista,

you know where to find me.

Hold on, am I...

No, no, I'm-I'm early,

just like normal.

And I'm earlier than normal.

Oh, no! I forgot my chef's coat.

- I never do this. - Oh.

I have an extra apron in my bag.

You know, the mess I tend to make... Just grab it.

- Yeah? Oh, this is perfect. - Mm-hmm.

Thank you. All right.

- Oh, check this out. - What is it?

Guava chutney.

I just took our leftovers and kinda went with it.

Bet it goes good with so many dishes.

Plus, it's chutney, so it's, you know, great for the holidays.

Yeah.

Mm, yeah. Jax, this is delicious.

We need to incorporate this into the menu.

Oh. Yeah, that's probably not a bad idea.

This is it.

Almost ready. Wait, give me. I need a plate.

Coming through.

- Oh. Behind. - Oh.

- Hello, you two. - Mr. and Mrs. Flores.

Victor, Shirley, hi!

We were hoping to stop by sooner,

but we've been so busy with the holiday rush.

Still, everything seems to be

coming together nicely here, I see.

And I see you guys even put up

a Christmas tree.

Oh, yeah, can never be too into the season.

No, I-I love it, and I think

maybe we should do it every year moving forward.

Very cute. Although it's missing a proper tree-topper, you know?

Oh, no, that's on our to-do list.

Right this way.

- Oh, thank you. - Got it? Got it?

Okay.

And for our final three...

Enjoy.

I can't help but feel like there's something missing.

Shirl.

There's definitely something missing.

Uh, if you could give us an idea of what that is,

we can definitely address it before the event.

Any criticism would be helpful.

We wanna make sure we have an amazing meal.

Look, I'm-I'm neither a chef nor a critic,

so I'm not sure I can properly articulate

what it is I'm feeling, but I can assure you,

if we noticed, Anna Garza will as well.

Victor, I'm-I'm sure they're gonna figure things out.

I'm sure they will.

And I know I don't need to remind you both

of the importance of this event for your careers,

but our donors are also paying a lot of money to attend,

and Anna Garza's approval will ensure an even more

successful turnout the following year.

I have faith you'll both succeed.

- Shall we? - Yes.

I don't understand.

We've been working on these dishes all week.

We've-we've sampled them dozens of times.

What are we doing wrong?

It's okay, you know, we'll figure it out

even if it takes us all night.

- You don't get it. - I do get it.

I know how much this means to you.

Do you?

I'm sorry, I just...

Can I show you something?

I don't understand. What is this place?

This was my restaurant.

This was the place that I owned and that I ran with Ben.

He was my number two.

I had 47 employees working under me.

That's not even including all my vendors.

These were people with families that were depending on me,

and I let 'em down,

because they all lost their jobs when it went under.

I had no idea. I'm so sorry.

I mean, opening this place was my dream.

Even though I put everything I had in it, I...

I just couldn't get it to work in the end, and...

I felt like such a failure.

And I don't like feelin' this way.

- Jax... - Even with great reviews...

We closed after four months, I mean, I-I-I don't know

what happened. Uh, maybe I was too ambitious.

And now, of course, Ben wants to try again

and he wants to start over, and I don't think

I'm ready for that. And I don't know how to tell him.

I just can't fail again.

That's why you applied for this job.

Your second chance.

Yeah, I guess it is.

You know, it's gonna be okay.

I'm not gonna let you fail again. You got this.

Come on, let's head back.

Pretty sure we're gonna pull an all-nighter.

Do you mind if I put some music to keep us going?

No. Go ahead.

All right, you know what, I can't take it anymore.

I cannot see you like this, I know what you need.

Let's go, come on.

- Come on, dance with me. Yeah. - Dance with you?

It's late, and we have to get back to work.

No, no, this is work, trust me. You have to learn how to let go.

And how's dancing gonna help?

You know what, that is your problem, Jax.

You think there's only one way for things to be right.

But that's not how it is with dancing, with dancing

you have to let it go, it's whatever you feel,

that's what's right, it's about the pasion,

and you find that right here.

And you get to that with this right here.

There you go. Yeah. Come on.

You got to. Come on. One, two, three. It's super easy. Yeah!

Okay, one more, one more, let's try one more turn.

- Uh-huh... - No.

- Hold on. I'm gonna just... - Look at you.

Just I'm kind of...

- No! - No?

- We should, uh... - Yeah, uh...

Yeah, we should, uh...

Okay, today everything that we make, we make with pasion.

Organized pasion.

I can change, too, you know?

Excuse me.

Mm...

That's everything.

- How you feeling? - I, uh, honestly...

I don't even know anymore. I'm too in the thick of it to tell.

But I think we did really well.

- Yeah. - How you feelin'?

I'm feelin' good.

I mean, it's a lot of hard work, but it'll pay off.

I think our guests are really gonna love the menu.

Me, too. I like this new confident Carmen.

I like this new relaxed, self-assured Jax.

Okay, so it's, uh, Christmas Eve, so it's do or die time.

Do we call it or go another round?

I think we call it.

Yeah, like you said, we've done everything we can

and tomorrow is a big day.

Yeah, well, technically it's still a big day for me tonight.

Mine isn't over, I've still got Christmas with my family.

Uh, are you... What're you doing for Christmas Eve tonight?

Uh, I mean, you're lookin' at it.

That's right, noche buena with the family, huh?

Sure you're not gonna be too tired tomorrow?

- It's gonna be a long day. - I'll be fine.

I'm ten steps ahead of myself now

and I need a little bit of sleep as is.

I probably won't even sleep, I'll be so nervous anyway.

Are you, um... Did-did...

Did you... wanna come with?

I mean, uh, my family already loves you, so...

I would love that.

- Yeah? - Yeah.

Oh, great, I-I'm gonna go get changed then.

Okay, me, too.

So noche buena is our version of Christmas Eve.

That's when the festivities really kick off.

And then later tonight we'll go to Misa de Gallo.

Okay, Misa de Gallo. What's that?

It's midnight mass, of course.

- Hey. - Hi.

Have you been to midnight mass?

Uh, me and my...

Hey!

- Hey! - So this is our parranda.

Our version of Christmas caroling.

So it's our celebration of Christmas!

Jax, it's so good to see you again.

Oh, he's practically part of the family.

Are you guys hungry, we have plenty of food

for later when we get back.

Oh, you remembered Rita's gift, right?

- Yeah, it's in here. - You've heard of a parranda.

Right? But have you experienced one?

I hope you're rested 'cause it's gonna be a long night.

What does he mean long night? What?

- How far are we going? - Well, until they get tired.

And I have no idea when that's gonna be, so let's go.

Hey, what are you learning over here?

Opa!

This is so much fun, I can't believe you guys

celebrate Christmas like this.

Every year.

Hey, you have to try a coquito.

It's a coconut-flavored cocktail similar to eggnog.

Oh, that's good. Mm.

Are you hungry? I could bring you a plate.

Because we have arroz con gandules,

we have morcilla,

we have lechon asado y platanos.

She wants to know what you wanna eat, so we have rice

with pigeon peas, we have roasted pork.

- Blood sausage and plantains. - I can, I can make my own plate.

Oh, don't be silly, you're having a good time.

I could bring you a little bit of everything.

- Perfect. - Okay.

- Gracias, wita. - Gracias.

Why do you guys call her wita?

Well, in Spanish the casual way to say grandmother

is abuelita, and when you're a kid,

that's kinda hard to pronounce, so Pilar and I would say wita

instead of abuelita, and that kind of stuck.

Sweet.

- Oh! - I'm sorry.

- Jorge, remember El Cuco? - El Cuco! Who's that?

- It's the boogeyman. - Yeah.

That will come and get you at night if you're not being good.

- Mm-hmm. - We're sorry.

You need a coquito. I'm gonna grab you one.

Okay, yeah, great, oh, be careful!

because Tia Marta, she has a heavy pour.

It's stronger than it tastes.

It looks like Jax is having a good time.

- I'm glad you brought him. - Yeah, me, too.

Looks like he makes you happy, honey.

- Abuelita! - What? A grandmother notices.

- Oh, wait, before I forget... - Que?

- No! - Mm-hmm.

Oh, it's so beautiful!

Gracias.

And a coquito. Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt.

Oh, you could never.

Okay, you kids enjoy yourselves.

Gracias.

- Did she like it? - Oh, she loved it.

Thank you so much for inviting me and for teaching me

everything that you have...

I just, I want you to know that no matter what happens tomorrow,

I have immense respect for you.

That means a lot coming from you.

And I-I feel the same way.

And thank you for being honest with me about your restaurant.

I should probably be honest, too.

I kind of lied to get this job.

Actually, I-I didn't lie, Pilar did, on my resume.

I have never been to culinary school.

I know.

I mean, you never had a sous chef,

you've never been in a commercial kitchen,

it was pretty obvious.

Are you upset?

No. Not at all.

So what if you haven't had formal training?

You clearly have learned from the best.

And if anything, that just makes it all the more impressive.

Carmen, you're one of the best chefs

that I've ever worked with.

Ahem, excuse me, um, we're heading out to la Misa De Gallo.

- Are you two gonna join us? - Is it midnight already?

You know what, sorry, mami, I think

we have a really big day tomorrow,

so I think we're just gonna get going.

- Okay. - Yeah.

We should go. This has been great.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

Hey.

Hey. How are you feelin'?

A little tired, but I'm okay. How about you?

Same.

- Last night was a lot of fun. - I know. I'm glad you came.

Me, too.

I got you a little somethin'.

W-what's this? Why...

I didn't think... You didn't have to...

I figured a great chef has to have a great chef coat.

- Jax! - Merry Christmas.

It's beautiful. Thank you.

Oh. I feel terrible, I didn't get you anything.

It looks great on you.

- And don't worry about that. - Except...

- Carmen! - Merry Christmas, Jax.

It's nothing, it's not much. Just something silly.

You, last night was the best Christmas I've had

in a long time, you already gave me that.

You...

- This is amazing, I love it. - Yeah?

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

- Should we get to work? - Let's do it. Yeah.

Okay, so the vendor's already brought our groceries,

so we should make sure that everything's here.

The rest of the staff should arrive by 11 o'clock,

which gives us a little time to figure out our assembly line.

- Oh, no. - What? What's wrong?

My ingredients, they're not here.

My ingredients, my-my ingredients are not here.

You're joking.

Carmen, you did remember to put in your order form, right?

Uh, yes, yes, I-I think so. Maybe.

You promised me that you did it the other night.

Carmen, I-I've literally reminded you so many times.

We don't even have half of what we need.

Uh, you know, I-I usually hand pick my ingredients, you know?

I-I'll go to the market and get everything that we need.

It's Christmas, nothing's gonna be open, and even if you

could find a place, we don't have that kind of time.

This is exactly what I was afraid would happen.

Wow, really? I...

You know what, I'll just leave then.

- You're just gonna leave? - Yeah, I don't need to be here.

After everything we've done here?

Yeah, you don't have any ingredients

for a pastry chef, so no pastry,

no chef.

Carmen? Are you okay?

Sue, um, what are you doing here?

It's, uh, it's Christmas Day.

Honey, I have to pack this place up and get it ready to go.

But what's wrong?

I ruined it. I ruined everything, Sue.

- I forgot the grocery list-- - Can you hold on a second?

I don't understand. What happened?

I didn't graduate from a culinary school,

I'm never gonna be able to run my own business.

- It'll fail, like me. - Carmen, stop it!

Why, what's going on?

I forgot to order the ingredients from the vendors

and now I have nothing to make the pastries with.

Ay, mijita. Look around you.

You have an entire stock of anything you need

to make any Puerto Rican pastry you can imagine.

- Sue, I-I couldn't. - You can.

And you're going to, honey.

We're familia. And that's what we're here for.

Now go call your sister. Dale!

- Okay. - You got this, honey.

Thank you.

- You came back. - Yes.

And we have everything we need now.

And then some, so we can give it Carmen's fancy new spin.

We are missing the other dessert, but I think we have

everything we need to make authentic tembleque.

I-I sorry, temble what?

It's an authentic Puerto Rican coconut-based custard.

Now you'd better make some room in this kitchen for us

so we can catch up with you guys.

You heard the ladies, let's move these stations down

and let's get to work!

♪ Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh ♪

- She's here. - There she is.

Well, hello, lovely, good to see you.

- How are you? - Always great to see you.

This is all so beautiful, I cannot wait to try the menu.

Well, we're ready for you, so right this way.

Thank you.

♪ Jingle bells jingle all the way ♪

And we are going to sit you right here.

- May I take your coat? - Appreciate it.

All right.

♪ Oh what fun it is ♪

We're very excited. Enjoy.

Hey.

I'm sorry about what I said earlier.

I was just frustrated.

It's okay. You know what?

I finally realized what was missing from the menu.

Oh, yeah?

We've been cooking together as a team,

and when I cook, I always cook with my heart,

leaning into what inspires me.

But I finally realized...

that's you, Jax.

You inspire me to boost what I do,

to elevate myself as a chef, as a businesswoman.

I-I wanna win over these guests and Anna Maria Garza.

I wanna win Sue's cafe.

And if I'm being completely honest,

I wanna win you.

You did that day one,

when you dumped your cookies all over me.

And then salsaed into this kitchen and told me

to get out of your way.

So, yeah.

Let's go win this thing together.

Okay.

Wow! This looks rather--

- Cohesive. And delectable!! - Yes! Cohesive.

Merry Christmas, you guys!

- Merry Christmas. - Merry Christmas.

And I see you have a little

tasting here for us.

- Shall we? - Yes.

- Mm! - Mm!

- So good. - It is perfect.

- All of it is so perfect. - Thank you.

So, what changed?

Well, when you look at our ingredients, you see

that they're mixed together and they create a beautiful fusion

of perfectly-paired entrees and desserts.

And we didn't start from scratch, all we did was

blend our ingredients to slightly alter

the existing dishes.

Right here we have our roasted pork,

that's the mofongo and lechon.

And our personal pot pie, made with morcilla.

Mm-hm, and we also reduced our portions

so that they're smaller, the empanadas,

so our guests can enjoy to eat and mingle at the same time.

And so they save room for our delectable desserts

like you just tried, our temb...

- Tembleque. - Yes, that.

Well, okay then, let's serve.

Can you grab those two and take them out?

Up by table seven.

This is exciting.

She loves our food. Anna Garza loves our food.

- Looks like we pulled it off. - We did it.

- Hey, congrats, hermanita. - Hey. Thank you.

I-I could not have done it without you.

No, you couldn't, and when you get a new job from this

and you're finally able to open up a place of your own,

I expect a job as your full-time barista?

- Deal. I love you. - Oi.

I love you, too. I'll see you at home, okay?

Thank you.

Oh, thank you.

Guess we have a new dynamic dinner duo.

I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding.

I'm glad you two could pull it off.

Carmen, you're an incredible chef

and it was a pleasure working with you today.

Thank you. I really appreciate that, Ben. Same to you.

Thanks for all your help today, man.

Look at you two! The stars of the night.

The menu was a massive hit.

All the guests are raving about it.

Anna.

I was just telling the chefs the good news.

Let me introduce you to Carmen and Jax.

Anna Garza. Pleasure.

It's so nice to meet you, Ms. Garza.

Oh, please, call me Anna. And congrats.

I truly enjoyed your entire menu.

You two are both very talented.

Wow, thank you, Anna. That means the world coming from you.

It really was a lovely event, you did not disappoint.

Thank you so much. It was good to see you.

See you. Bye.

So listen, we've already had several restaurant owners

and investors inquiring about you two this evening.

We are so proud of you both, I can't wait to see

where your careers are by this time next year.

The possibilities are going to be endless. Just wait and see.

And I have to admit, I'm not surprised at all.

I didn't doubt you two for one single moment.

And after we tasted your dishes tonight,

we realized what your other dishes were missing.

Your hearts.

But you two put everything

into tonight's plates.

It really showed.

Thank you both so very much.

Oh, thank you! We are so happy.

It truly was an honor.

- Let's go. - Bye.

We did it!

- You are amazing. - Thank you, Jax.

We did forget to cross one thing off our list, though.

- What's that? - Well...

I mean, I know we had discussed finding a, uh,

well, a tree-topper, so I thought maybe...

Really, a mistletoe?

Feliz navidad, Carmen.

Merry Christmas, Jax.