A self taught cook lands a job at her idol's restaurant, but when she and the executive chef land in hot water, they'll cook up more than just recipes!
Plot summary and other info
"When an aspiring chef lands an assistant job at her idol’s restaurant, she's convinced her big break is just around the corner. After a rocky start, she befriends the handsome executive chef and they begin bonding in the kitchen. But her joy is short lived when she discovers her idol’s stealing her recipes and fires them both to protect her secret. Together, they set out to create their own pop up restaurant and discover the most important ingredient is love."
Released in 2017 as part of Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Valentine's Day programming, "A Dash of Love" stars Jen Lilley and Brendan Penny.
Warning, spoilers ahead!
My Thoughts
This was somehow both a charming and mediocre Hallmark movie.
There were a few situations in the movie that had me scratching my head, but then the last 30 minutes just lost me.
Jen Lilley plays Nikki, a self taught cook who's big dream is to become a chef and open her own restaurant.
With the help of her roommate, Nikki lands a job at a local upscale restaurant as an assistant to her idol and restaurant owner Holly Hanson.
Once Holly realizes that Nikki's unique cooking style is delicious (she does things like put cinnamon candy in chili), she allows Nikki to use the kitchen after hours.
Unbeknownst to Nikki, this is so Holly can secretly record Nikki in the kitchen and steal all of her recipes.
The premise is good! I just wish it would have been executed a bit differently, especially the last 30 minutes or so.
Brendan Penny plays, Paul, the restaurants creatively stifled executive chef who forms a friendship with Nikki.
I'll probably get get pushback for this, but I really didn't buy the chemistry between Paul and Nikki. To me they seemed more like friends instead of love interests.
Holly ends up firing them for having a "date" in the restaurant after hours and while Nikki is in the back office collecting her things, she notices not only all of her recipes but a secretly recorded video of her cooking. She realizes that Holly has stolen all of her recipes.
In an act of defiance and perhaps desperation, Nikki and Paul decide to open up a 3 day restaurant pop-up over Valentine's Day weekend so that they can release Nikki's recipes before Holly does.
What unfolds in the following 30 minutes is just a hot mess in my opinion. Here's a quick recap...
Paul gets mad at Nikki for inviting his parents to the opening night of the pop-up restaurant and storms off while the restaurant is still full of customers. (Big eye roll from me about why Paul and his dad don't get along.)
Upset that all the food critics in town are at the pop-up restaurant, Holly shows up at the restaurant and loudly tells one of the critics that Nikki stole all of the recipes and that she's a fraud. Not only does Nikki not stand up for herself, but none of her friends say anything either!
In a unilateral decision, Nikki decides to close the pop-up for the remaining two nights and doesn't bother to tell Paul about it.
The next day, Paul is still stewing over his parents being at the restaurant and finds out that his friends forgot to tell him that Holly made a scene at the pop-up restaurant after he left and that Nikki has closed the pop-up.
Don't worry though, all of Nikki's dreams come true and the movie is tied up in a very quick, messy bow.
Most memorable line
"A lie only runs until it's taken over by the truth."
Final rating
I feel like there was so much potential to make this a fun, interesting movie. Unfortunately I just can't get past the ending.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 2.
What did you think of "A Dash of Love"? Let me know in the comments below.
If you're in the mood for more Hallmark Valentine's Day movies, check out these reviews first!
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