Love on the Menu

This is how it's done, Hallmark. Good Job! When you have two engaging and attractive leads who are good actors and have good chemistry, it already puts it far ahead of the majority of Hallmark offerings. Bravo Autumn Reasor and Kavon Smith. Add an interesting inside look at restaurant goings on and a agreeable restaurant (and chef) makeover plot and you have a definite winner. Kudos for the beautiful and authentic food photography. The love story built slowly and realistically. The leads did not have silly misunderstandings or antics. When there was a bit of conflict at the end, it was resolved quickly with a very nice grovelling scene and a deserved abject apology. There was a tough boss who turned quite evil at the climax for some drama and tension.

I also want to compliment the wonderful young actress who played our hero's teenage daughter. Jordyn Ashley Olson is lovely and a very promising young actress.

I only mark it down for two aspects. The gourmet breakfasts that our chef-hero cooked for his daughter and were meanly rebuffed by her were so over the top, the scenes were cringe-inducing. Also, the ending was a little sudden and needed another scene to tie the loose ends up nicely. Maybe they are planning a sequel. I'm in.

Hallmark has really cornered the market in widows & widowers - but that aside, this was a good played-out movie with excellent acting & chemistry from the 2 leads. The story flowed really well & the interactions of Autumn Reeser & Kavan Smith as they gradually got to know each other, didn't feel rushed or too corny. Autumn's boss's character seemed a bit too one-dimensional pantomime villain for me,.I think a sequel would be good as it'd be good to see them pair up together again.

Kavan Smith ! what's not to like ? he makes the perfect boyfriend - attractive, funny and a smile to die for. Oh and he can act too ! Have seen him in several Hallmark films and he's delivered without making the script cheesy. Shame he hasn't been picked up by the mainstream studios.

Why do Hallmark insist on their scriptwriters having to refer to 'heart' all the time ? Cook with 'heart', write with 'heart', create with 'heart'. If I cooked. wrote or created with my 'heart' it wouldn't be worth eating, reading or looking at !!! Here in the UK we laugh at anything like that, we roll our eyes and say "really?"

Actually two things make this movie enjoyable and the cast is one of those things.

I've commented before on how well Kavan Smith works with Pascale Hutton, but in this movie he's done it again with a different partner. Smith and Autumn Reeser have great chemistry which really shows.. Their dialogue together is fun. Jordyn Ashley Olson adds a nice bonus as she and Reeser also work well together.

The second thing that makes this enjoyable is related to the first. I enjoy this kind of movie so much more when the lead characters spend time together rather than focusing on what are really side issues like saving the restaurant.

The villain was too vicious which was totally unnecessary.

Nice last line.

Just charming , maybe, as each mix of love and Italian food. It has many familiar details, it is the modern version of fairy tale but you feel good seeing it. The explanation - inspired manner to use the secondary themes. From single parent to the noble cause of a woman for career, from the dialogue to the humor and a sort of honesty about ordinary things out of sparkles frame. Short, just a charming romance .