Every time I doomscroll on TikTok, my algorithm is chock full of videos of the hottest restaurants, cafes, bars and pop-ups in New York City. It’s almost overwhelming — sometimes I bookmark these places, but most of the time I just can’t keep up, and there rarely comes a time when I see something on my phone and think, “I absolutely have to go.” That is until I came across a vlog of people eating gourmet spaghetti and meatballs while watching “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”
The concept is simple yet genius — food and film together. If an American fine dining establishment and an AMC DINE-IN Theatre had a baby, you would get Fork n’ Film.
With locations across the country in New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago and London, Fork n’ Film hosts immersive culinary events for viewers to enjoy chef-curated dishes inspired by the themes of classic films. When co-founders Francesca Duncan and Nicholas Houston binge watched movies while self-isolating in 2020, they thought it’d be interesting to eat food related to the scenes as they screened. They then had an epiphany that made their company what it is today: “films should be more than just watched, they should be lived.”
A showing at Fork n’ Film is like a well-oiled machine. In an exclusive look before one of the company’s “Home Alone” showings at the Hotel Park Avenue in NoMad, I got to see the kitchen prepare the night’s eight-course service. From the brazenly swift movements and orderly communication among chefs to the endless amount of appetizers, entrees and desserts popping out of different stations, the kitchen staff emulated an environment no different than a top New York City restaurant. Instead of being connected to a dining room, however, the kitchen is connected to Fork n’ Film’s very own makeshift movie theater.
The pre-screening ambience was intimate yet animated. Dim lighting, a live classical ensemble playing in the background, servers introducing themselves, blackberry cocktails and champagne in hand, the room buzzing with conversation — everyone was ready for a true gastronomic adventure. Quite the sophisticated setting for a screening of “Home Alone,” of all movies.
As the screening kicked off, I was immediately captivated by the presentation of the first course — an arugula salad called “Season’s Greetings.” While the arugula, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil and balsamic glaze were nothing extraordinary, I smiled when I realized that the salad’s shape and red-white-and-green color scheme resembled the Santa Claus wreath found on the McCallister family’s front door.
Next came the Snowflake Shovel Sipper, a liquid nitrogen-infused cocktail with spiced rum, pineapple juice, coconut milk, coconut flakes, Monin almond syrup and Monin white chocolate syrup. It was a showstopper, needless to say. The pineapple and coconut flavors made for an ultra-sweet mixture, acting as a good mask for the strength of the liquor. Given that I had already been served two drinks before the screening even started, I found it a bit odd that the second course was another drink. But hey, I’m not complaining.
The third course came with real food — pizza. This came just in time, as I was in desperate need of carbs from all the drinking, and since I had barely eaten during the day. But before opening the dainty little cardboard box, I took a second to admire its festive design. The words “Fork n’ Film” used the same bubbly lettering as the Little Nero’s Pizza box in the movie when Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) gets a pizza delivered. Although the pizza itself was pretty average, I still appreciated the attention to such tiny details.
The greatest surprise was being served dessert midway through the meal. Dubbed the Junk N’ Rubbish Sundae, this masterful dish was filled with vanilla bean gelato, chocolate drizzle, marshmallows and maraschino cherries presented in a bright red ramekin with drips intentionally melting down the porcelain. The gelato was pleasantly thick and creamy, and the blowtorched marshmallows provided a great toastiness to offset the overall sweetness. I felt exactly like Kevin when he was gorging himself on a massive bowl of ice cream.
Next, the Firecracker Pot Roast was tender and sizzling, juicy and fragrant. What more could you want in beef short rib? Call me crazy, but I also ate the pearl onions that came with the other root vegetables in the dish. With each component soaked in the smoky demi-glace, this pot roast was just too addicting.
The last three courses were Christmas-themed and came out around the same time as Kevin’s family was rushing home for Christmas morning. The last cocktails of the night, the Christmas Tree Cosmo and Spiked Eggnog were rather strong for my taste. Five drinks in, it’s safe to say I was feeling warm and jolly.
The Christmas Eve Mac ‘n’ Cheese and Santa’s Sweet Bites were wonderful palate cleansers. The M&M cookies and reindeer carrot meringue were too dry and crumbly for my liking, but the kitchen redeemed itself by being generous with the chunks of lobster meat in the mac ‘n’ cheese. It was the perfect drunk food to end the evening.
While the portions were objectively small, each dish had a stellar balance of components, whether it was just the right amount of short rib not to stuff yourself too much or the right amount of chocolate syrup to give the ice cream some extra depth. The service was also excellent — as soon as I would finish a dish, my server would switch it out and effortlessly hand me the next course as the corresponding “Home Alone” scene played.
I have a confession: I had never actually watched “Home Alone” before attending this showing, and looking back now, I’m glad I didn’t. Fork N’ Film successfully delivered on its mission during my visit — not only did I get to watch the movie, but I got to taste it.
Contact Andrea Lui at [email protected].
