My New Film Project: The Real Kitchen
I’m knee-deep into writing my Paul Pope graphic novel adaptation, and we’re prepping for a big announcement soon. In the interim, between writing and working on wider distribution / publicity for Lilith I’ve been working on pre-production for a documentary that I am producing and directing to be shot here in Chicago in October / November.
The doc is about three chefs who operate a small bodega-style take out restaurant in Chicago called Real Kitchen. The restaurant is located in a nondescript strip mall a block-and-a-half from where I live, and it’s placed right between a fast food pizza chain and a Subway sandwich shop. They’ve been in operation for about eight months and I’ve gotten to know the chefs quite well over time. They make just about everything from soup and sandwiches to take-home dinners, fresh pasta, and an array of pastries and desserts.
So what’s the big deal, you say? This is where things get interesting. The three chefs - Nick Schmuck, Shannon Dudas and pastry chef Andrea Correa all hail from some of the finest Michelin-starred kitchens in the world, including Charlie Trotters, North Pond, El Bulli in Spain and Noma in Copenhagen (the latter two restaurants have been named the number one restaurants in the world). My curiosity was piqued - what are these three chefs, who could easily walk into any acclaimed fine dining restaurant in the world and make a healthy living, doing in a low-rent strip mall making sandwiches and cupcakes in a not-so-hot part of Chicago? After I got to know the chefs, I asked them that very question, and from their heartfelt answers a fascinating idea for a documentary was born. What these three do is so much more than just about food.
Three fascinating culinary artists: Shannon, Nick and Andrea
In the fall I’m going to be spending about 10-14 days in the restaurant, collecting stories of the chefs and the food that they make. As for the food itself, it’s simply spectacular. A BLT becomes a work of art in the hands of Shannon Dudas, transforming into Pork Belly with Corn, Smoked Tomato Jam, Pickled Cippolinis, and Arugula (see pic below). Andrea Correa makes insane cupcakes like spicy cinnamon with macerated cherries, and she’s a master of all things containing passion fruit. Nick’s dinner entrees pull off the near-impossible feat of being comforting and delicate at the same time. And best of all, Real Kitchen makes it affordable. I can buy a crappy five dollar footlong at the Subway next door, or I can get a work of culinary sandwich art at Real Kitchen for $6.50. There’s no comparison, and maybe for once a local restaurant will put a chain out of business.
Real Kitchen’s Pork Belly BLT - I’ll never eat at Subway again.
I’m super excited about this film, as it combines several passions of mine into one - food, film, entrepreneurship, community and even music. I’ll be updating the progress on the film in the coming weeks and we’ll even get into a few how-to’s on documentary filmmaking. This is my first documentary film, so it’ll be an education for all of us. All I pray for is that I don’t get fat making it!
Andrea Correa’s insane White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cake. Stuff of gods.
You can follow the changing weekly menu at Real Kitchen’s Facebook or Twitter. It’s gorgeous stuff, do check them out!
