Tuesday, July 10, 2007

I Like Killing Flies



Being a self-professed food enthusiast (or foodie, if you will), I like to not only cook, bake and eat but also read, write, chat and think about food. An obsession? That's an understatement in my family. There was a short article in Gourmet magazine a few months ago about what they think are the best food-related movies and "I Like Killing Flies" is one of them.

"I Like Killing Flies" is an independent documentary about the unique, family-operated Greenwich Village restaurant, Shopsin's. Specifically, the film follows the eccentric patriarch and cook, Kenny, who is more interesting than many fictional characters. Profanity-laced and surprisingly peppered with many intelligent analogies and thoughts, this documentary was a lot of fun to watch. Kenny is as likely to serve someone one of his butter-laden, delicious creations as to throw customers out of his eatery for unconsciously breaking his rules.

Kenny's rants on his various philosophies in life are gut-bustingly funny and thoughtful at the same time. Having been used to customers leaving empty plates, he would taste the food on an unfinished plate just in case there's something wrong with his cooking. Weird in many ways, no? The extensive and interesting menu at Kenny's diner is sure to please any taste bud, ranging from mac'n'cheese pancake (yes, you read that right!) to "Blisters in my sisters" (some sort of corn tortilla, egg, veggies and meat concoction). The beautiful shots of the food that Shopsin churns out has made it a definite destination the next time I visit NYC (which isn't that far into the future, actually). Personally, I would like to try the mac'n'cheese pancake out of pure curiosity *haha*

Unfortunately, due to some complications (the nature of which I'm not 100% clear about), Shopsin's had to close down for a few months. Fortunately though, it's scheduled to be reopened by the time I visit the great city *yay* Unlike standard documentaries that aim to "teach" the audience something, this movie was pure enjoyment (okay, okay, I learned not to bring a party of five to Shopsin's!). If you like food and are up for some laughs, this is definitely something you have to watch!

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