1. Five Dollar Shake (Pulp Fiction)
Photo courtesy of Miramax Pictures
Pulp Fiction has achieved ultimate cult film status and so has a particular dish–or rather, beverage–for that matter. Uma Thurman’s blunt-bobbed character orders the five dollar shake at Jack Rabbit Slim’s before the movie’s infamous dance scene between Thurman and John Travolta. Even die-hard Pulp fans are left wondering what the ingredients of the shake are. Our guess? A flavorful mix of ice cream, milk and a dash of vanilla.
“Did you order a five dollar shake?”
“Sure did.”
“A shake? Milk and ice cream?”
Honorable Mention: The movie’s Royale with Cheese—Travolta and Samuel Jackson exchange a playful banter while driving to their next mission, with one explaining to the other that in France, a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder is called a “Royale with Cheese,” since they only understand the metric system.
2. Ratatouille (Ratatouille)
Photo courtesy of Disney
A Disney film that has both charmed our imaginations and our stomachs. Ratatouille centers on Remy, a Parisian rat who dreams of becoming a chef. In the film, Remy cooks ratatouille for a food critic, which immediately brings the food critic back to his childhood in the French countryside.
The eponymous dish of the film, which originates in Southern France, is a vegetable-based stew that is usually cooked in oil. The vegetables commonly used in the dish include zucchini, peppers, tomatoes or eggplants. The dish is versatile; it can be served hot or cold.
“Ratatouille. It’s like a stew, right? Why do they call it that? If you’re gonna name a food, you should give it a name that sounds delicious. Ratatouille doesn’t sound delicious. It sounds like ‘rat’ and ‘patootie.’ ‘Rat patootie!’ Which does not sound delicious.”
3. Courtesan au Chocolat (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight
In traditional Wes Anderson fashion, The Grand Budapest Hotel tells the story of a now-decrepit hotel in its heyday. The hotel’s concierge, Monsieur Gustave H., embarks on a journey with his lobby boy, Zero, to prove his innocence for a murder he did not commit.
Zero’s girlfriend, Agatha, works at Mendl’s Bakery, famous for its courtesan au chocolat, a desert comprised of cream-filled profiteroles glazed with chocolate. When Zero and Gustave are in prison, Agatha hides weapons inside of the dessert during one of her visits. The dynamic duo are then able to escape from prison and continue their journey.
“Excuse me. Have you seen a pastry girl with a package under her arm in the last minute and a half?”
4. Spaghetti and Meatballs (Lady and the Tramp)
Photo courtesy of Disney
Perhaps the most well-known couple in animated movie history, Lady and Tramp have won both our hearts and our stomachs in what is now an iconic cinema moment. The pups slurp away at a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, solidifying their love for each other and making us swoon in the process. It truly is puppy love.
Though spaghetti and meatballs is an iconic and staple Italian dish, over the years it has become synonymous with this Disney classic. The scene proves that all you need for a romantic night is a red checkered tablecloth, some candles and a heaping bowl of pasta.
“Aha, okay. Hey, Joe! Butch-a he say he wants-a two spaghetti speciale, heavy on the meats-a ball…now, here you are-a, the best-a spaghetti in-a town.”
5. Chocolate Cake (Matilda)
Photo courtesy of TriStar Pictures
The story of Matilda is one filled with neglectful parents, terrible teachers and a girl genius with a knack for reading. Matilda, with her wit and cunning personality, has served as a kind of spirit animal for generations of young girls.
Matilda’s classmate, Bruce, is punished in front of their class for stealing and eating a piece of chocolate cake from the office of the cruel Trunchbull. Bruce’s punishment? To eat an entire chocolate cake (to be honest, this doesn’t seem like much of a punishment to us). He perserveres and finishes the dessert to the shouts and rallies of his fellow classmates.
“Cake. CHOCOLATE cake. You slithered like a serpent into the school kitchen and ate my personal snack!”
“My mom’s is better.”