I am proud to say that I have been a Gilmore Girls fan forever, and have seen all the episodes on TV. But that did not stop me from re-watching every episode on Netflix my freshman year of college. I have always had a special place in my heart for this show since everyone compares my mom and I to Lorelai and Rory, which is only the greatest compliment one could ever receive. Needless to say this revival has been a long time coming for me along with all the other fans out there.
However, there is one obvious piece of the Stars Hollow family missing from three of thefour of the revival episodes: Chef Sookie St. James. Apparently Sookie is on a sabbatical studying sustainability and agriculture at Blue Hill Farm with Dan Barber. Sookie has always been a supporter of the farm-to table dining style which has gained major popularity in the restaurant industry recently, but this sabbatical has taken her away from the Dragonfly for two years and we are all crying about it.
Sookie doesn’t make an appearance until the very last episode and her presence is definitely missed. However, Gilmore Girls uses the modern idea of “pop-up” restaurants to fill the void in the Dragonfly Inn kitchen until Sookie’s return.
Pop-up restaurants are a food trend that has become very popular in the recent years. A pop-up is basically a restaurant that is only open temporarily; this allows for the chef or pop-up owner to pay less up front for space, equipment, and labor as well as change the menu frequently and test new ideas. They’re a big hit for restaurant-goers who are now looking for a more unique, one of a kind dining experience.
Many Gilmore Girls fans made the trek to pop-up Luke’s Diners around the country before the revival episodes dropped.
Episode 1: Winter
This idea of a pop-up restaurant was also carried out at the Dragonfly Inn while Sookie was away. This allowed Gilmore Girls to use their platform to showcase different chefs. The first chef to attempt a “pop-up” at the inn was Roy Choi, who owns Kogi, a Korean taco food truck based in LA County and Orange County California.
Choi has experienced a huge boom in popularity since the revival dropped on Netflix. It is awesome that Gilmore Girls is using it’s platform to showcase talented chefs, even if Lorelai does not necessarily approve, foodies everywhere definitely appreciate it.
Episode 2: Spring
The second episode features Rachael Ray. Don’t get me wrong I appreciate Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals as much as the next person, but I think the show should have continued the trend of picking chefs that are lesser known, but doing big things in the world of food.
The show had the opportunity to showcase someone with less of a celebrity status than Rachael Ray who could have benefitted more from the publicity. But Rachael didn’t last long at the Dragonfly since no one was eating her “sammies.”
Episode 3: Summer
The third episode features the one and only Luke Danes of Luke’s Diner. Luke looks out of place in the Dragonfly kitchen and unfortunately his diner burgers are not suited for the more classy and sophisticated cuisine at The Dragonfly Inn. Luke is clearly doing Loralei a favor and ya gotta love him for that, but he definitely belongs behind the counter pouring endless cups of coffee in his backwards hat and flannel with his “No Cell Phones” sign.
Lorelei finds faults in each one of the chefs who try to fill Sookie’s shoes for a handful of reasons, which are really just excuses because we all know that no one can take Sookie’s place. According to Loralei, “Anthony Bourdain parked in Sookie’s parking spot, Alice Waters was a little too flighty and April Bloomfield served too much pork.”
None of these chefs compare to the one and only Sookie St. James. The sweet, bubbly, passionate, quirky, wonderful ball of life that is Sookie St. James is greatly missed in the first few episodes and her small appearance in episode four, though welcomed, was not enough for the die hard fans out there.
Episode 4: Fall
Finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Sookie returns to The Dragonfly to make 10 different stunning versions of Loralei’s wedding cake, including one that had every milestone of their lives together; I mean come on, cue the tears. It is the most beautiful reunion you ever did see. Of course she didn’t come empty handed and brought her “magic” fat-free granola” which Michelle was happy to dig into right away.
Turns out that Sookie missed the Dragonfly Inn just as much as it missed her, and her and Loralei fall back into their usual banter and unwavering friendship, as if they haven’t missed a moment. But soon Sookie’s senses pick up on Roy Choi’s abalone and Rachael Ray’s sammies, so the scene ends with Sookie leaving to check if Rachael Ray rearranged her kitchen.
Obviously, Sookie is the only chef suited for The Dragonfly Inn. No one else cares as much about the integrity of the food that is served at the inn than Sookie. She always went above and beyond to make sure that every aspect of the dish was perfect…
Even if it required a little extra agility in the kitchen, usually at the expense of her ripped clothes and burnt fingers.
And how could we forget when she and Jackson slept with the zucchini to keep it warm so it was perfect for the dish she was going to make the next day?
Sookie not only has the skills in the kitchen, but she also has such a strong bond with Lorelei and Rory. Their history together makes it hard for anyone to replace her. She was there for every big moment in Rory and Lorelei’s life, and they were there for hers.
And besides her baked goods, she has always been super relatable. Let’s face it, at one point or another she has said something that we were all thinking.
It goes without saying that Sookie St. James is the real deal in the kitchen and The Dragonfly Inn just isn’t the same without her. But with the revival being over, it is time to say our final goodbyes to the lovely people of Stars Hollow who have stolen our hearts and the chef that stole our stomachs.