At the movies with Chef Mavro

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Chef George Mavrothalassitis, also known as Chef Mavro, and his wife Donna Jung, hosted a private screening Monday evening of the film Julie & Julia. The event was a who’s who of the Honolulu foodie/culinary set. We spotted chefs Alan Wong and Ed Kenney and local food writers Betty Shimabukuro and our own Wanda Adams, plus of course team Mavro. The movie, which is a two-in-one tale about the life of Julia Child before she mastered French cooking and the story of a woman who uses Child as inspiration to kick start her dull life, is charming, entertaining and inspirational. But don’t watch it on an empty stomach. It’s chock full of amazing-looking food. After the show we were dying for some boeuf bourguignon (the dish plays a prominent role in the film) but alas, it’s scarce in this city. We ended up at Side Street Inn eating escargot and sauteed mushrooms swimming in butter and garlic. Not purely French fare, but it hit the spot.

P.S. To the good folks at Side Street Inn: If the sauteed mushroom came with a basket of crusty bread to soak up all the garlicky buttery stuff, it would be extra awesome. Thanks.

Julie & Julia opens August 7 and it really is a wonderful movie. Meryl Streep as Julia Child is spot-on — she's all falsetto and clumsy and endearing. Here's a trailer for the film: