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new chef arrived.
    Mimi sat at the counter, and I set out cups of chai. “Sit,” I told Wendy Fontaine, dressed in her white baker’s jacket, colorful cotton pants, and cherry red rubber clogs. “I need your professional opinion.”
    They tasted, debated, retasted, and opined. The verdict? Different enough to offer both.
    â€œSo. Now,” Mimi said. “Let’s see the film festival menu.” The reason for our meeting.
    Wendy opened her three-ring binder. “Thursday night is the reception in the Playhouse lobby for donors and sponsors, followed by the kids’ documentary. It’s an upscale night, so the appetizers and desserts will be fancier than our usual fare. Paddlefish caviar on crostini—Max cures the roe himself. Goat cheese on salted olive crisps.”
    I love it when Wendy talks dirty.
    â€œVegetable platters—fresh, roasted, and pickled,” she continued, “Crostini of zucchini,
scamorza
—that’s smoked mozzarella—and bacon.”
    I groaned.
    â€œChocolate
mollieux
and raspberry panna cotta for dessert. Sparkling wine, and the usual other beverages.”
    Heavenly.
    â€œIf there’s a movie theme in there, I don’t get it,” Mimi said.
    It doesn’t take much to get Wendy’s Jell-O up. (As kids, we called her Wendy the Witch, conveniently forgetting that cartoon Wendy was a good witch.) And for all Mimi’s experience in the restaurant biz, tact does not top her talent list.
    â€œWe did agree to go for a bit of glamour Thursday night, and focus on the classic movie theater experience the other nights. Then Sunday, by reservation only, the Oscar-themed dinner at the Inn.” I laid my hand on Wendy’s notebook. “Lovely as all this sounds, I think we can figure out easy appetizers with a movie tie-in.”
    After several more rounds of chai and debate, we had a plan. To honor
Julie and Julia,
canapés au Camembert. For
Ratatouille
, crostini topped with what else? A ratatouille of eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes. And for
Chocolat
, oh, the options! We settled on éclairs, for fun and ease of service—no forks required.
    â€œBut what about
Tampopo
?” Another challenge, andanother debate. Ramen bowls were the obvious choice for the noodle Western, and impossible.
    â€œWontons,” Mimi suggested.
    â€œThose are Chinese,” Wendy reminded her. “Chicken satay skewers are always popular.”
    â€œThai,” I said. “I know—sushi!” We settled on two varieties of rolls: tuna, and crab and avocado.
    â€œAnd for
Babette’s Feast
,” Wendy said, “we can make the crostini with paddlefish roe.”
    â€œUhhhh, sorry. Christine decided we had too many French films, so we switched to
Big Night
. Two brothers from Italy try to save their failing restaurant in New York.” I had to hurry before Wendy exploded. “How about
arancini
? Fried rice balls are easy and popular, and if you add sun-dried tomatoes to the filling, they won’t need a sauce.”
    Mollified, she made a few notes and we wrapped up the menu. I’d already talked to Donna Lawson, the liquor store owner, who’d agreed to supply the drinks. Friday and Saturday, we’d offer free movie popcorn. In the concession stand, the kids would sell cookies donated by Le Panier: Junior Mints sandwich cookies, already a hit in the bakery, and Wendy’s and her assistant’s latest obsession, iced cookies.
    â€œI picked shapes to go with the movies. Old cars. The Eiffel Tower. A cowboy hat—that ties
Tampopo
to Montana. And Oscar—the statue, not the grouch—iced in gold.” She opened a bakery box and laid out samples.
    â€œAlmost too amazing to eat.”
But not quite
. I nibbled a wheel off a race car.
    â€œIt’s practice for the Sugar Show, at Cookie Con. My assistant’s teaching a class on icing, and I’m giving a workshop on presentation.