One unlucky evening, Louis Cropa, a part-time bookmaker, discovers that his restaurant has become a hotbed of conflicting characters. In addition to having to please a whiny food critic, Louis must fend off a hostile takeover from a pair of gangsters, to whom his sous-chef is in debt. Further, Louis has an argument with his son, the star chef, whose culinary creativity has brought success to the business.
Fiery energy, swift, character-driven chitchat and a tough, upbeat sense of how the world works.
– F.X. Feeney,
L.A. Weekly,
20 Jan 2003
fresh:
There are enough plots here to challenge a Robert Altman, specialist in interlocking stories, but the director, Bob Giraldi, masters the complexities as if he knows the territory.
– Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun-Times,
18 Jan 2002
fresh:
Benefits enormously from Aiello's down-to-earth magnificence.
– Mick LaSalle,
San Francisco Chronicle,
28 Dec 2001
rotten:
It's not Big Night, but there's much worth tasting here.
– Moira MacDonald,
Seattle Times,
21 Dec 2001
fresh:
Dinner Rush has the attention to frantic detail and hustling spirit that adds necessary sizzle to restaurant films.