Quentin Tarantino’s films are perhaps most famous for the disparate elements they manage to juggle. They’re masterclasses in visual style, dialog, costuming, violence-as-metaphor, violence-as-just-regular-violence, and overall atmosphere. Among the many running themes of Tarantino’s oeuvre is food as a device to reflect the power dynamic between two parties or, at the very least, to bring people together to move the story forward. In the Tarantino-verse, it’s over meals that plots are hatched, interrogations go down, and the very nature of morality is pontificated upon.
Tarantino has spoken about his use of food to underscore power dynamics before. From SS Colonel Hans Landa using strudel as an interrogation technique to Jules Winnfield taking the bite right out of the middle of someone else’s half-eaten burger, characters in Tarantino films often mark their territory by claiming food or forcing food on one another. Other times, food is an equalizer. There’s a real sense of camaraderie in sharing a bowl of stew in a snowbound cabin, enjoying the wonders of a $5 milkshake, or bullshitting at a diner about life, tipping, and Madonna’s sexual proclivities.
All of this is to say, food in Tarantino’s films feel present and supremely relevant, no matter which era the stories are set it. So to celebrate the director’s latest opus, Once Upon A Time In … Hollywood, we decided to rank our 12 favorite foods from his catalog. These are the dishes presented on-screen; the food we legitimately want to eat. Sadly, as much as we desperately long to try Teriyaki Donuts there’s no food actually identified in that scene. So the amazing Jackie Brown didn’t make our list.
12. Bill’s Sandwich in Kill Bill Vol. 2
Learning about death is a crucial element to growing up. That rite of passage is often through the loss of a beloved pet like, say, a goldfish. We’re dealing with that and ham sandwiches here. Bill, an assassin wrangler, is making sandwiches while he informs The Bride of their young daughter’s dalliances with piscicide. These aren’t Spanglish-level best-sandwich-in-the-world affairs. This is a simple-yet-comforting white bread sandwich that hits that perfect note of nostalgia and accessibility.
Let’s break it down: Bill starts with standard white American bread — Bimbo to be exact. Then he adds a slice of American cheese followed by a slice of Swiss. With two cheese slices as a base, we’re already super on board with this sandwich. Next comes a slice of turkey followed by a slice of ham. This isn’t deli-level quality either. It’s clear these meats and cheeses came out of a grocery store package. Finally, Bill uses his massive chef’s knife to apply Best Foods mayo and yellow mustard.
We know this sandwich isn’t going to win any awards. But, damn, if it doesn’t take us back to the halcyon days of our youth — back when moms or dads would throw together something exactly like this and give it to us with a side of neon orange Goldfish.
11. White Cake in Django Unchained
If slaveowner Calvin Candie’s teeth are any indication, the man eats way too much of this cake. However, Leonardo DiCaprio’s line reading of “white cake?” with an h-heavy emphasis on the “wh-” is inspired. It sends a shiver down your spine in a way that makes you not want to eat what looks like a delicious piece of, check’s notes, triple (!) layer cake.
So why, then, is this ranked so low? Well, as good as it looks, does anyone really want to eat food prepared via forced servitude? That feels very, very wrong. It shouldn’t be a controversial statement in 2019 to say, “no, I’ll pass on the food made by the slaves.”
In fact… there’s far too much food still produced through slavery today. Maybe we should avoid those foods too.
10. Diner Pancakes & Sausages with a Strawberry Shake in Reservoir Dogs
Diners are a central hang out in much of Tarantino’s early work. His first film, Reservoir Dogs, opens with an iconic diner scene where a robbery crew shoots the shit before a heist. And, while that scene is worth mentioning, food is not the focus. Madonna and then the politics of tipping are at play.
The food scene we want to take part in is later in the film when Tim Roth’s (spoiler alert) undercover cop meets his handler in a diner to give him an update on his progress infiltrating the heist crew. Freddie is there to let Detective Holdaway know what’s going down while the cop eats a late-night breakfast.
We have a pretty strong respect for a breakfast order this big in the middle of the night. Holdaway is eating a plate of four large pancakes with sausages on the side and he’s ordered a large strawberry milkshake. That’s a power move and enough carbs to put just about anyone into a food coma. Tarantino characters don’t F with Ambien.
9. Durward Kirby Burger (Bloody) in Pulp Fiction
It’s hard to beat a good burger. Pulp Fiction has two burgers that look damn fine. This one makes the list simply because who doesn’t want to order a burger named after a comedy TV legend at a faux-50s diner from a Buddy Holly impersonator? Just me? Oh, okay then.
Let’s take a closer look at this burger. First of all, it’s goddamn big. That’s a large sesame bun and a hefty patty. You know there’s a decent, bespoke burger sauce in there too. Next, all the toppings are on the side. This needs to come back. If someone doesn’t want the pickle or the onion or the tomato, you know what, don’t put it on your burger then. It alleviates patrons having to list off a bunch of bullshit special requests for the waiter to write down and cooks to deal with behind the scenes. Burger-toppings-on-the-side for the win.
Still… we do have to ask, why is there a watermelon wedge on top of history’s largest-ever slice of red onion? The watermelon sitting on that red onion is going to absorb those flavors and be useless as a snack. Certainly, it can’t be meant as a burger topping, right? Get it together, Jack Rabbit Slim’s.
8. Breakfast Muffin and Pancakes & Bacon in Pulp Fiction
Alright, there’s a lot of great food in Pulp Fiction. In the climactic scene of the film, Jules and Vincent share breakfast after witnessing a miracle/freak occurrence wherein they were not shot during a briefcase retrieval. Life, morality, God are all discussed. But so is pork.
While Jules picks at his muffin, Vincent tucks into a healthy plate of pancakes with what looks like a double side of bacon. A quick note: This pancake scene ranks higher than Reservoir Dogs’ simply because bacon is a far superior side to pancakes than sausage links. Anyway, Vincent politely offers Jules some bacon as he has a surplus on his plate. Jules refuses. Vincent then asks Jules if he’s Jewish while buttering his pancakes, to which Jules replies, “Nah, man, I just don’t dig on swine. That’s all.”
You know what, just watch the scene yourself. Religious beliefs aside here, we have to agree with Vincent — bacon and pork chops do, indeed, taste “goooood.”
7. Sushi in Kill Bill Vol. 1
We originally ranked this much, much higher based on two things. One, the omakase approach to sushi looks phenomenal here. The atmosphere of a tiny and seemingly locals-only Okinawa hole-in-the-wall is perhaps Tarantino’s must wanderlust-inducing setting ever. Two, the look on The Bride’s face when she’s served her first plate sells us. It’s joy tinged with anticipation. Yes, we know she’s acting the tourist to curry Hanzo’s favor. But still, that fish looks incredibly fresh.
But there’s a wrinkle. In Kill Bill Vol. 2, when The Bride confronts Bill in Mexico with her Hanzo steel, Bill smashes any illusion of Hanzo’s sushi prowess. As he inspects the sword he asks The Bride with a bit of a scoff, “Has his sushi gotten any better?” And, damn it, suddenly all pretense of putting this cool omakase sushi up near the top of the list is crushed.
If nothing else, we’re in for Hanzo’s sushi simply for the atmosphere of his joint. You can’t put a price tag on that.
6. Jambon de Bastogne Baguette in Inglorious Basterds
Brad Pitt eating in movies is a trope we’re always here for. The dude knows how to eat and act. A great example comes in Inglorious Basterds while he waits for the Bear Jew (Eli Roth) to execute a German soldier in the woods of Belgium. Pitt very nonchalantly noshes on a simple yet divine sandwich.
A freshly baked baguette with a crunchy exterior and cloud-soft interior is a thing of wonder. Then there’s the Jambon de Bastogne. That’s a mildly smoked cured ham, think of a less funky and smokier prosciutto. It’s umami, fatty, and nutty all at the same time. There’s a beautiful moment where Pitt’s Lt. Aldo Raine takes a bite and has to tear through the cured meat to get the bite completely off. That’s real food, made with care, and it looks damn delicious.
For a two-ingredient meal, this one shines as an example of how good something can be when both elements are spot on.
5. Stew in The Hateful Eight
The Hateful Eight is full of subterfuge, poisoned coffee, and racial politics from start to finish. The road-movie-turned-snowbound-cabin-fever-play has a long scene built around a rabble of criminals, a bounty hunter, and travelers eating and chatting over big bowls of delicious-looking stew.
Again, this one is seemingly a simple meal. But a couple of things make it stand out. First, it looks deeply nourishing. It’s also piping hot, which is exactly what you’d need during a whiteout blizzard in a cabin. Another nuance: there are no cows around that cabin. Meaning that stew is 100 percent made with wild game — venison, maybe some bear, possibly even cougar. Plus, everyone seems to really enjoy digging in while they dialog around the table.
The stew also has a good mix of carrots and potatoes along with a deep brown gravy base. There’s no way this pick isn’t as delicious as it is warming.
4. Five Dollar Shake in Pulp Fiction
We have to say, five dollars doesn’t seem that crazy a price for a milkshake anymore. Even looking at inflation, a $5 shake in 1994 is still only $8 today. Though, for that price, it would a lot cooler if it had bourbon in it.
The main reason this ranks so high is the response it elicits. Vincent’s shocked and satisfied reaction — “God damn! This is a pretty-fucking-good milkshake.” — is all we need to know to want to try one too. Right now.
3. Big Kahuna Burger in Pulp Fiction
The Big Kahuna Burger definitely ranks higher than the Durwood, simply based on that damn onion slice. But, also, this fast food burger looks legitimately flavorful.
A soft Hawaiian roll bun, iceberg, ketchup, American cheese just melted, and what looks like a smashed patty. It’s simple, local fast-food chain fare with an old-school theme-restaurant vibe. We’d like to imagine the founders of The Big Kahuna Burger stumbled into a Tiki bar, got wasted on Moonrakers and Zombies, then decided that “Hawai’i” was the perfect concept for their decidedly not-Hawaiian-in-anyway burger stand.
The kicker, Jules seems genuinely enthused by the “tasty burger.” It feels real to the character and the moment that, yes, this is really a solid fast food burger that, in 2019, people would probably argue about ceaselessly on the internet. Would it compare with In-N-Out? Five Guys?
2. Bar Nachos in Death Proof
A great plate of nachos is hard to beat. The mix of textures and flavors all tied together with mounds of melted cheese is comfort food turned up to eleven.
What makes this one stand out is Stuntman Mike’s enthusiastic two-handed approach to eating these nachos. We choose to believe that they’re so good that he can’t shovel them into his mouth fast enough.
So what do we have on this roadhouse plate of nachos? Corn tortilla chips (probably out of a big Costco-sized bag), melted yellow and white cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, black olives, and ground meat. It’s not fancy but it 100-percent gets the job done. It’s messy, gooey, and looks like the perfect accompaniment to a light beer and some blues on the jukebox.
1. Apple Strudel with Crème in Inglorious Basterds
This is an amazing scene in a movie full of amazing scenes. It’s also one of the better food-used-as-power scenes put to film in the 21st century.
The condensation of SS Colonel Landa’s almost disbelief that the French are capable of making apple strudel is palpable — “It’s not so terrible.” His insistence on ordering Shoshana a glass of milk and then so politely yet firmly making her wait for the crème he “forgot” to order. It’s incredibly tense and only works because the strudel actually looks delightful.
Finally, there’s a moment when Shoshana actually takes a bite and you get a raw sensory reaction breaking through her granite exterior, indicating that “wow, this is a tasty pastry.” It’s a slight and instant widening of the eyes, offering up the only honest emotion to alight her face in the whole scene. In essence, this scene has it all: Tarantino’s deft filmmaking hand, comedy, tragedy, and tension all built around amazing food.
