Belle's (2012) s01e03 Episode Script

1 [ Phone ringing .]
Belle's.
How can I help you? A reservation? Party of ten? Oh, okay.
And your name is? Dionne Warwick? Um, of course.
And when will you be coming in, Miss Warwick? Monday.
Monday.
Excellent.
I I look forward to seeing you.
Dionne Warwick! [ Laughs .]
Uh! Listen, everybody! - Dionne Warwick is coming with a big party! - Oh! I did hear she was doing a show at The Fox.
- I love Dionne.
- Gladys, I want you to make the most special dinner you've ever made in your life.
Uncle Bill, I know Dionne's a legend and all, but isn't she a little old school to be getting all excited? Oh, listen to me, all of you.
The first dance I ever had with my wife Belle was to a Dionne Warwick song.
It was at our high school prom, and the song was, "I Never Knew Love Before.
" We fell in love that night.
And that was our song, from that time on.
So, when Dionne Warwick shows up here Monday night, I want us to show her our best! Understood? But we're closed on Monday.
Not no more, we ain't.
[ Laughing .]
Now, Dionne Warwick isn't the first big celebrity who ever came to Belle's.
There's been lots.
Grandad told me that one time President Clinton came by when he was running for office.
And that's when President Clinton really ate like President Clinton.
But I don't want you to think that this story is about the night when Dionne Warwick came to Belle's.
It's not.
It's more about the special, one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-served-again dinner my Aunt Gladys made for her.
Jill, I have a problem with table 2.
They're asking questions that I I can't answer.
Oh, okay.
I'll take care of it.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Hi.
I'm Jill, the manager.
How can I help you? We have some questions about the menu.
We're both on special diets, and we were wondering how many calories is there in the chicken fried steak with cream gravy? - Well, um, I - Hi.
Some appetizers.
Compliments of the chef.
Some fried pickles with blue cheese dip and tiny homemade sausage bites.
This is my dad.
He's the owner.
Dad, these nice people have some questions about the menu.
I'm going to leave you in good hands.
I've got some work I've got to do, andYeah.
How may I be of assistance? How many calories are there in the chicken fried steak with the cream gravy? These recipes have been in our family for generations, and we've never really done any chemical analysis.
I thought that was a requirement, by law? Not that I'm aware of.
No.
What's the total amount of fat? - "Total amount of fat"? - Yes, the breakdown of fat in your chicken fried steak batter.
- You know, saturated fat? - Trans fat.
- Polyunsaturated fat.
- And monounsaturated fat.
Let me explain our food philosophy here at Belle's.
We're a family restaurant.
That's why we serve our meals family-style Big, ample portions, cooked with care, and served with love from our family to yours.
We're both on special diets.
I'm on a low-fat, low-carb, low-sodium, - sugar-free diet.
- Hmm.
And I don't eat anything with a face or a mother.
We could fix you a vegetable plate? Fried okra, candied-yams souffle, onion pie with Ritz cracker crust, and spicy fried cabbage.
No face, no mother.
How many carbs would that be? Look, I had a dog who used to eat leftover scraps from this restaurant, and he died of natural causes at 16 years old.
Our doctor says we both have to lose 40 pounds - in the next three months.
- And you came here to start? Are you telling us that there is nothing on this menu for people on a special diet? Here's a thought Let me recommend a little restaurant about three blocks from here.
It's called The Veggie Grill, and they tell me that they do things with tofu, that you'd swear you were eating real food.
This isn't the first time people walked out because they're worried about their diets.
I'm not changing the menu.
We owe it to the community to offer some healthy alternatives A little garden salad with some organic dressings? I hate watching people sift through piles of lettuce looking for something edible.
What about a simple ginger beef stir fry? What are we, Chinese? People want low-calorie meals with the highest concentration of nutrients.
This is a soul food restaurant.
We serve comfort food.
We're here to make people forget their troubles and feel good.
We're like a megachurch that way.
Yeah, but the big sticks of butter, the heavy whipping cream, - and the white flour - Oh, it's worse than you think.
- What do you mean? - I mean this.
- No.
- Lard.
I found it under the sink.
At first, I thought it was an old candle with the wick missing.
I thought Aunt Gladys told you she was going to start cooking with vegetable oil? Oh, she lied.
She's addicted to pig fat.
Just looking at it makes my arteries harden.
Tonight I peeked at her through the banquet room.
Mm-hmm.
She was putting it in everything.
Well, people these days don't want pig in their food.
I know.
But Gladys just can't help herself.
- Well, what are we going to do? - There's only one thing to do.
We'll have to stage an intervention.
The next night after the restaurant closed, the family gathered the chairs in the center of the dining room.
The intervention to get Aunt Gladys off the lard was about to begin.
But don't we need some kind of professional to perform an intervention? I don't think they have that for pig fat.
We are a family, and we can do this ourselves.
Now I know why I put on a few extra pounds not that anybody can tell.
Now just remember, whatever we say, we're going to do it in a calm, non-judgmental, loving way.
- Here she comes.
- Bill: Gladys! Well, hey, family.
What's going on? Listen, have a seat.
We need to talk.
Uh-oh.
Somebody die? Not yet.
Gladys, we want you to know we all love you.
And that we are here for you, Auntie Gladys.
And that we care about you.
And that we will do everything in our power to help you.
Oh, that's so sweet! Thank you very much.
But I've got to get home.
I've got cats to feed.
Gladys, sit down.
Look, the front door is locked, and you're not going anywhere until we finish this.
Somebody want to tell me what's going on? This is an intervention.
And we're here to help you face your addiction to pig fat, and to help you regain control of your life.
- We know you've been using - Maurice! Lovingly.
You've been cooking with lard.
And we all know it.
Maybe just a little, now and then.
A little? We found these all around the kitchen! In the sink, on the light fixtures And two jars hidden at the bottom of a sack of potatoes.
And we found these Fat disguised as bars of soap! Now, I've asked everybody to write down, in their own words, just how your use of lard has impacted this restaurant.
- Loreta, you can go first.
- Daddy? - Bill: Go on.
- Maurice: Why you scared? Hi, Auntie.
[ Clears throat .]
"A couple of weeks ago, a Muslim couple called me over and asked what was in the cream gravy.
Now, I told them milk, egg, heavy cream, and vegetable oil.
" But you didn't use vegetable oil, did you? Okay, so I used melted lard.
So what? We served pork to Muslims! We violated their dietary laws! They could come back and bomb this restaurant! The fact is, Loreta lied to one of our customers.
And you have got to start counting calories when you cook, 'cause it is getting out of hand up in here.
And you've got to start counting vodkas and cranberries when you drink.
Now now, can we be Can we just be a little less judgmental, everybody? - Maurice.
It's your turn.
- Okay.
I never put anything in writing.
[ Clears throat .]
But Last week, Harris Booker came into the bar, and he sat down where he'd usually sit, and he hadn't been there in like a month.
He used to come in every week.
He'd come in, he'd sit down, and he would eat your famous appetizer the fried popcorn shrimp, jalapeño biscuits, and your deep-fried ham bites, and I'm like, "Harris, where you been? I ain't seen you in a long time.
" And that's when he opened up his shirt and he showed me a scar, all the way across his chest from a triple bypass.
And you're blaming me for that? This is not about blame.
Harris Booker's wife left him - for their marriage counselor.
- Jill and Loreta: What?! - That my fault, too? - I knew I saw her Jill?! Jill?! Jill?! It's your turn, baby.
Oh, okay.
[ Clears throat .]
Uh, remember.
Lovingly.
This is a pamphlet from the African-American Council on Health.
Oh, another country heard from.
Okay, well, according to their research, dishes made from lard are a contributing factor to obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, and heart disease.
It says so right here.
Well, according to my research, dear Jill, you haven't had a date in over a year.
We're not talking about my love life! Well, somebody needs to talk about your love life right now.
There's no need to get personal! She's going to get personal with me, I'm going to get personal right back! Gladys, this is about you! Everything you cook with is with lard! I mean, the pie crusts, the meat loaf, - the peas and carrots.
- Peas and carrots? Y'all didn't even tell me about the peas and carrots.
Well, how somebody going to eat some dry-ass peas and carrots? It's peas! And carrots! And what are we supposed to tell the vegetarians? Yeah, vegetarians are people, too! What they don't know don't hurt 'em.
But that's the point! - What they don't know will hurt them! - Easy, Uncle Bill.
You all let me tell you something.
I am a black woman who is proud to say she cooks with pig fat.
I've been cooking with pig fat for thirty years.
My ancestors cooked with pig fat for hundreds of years.
And I'm not about to stop now, for you, you, or anybody else.
So, William Cooper, you might as well give me my keys to the front door right now, because I'm leaving! I'm not coming back! You all can find yourselves another chef! I quit! - Well, can we - Who's going to cook? Shh! She'll be back.
Ah.
I told you.
I forgot my knives.
Maybe this, um intervention thing wasn't such a good idea.
"Maybe"? Sneaking around my kitchen, stealing my lard, spying on me while I cook! Don't think I haven't seen you, night after night, peeking around that corner.
Now, get on out of my way! I'm going for good! There's something I want you to hear first.
What's that? It's what I was going to read to you when it was my turn.
The results of my last blood work.
Glucose monitoring shows that my A1C is 6.
1.
What's A1C? It's this test that shows how well I'm managing my blood sugar.
Now, normal is between 4 and 6.
Mine are elevated.
Which means what? It means I could be pre-diabetic.
- You never told me.
- Look, it's not your fault.
I'm a grown man, and I'm responsible for my own behavior.
I've been cooking for you three meals a day for years, and now look what's happened.
Please don't blame yourself.
Before your Belle died, one of the last things she said to me was, "Gladys, all I'm asking of you is to take care of my William for me.
" Oh, Bill, I'm so sorry! I'm going to be okay.
But I need you to help me.
I will.
I swear.
- That's all I'm asking.
- As God is my witness, - no more pig fat.
- Okay.
Everything's going to be just fine.
The next day, Aunt Gladys went to work redoing all her old recipes.
Everyone was there to lend their moral support, because they knew going cold turkey like that wasn't going to be easy.
There were things my mom had bought that Aunt Gladys had never seen before, let alone cooked with Egg substitute, fat-free canola oil, low-sodium vegetable broth.
Under the watchful eyes of our family, Aunt Gladys had cut down on sugar, butter, white flour, and salt.
She baked the chicken instead of frying it.
For the cream gravy, she used non-fat milk instead of heavy whipping cream.
But above all else that day, she never used one dab of pig fat.
Eeh! [ Sighs .]
The food ain't gonna taste right! It ain't gonna I can't do this! I can't! I can't! I can't! Pam: It was a rough couple of hours.
But by 5:00, there were seven different dishes, each one looking more delicious than the next.
Aunt Gladys had done it.
She had beaten her addiction to lard.
All that remained was to taste the new recipes, and that's when fate stepped in.
Dionne Warwick just walked in! [ Laughs .]
- Oh! Okay! Okay! - Okay! - Hi! - Hi.
- I'm Bill Cooper, the owner.
- Nice to meet you, sir.
I'm Dionne Warwick.
This is my niece Britney.
Hi, it's nice to meet you.
This is my honor.
I I just didn't expect you so soon.
Well, we finished our rehearsal a little early.
I hope it's not an inconvenience for you? Oh, no problem.
We have a seven-course dinner already prepared.
All right now! I But I thought you were coming with a party of ten? Yeah, I was, but unfortunately, my family had other things to do.
I hope that's okay? - It'll be just the two of us.
- That's just fine.
- Uh, let me lead you to your table.
- Thank you.
Since everyone was so excited to see Dionne Warwick, no one told me she was even here.
So, I wasn't around for what happened next.
But Well [ Sighs .]
Why don't you just see for yourself? - Allow me.
- Thank you.
You know I just have to tell you what a - special thrill this is for me.
- Oh? My late wife Belle and I fell in love dancing to one of your songs.
- You did? - Yes.
- What song was that? - "I Never Knew Love Before.
" - Oh.
"Then came you.
" - Yeah.
Ever since I met you, it seems I can't forget you.
The thought of you keeps running through the back of my mind.
[ Laughs .]
Yeah.
- Oh, thank you for that.
- It was my pleasure.
And I'm sure if she were here, she'd thank you, too.
- And I'm sure The Spinners do, too.
- Oh, thank you.
I've heard my grandaddy sing before, mostly in church, and I think he's pretty good.
But when he sang with Dionne Warwick, you could tell he brought an extra something special.
- Bill: Here comes Gladys with the food.
- Oh.
I hope you like family-style, Miss Warwick.
- That's the only style, honey.
- I plated yours special A little taste of everything, and it's on the house.
- Oh, that's even better.
Thank you.
- Enjoy your food.
Thank you.
We've got pecan cheese balls with pepper jelly, green bean casserole, country baked chicken, macaroni & cheese, shrimp and grits, pork chops with cream gravy, and old fashioned cornbread.
Girl, you know I have to sing tonight.
You do know that, don't you? Well, okay, thank you.
Hmm Oh! Britney, I just looked at my watch.
Thank you for your hospitality.
We have a little more rehearsal.
So, thank you so very, very much.
We really appreciate it.
Pam: In five minutes, Dionne Warwick and her niece were out of there quicker than you could say, "Check, please.
" What? You all made me cook this food, now you're going to eat it.
- How's that cholesterol? - Mmm.
Sinking like a rock? And how are those concentrations of nutrients hitting you, my dear? My, my, my! You all are looking younger by the minute! Fortunately for all concerned, the very next day, Aunt Gladys suffered a relapse and was once again cooking like she had her entire life.
[ Mouthing words .]
Pam: Our family and our customers couldn't have been happier.
Of course, you have every reason to ask Didn't Belle's have a responsibility for the health of our community? Well, Grandad Bill solved that problem himself.
He simply cut down on the portions, so our customers got the same great meals, only less of it.
Naturally, the prices stayed the same.
All this talk of food has gotten me really hungry.
So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the kitchen to get something good to eat, now that the soul is back in Aunt Gladys' food.