Hallmark Review: 'A Dash of Love'

Aspiring chef Nikki Turner (Jen Lilley) has always dreamed of opening her own restaurant, having been self-taught in the art of cooking. However, without a culinary degree, Nikki finds her search for employment fruitless. But after her roommate Angela (Kandyse McClure) gets a job with Holly Hanson (Peri Gilpin), an esteemed chef and Nikki's idol, Nikki inadvertently meets her and convinces Holly to hire her as her new assistant.

While thrilled at the process of working alongside her inspiration, Holly finds herself making a bad first impression on Holly's executive chef, Paul Dellucci (Brendan Penny), having criticized his food without realizing who he was. But as things progress and Holly begins using her new job as a way to continue her passion for cooking, she and Paul begin to grow close over their mutual culinary passions. But after a dispute with Holly leads to the two being fired and Holly's dreams being put in jeopardy, Holly and Paul must team together to fight to make their dreams a reality.

It seems Hallmark has a bit of a subsection in its catalogue for movies where their main romance is centered around food; one was even the subject of a film from my first set of Christmas film reviews. In the case of A Dash of Love, while the film doesn't contain much in the way of "food porn" for viewers as food-centric as the movie's main cast, the art of cooking is almost a central theme of the film, which might provide a treat for culinarily inclined viewers (or at least those with an affinity for the Food Network).

However, the movie's bread is buttered (pun intended) by both its overarching themes of taking a chance to pursue one's dreams and the solid lead characters played by Jen Lilley and Brendan Penny. Most Hallmark romance flicks live and die by the chemistry and acting quality of their leads, and Lilley and Penny share both in common. Lilley, in particular, is lovable as Nikki, selling her emotional growth as a talented but timid woman in need of a confidence boost to see her dream become a reality with touching emotion. Penny is similarly likable as Paul, who despite already being a chef and far more assertive than Nikki, suffers from the same problem of not being able to stand up for his own career desires.

It's when the two come together that their acting truly excels, as Lilley and Penny play their characters well off each other, with their romance developing naturally from that of a mutual friendship born out of their shared love for cooking into something more. What makes the romance of A Dash of Love (which, for the most part, follows the Hallmark formula to the letter) somewhat more unique than others is that Nikki and Paul's romantic feelings for each other mostly occur as a side event while their culinary aspirations and attempts to strike out on their own after their falling out with Holly take center stage, rather than the inciting event that brings the romantic leads together being pushed to the background. This adds to the authentic development of Nikki and Paul's relationship, making the conclusion of their relationship arc hold more weight.

Peri Gilpin makes Holly Hanson a strong and loathsome antagonist, despite some throwaway dialogue indicating some depth in her character being left untouched. Kandyse McClure is also strong as Nikki's supportive best friend Angela, though like Holly, has a subplot involving a romance with fellow employee and Paul's friend Jerrod (played well by Antonio Cayonne, who shares solid friendship chemistry with Penny in their brief scenes together) that ultimately gets pushed aside without resolution. Frances Flanagan and Eric Pollins are likable as baker couple Trish and Marty who have a surprise connection to Paul, with the latter sharing some tender emotional moments with Penny, while John Innes gives a solid cameo as Nikki's father figure-esque, former boss Gus.

While A Dash of Love (like most harmlessly saccharine Hallmark flicks) won't win over everybody, it still can serve as a nice little treat to watch when you're not busy or in need of a pick-me-up viewing experience. The strong casting—especially that of the film's leads—and the slight deviation from the traditional Hallmark playbook are also sure to attract viewers that may not typically enjoy Hallmark films, making A Dash of Love definitely worthy at least one viewing.

Score: 7 out of 10 ice cream cones.