STARZ is bringing us another series to devour in the form of Sweetbitter, which is full of drugs, alcohol, love, dive bars and fine dining.
Based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Stephanie Danler, Sweetbitter follows 22-year-old Tess who, shortly after arriving in New York City, lands a job at a celebrated downtown restaurant. Swiftly introduced to the world of drugs, alcohol, love, lust, dive bars and fine dining, she learns to navigate the chaotically alluring yet punishing life she has stumbled upon. It is a story of a young woman’s coming of age, set against the rich and grimy backdrop of exclusive restaurants, evoking the possibility, beauty and fragility of being young and adrift.
Stephanie Danler is both a writer and producer for the new series, and she wanted to ensure the cast seemed as authentic as possible since the novel is based on her experiences working at popular Manhattan restaurants such as Union Square Cafe and Buvette. She reached out Justine Slattery who trained her when she worked at Union Square Cafe to help give the cast a crash course on real restaurant serving. Those working within the kitchen spent two weeks at the Institute of Culinary Education learning the basics of food prep.
In an article for New York Times, it’s noted that one sequence involved around 100 actors playing dinner guests so the show prepared three versions of each dish—full portions, “half-eaten” plates, and just the remainders of the meal—to use for shooting the scene.
The series stars Ella Purnell (Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children), Evan Jonigkeit (Frontier), Caitlin FitzGerald (UnREAL), Eden Epstein (Blind), Daniyar, (Claws), Tom Sturridge (The Boat That Rocked), Jimmie Saito (The Blacklist), Paul Sparks, (House of Cards), and Jasmine Matthews.
Sweetbitter premieres May 6th on STARZ. The series will also be available on Stan in Australia.
If you’d like to read the book first, you can find it on Book Depository and Amazon!
