The Hollywood scene was buzzing with activity as many of the biggest names in the industry assembled to celebrate the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 15th. While the evening was focused on honoring the winners, including Best Picture winner One Battle After Another over Sinners, there was a group of people working behind the scenes with a completely different priority: the food.
At the Governor’s Ball, a banquet was being prepared to feed the 1,200 invited guests. Chef Elliott Grover, who runs the kitchen at London’s 45 Park Lane, was back for the fourth time to contribute to the high-profile after-party.
“You can hear when the crowd is about to arrive, and that’s when everything kicks into motion.”
Grover was working alongside Wolfgang Puck, who has handled the catering for the event since 1994.
“It’s great to work with Wolfgang, but you have to be flexible.”
Puck is known for changing the menu even at the last minute, but this year, even though the fish and chips were on the menu, the roast beef in the Yorkshire puddings was not finalized until a few days before the event.
The fish and chips, according to Chef Grover, are a consistent winner.
“It’s always in high demand, and luckily, it’s one of the easier dishes to prepare.”
The fish and chips at the event are a sophisticated version of the traditional dish, with a small portion of sea bass served alongside the chips and a dollop of tartare sauce to top it off.
The choice of fish will depend on what is fresh in the Los Angeles region. In past years, Grover has made dishes such as Wagyu beef in Yorkshire puddings and even beef Wellington. Originally, he got involved in the event by simply asking.
“I asked if I could be part of it, and Wolfgang said yes,” he said. Now that he is a regular, he relies more on his experience than over-preparation to cope with the demands of the event.
The A-list guests, including many of the richest and most famous people in the world, may be expecting a sophisticated evening, but the most requested special dish is surprisingly mundane. “I think the most requested special dish is plain chips as part of the meal,” he said.
This year’s British-inspired menu was specially designed to satisfy the Oscars audience, and the team cooked for 16 hours straight to get everything ready in time.
It wasn’t just the food that got attention, however. One Battle After Another, a thriller set in the 1970s and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, won six Oscars, including Best Picture.
The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro. Michael B. Jordan had his best night, too, when his movie Sinners won Best Actor and a record 16 nominations.
Jordan currently has a few projects in the works, such as the next installment in the Creed franchise and a remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. Both big productions are credited with bringing moviegoers back to the theater, making the Oscars and Governors Ball this year especially memorable.
