Tyler and his companion Margot Mills travel by boat to Hawthorne, an exclusive restaurant owned and operated by celebrity chef Julian Slowik, located on a private island. The other guests attending the dinner are Lilian, a food critic; her editor Ted; wealthy couple Richard and Anne; George, a post-prime movie star and his personal assistant Felicity; and business partners Soren, Dave, and Bryce. The group are given a tour of the island by the restaurant maitre d', Elsa, who notes that Margot was not Tyler's designated guest for the evening.