Jeff Houck

The Tampa Tribune’s food writer since 2005, Jeff Houck covers the way people live through their food. He also hosts the Table Conversations food podcast and believes that everything crunchy is good.

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CineBistro Brings Dining To The Movies [What Would Roger Ebert Do?]

Posted Oct 16, 2009 by Jeff Houck

Updated Oct 16, 2009 at 04:17 PM

Tonight is the opening of the new CineBistro movie theaters in Hyde Park Village in Tampa. Cobb Theaters operates the CineBistro concept in the balcony section at Grove 16 in Wesley Chapel.

The concept: Instead of going to a bar or restaurant before going to the movies, you go to CineBistro and get it all under one roof at a theater where you have to be 21 and older to get in.

That’s the theory, anyway.

Why the age limit? Because alcohol is served at a swanky bar and also at each individual theater seat. Mixing martinis and ‘Toy Story 3’ would be a bad idea.

As TBO.com reporter Sarah Hoye wrote this week:

CineBistro, a luxury movie theater featuring lush seating, dinner menu and alcoholic beverages, opens Friday in Hyde Park Village.

“They don’t build Hyde Parks anymore. Hyde Park is a very established, vibrant community,” said Jeremy Welman, chief operating officer of Cobb Theaters, which owns CineBistro. “We were given a great opportunity to come in and revive what was once a theater.”

CineBistro occupies the storefront that previously housed Sunrise Cinema and before that, an AMC movie house, at South Rome and West Swann avenues.

This is the third CineBistro location in Florida, including Miami and Wesley Chapel.

The venue, adjacent to where the Wine Exchange once was (the restaurant moved a block south), will re-establish Hyde Park as a destination spot.

The 21-and-older theater features oversized leather chairs, seat-side serving and movie inspired specialty drinks. The menu offers rib stacks, gourmet burgers and over the top desserts.

This isn’t, however, your standard movie theater. First, tickets are $14 ($12 during matinees). What do you get for the admission price? A swanky bar area, upgraded decor and oversize padded leather reclining seats with swivel table tops in front of digital screens:

Other amenities include:

* Complimentary valet parking with ticket purchase, at select locations
* Reserved seating
* In-seat service
* 3D capabilities
* Specially outfitted for corporate, film festival, community and charity events
* Premium cocktail bar
* Extensive wine menu

Here’s what the Miami CineBistro offers:

Executive Chef Mike Lopez told me the menu was designed with an upscale dining concept in mind. Not only did the food have to be better than what people would expect at a movie theater, it had to be equivalent to an upscale restaurant dining experience.

To get to that level, all ingredients are fresh and the dishes are prepared in-house to order. That automatically elevates the food past the nacho cheese and chips standard.

Dishes include:

Ginger tuna and Salmon Spring Roll - Seared Ginger Sesame Tuna with a Salmon spring Roll, Asian Slaw andx Spicy Wasabi and Cilantro Sauce - $13.

Sweet and Spicy Wings - Tossed in a Sweet and Spicy Habanero-Chili Glaze and Creamy Mango-Mint Dipping Sauce - $10.50.

BBQ Pork Rib Stack - With cherry Coca Cola BBQ sauce and artisan Mac & Cheese - $16.50

Yes, those prices are correct. In a shaky economy, that might be a tipping point between success and failure.

As long as the food hits the quality mark, it might not be an issue, since going to the movies these days is a less than an ideal experience. After you penetrate the skate punk/wangster bubble to enter the theater, you then get the honor of paying the equivalent of an organ donation for stale popcorn and flat soda. The CineBistro experience, should it survive, would return moviegoing to a special place.

Oh, almost forgot. For dessert, dig this:

“Dessert At The Movies” - Flourless chocolae torte, spicy caramel popcorn, chocolate film strip, brandied cherry red carpet with Coca-Cola Cherry marmalade and star fruit. $9

The edible film strip is pretty damn cool.

Customers are encouraged to get to the theater 30 minutes before each movie’s showing so that servers can take your order and get your food to you before the flick starts. You can either reserve specific seats online or at the movie theater.

Here’s a gallery with more images from the media day: