Eater NY: All Posts by Alissa WilkinsonThe New York City Restaurant, Bar, and Nightlife Bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52682/favicon-32x32.png2023-04-05T14:07:49-04:00https://ny.eater.com/authors/alissa-wilkinson/rss2023-04-05T14:07:49-04:002023-04-05T14:07:49-04:00Who Else But Tao to Create an Over-the-Top ‘Babette’s Feast’?
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<img alt="A quail on a plate on a table that’s elaborately set." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cypN2rSjrDNTDVBM-0zTmOrQCAg=/0x1113:4000x4113/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72151157/Babettes_Feast_20.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Quail is one course of seven in the recreation of Babette’s Feast. | Tao Group</figcaption>
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<p>The dinner was in honor of the film’s 35th anniversary</p> <p class="p--has-dropcap p-large-text" id="l8qAkL"><strong>It’s surprisingly hard to recall a feast from a movie</strong> that I’d want to recreate. Lavish cinematic feasts are so often precursors to the tragic — a gutting realization, a thwarted desire, a massacre — that bringing them into the real world feels like inviting chaos. There are <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/21445734/food-movies-streaming-thanksgiving-babette-big-night-jiro-tampopo-ratatouille">exceptions</a>, though, and they are fun to imagine. The timpano, enormous and delectable, from <em>Big Night</em>. Braised pork and dumplings and hot pot from <em>Eat Drink Man Woman</em>.</p>
<p id="9AZEF0">But the queen of them all is the meal that caps <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2016/11/26/13714482/babettes-feast-streaming-thanksgiving-movies-pope-francis"><em>Babette’s Feast</em></a><em>,</em> Gabriel Axel’s 1987 movie, which premiered at Cannes and won an Oscar. Based faithfully on Isak Dinesen’s 1958 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10104532-babette-s-feast">story,</a> it’s a densely layered tale about memory, longing, artistry, exploring the depths of how sensual pleasure can change a person. Recreating that feast requires precision and an encyclopedic knowledge of French cooking to rival its titular creator, who, Dinesen tells us, was not mere chef but “great artist,” renowned among the Paris elite. I’m a handy cook, but I would never attempt it; I don’t know where to get a turtle for the soup, nor would I know what to do with it when it arrived.</p>
<p id="CBmyRA">Search the internet and you’ll find people trying their hand at the dinner over the years; for my part, I got lucky. On the evening of March 29, to mark the 35th anniversary of the film, Cathédrale at Moxy East Village hosted a one-night recreation of the feast under the direction of <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2022/12/6/23494853/saka-no-hana-tao-opening-lower-east-side">Ralph Scamardella,</a> Tao Group Hospitality’s culinary director, with chef Jason Hall at the helm. </p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="IPSkaX"><q>I’m a handy cook, but I would never attempt it; I don’t know where to get a turtle for the soup, nor would I know what to do with it when it arrived.</q></aside></div>
<p id="Gb3TxZ">A crowd of very eager diners gathered, and the feeling in the room was almost euphoric. Tables with carefully arranged tableaux of fruits, candles, and flowers placed throughout made it feel like we might have walked into a fairyland. If you’ve seen <em>Babette’s Feast</em>, you know what you’re in for: a menu that’s married to the expectation of some kind of personal revelation. In the movie, Babette has been keeping house for 15 years for a pair of kind Danish sisters in a tiny village, daughters of a devoutly ascetic man who founded a Christian sect. Nobody is quite sure where Babette came from, aside from France; she simply arrived one day, needing work, and the sisters took her in.</p>
<p id="884MC2">But a friend of Babette’s has renewed her lottery ticket every year back in her home country, and one day the news arrives that Babette has won 10,000 francs (or a little over $1,600). She begs the sisters, who are now certain she will leave them and return home, to let her cook a meal in honor of their late father’s 100th birthday. With great reluctance, they agree; they’ve subsisted for years on the same simple meal: bread-and-beer soup and simple cod, designed to avoid distracting the faithful from their devotion to God and heavenly matters. Who knows what this French woman will decide to make for them? They can hardly turn her down, not after so many years of faithful service.</p>
<p id="30Fw8z">So the plans are in place, a dozen people are invited, and Babette sets to work cooking this meal for people who’ve eschewed everything earthly and delicious.</p>
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<cite>Tao Group</cite>
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<img alt="A tureen of turtle soup, with a server pouring the broth into the bowl. " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mebLuiiOTyaav5MhVOQCoP8RqD0=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24563413/Babettes_Feast_5__1_.jpg">
<cite>Tao Group</cite>
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<img alt="A dessert framed with sliced figs" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pCBlVTRMJL46rkuYHDtQ5S5Pb34=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24563419/Babettes_Feast_19.jpg">
<cite>Tao Group</cite>
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<p class="caption">Savarin au rhum. </p>
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<p id="TjfXDn"><em>Babette’s Feast</em> is something of a cult classic, 35 years after it first appeared, and those who love it can repeat this menu to one another like an incantation. The spell, printed in a program, appeared at every place setting, nestled between white tapers in candelabra. The room felt like the home of the Danish sisters in the midst of a cold winter, as if we were actors in an immersive theater production centered around a multi-course meal.</p>
<p id="qFOcqx">Turtle soup was rich and creamy, studded with meat and croutons, and served here in small tureens. (There was a faux option.) Amontillado sherry was (which, in the story, a diner proclaims the greatest he’s ever tasted) perfectly paired. </p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="1TSRBE"><q>In <em>Babette’s Feast</em>, the meal is not just a meal. At its table are people who need, desperately, to remember that they are human, to recall a past they’ve tried to push away. </q></aside></div>
<p id="TxandE"> A trio of tiny blini, with their sour cream and caviar; the quail en sarcophage, with its little legs crossed, surrounded by quartered figs, foie gras included, endive salad served on the side. Savarin au rhum avec des figues et fruit glacee followed — much like baba rhum, with figs and candied cherries — accompanied by Champagne. The proper wines, with a few swaps, were served throughout. (The precise wine is, to Babette, crucial.) </p>
<p id="PlzUFs">In <em>Babette’s Feast</em>, the meal is not just a meal. At its table are people who need, desperately, to remember that they are human, to recall a past they’ve tried to push away. There are a pair of former friends who’ve held a grudge over whether or not one of them stiffed the other in the past; buoyed by wine and good cheer, they reconcile. A pair of lovers, the flame of whose long-ago affair has never quite burned out, finally find comfort in a kiss. One of the guests is a general who, many years ago, had loved one of the sisters; he recognizes the cooking as Babette’s and realizes, with wonder, that he has stumbled inadvertently into heaven.</p>
<p id="JbDaGi">What I love about movies,<a href="https://www.vox.com/authors/alissa-wilkinson"> the reason I spend my life on them</a>, is that they invite us to exist in the same space for a while, bumping shoulders, hearing one another breathe, and turn our attention toward a gift that an artist wants to give us. </p>
<p id="9FoFQg">I am not going to tell you I experienced a supernatural revelation or healed a rift with my worst enemy at Cathédrale. But here is what I did feel: that this recreation of one of my favorite meals, a scene from one of my favorite movies, was the product of skilled artists watching the film, recognizing its power — a short glimpse of a future vision. In that sense, it is grace, a word I rarely associate with Manhattan’s fine dining. </p>
<p id="dT1jPB">I left suspecting the overlapping experiences were what made it so lovely. Something we’d loved together — a strange little Danish film from the 1980s, about a strange little Danish community in 19th-century Denmark — was layered into textures and flavors and small, extravagant touches there for no other reason than to evoke, in Dinesen’s words, a vision of the universe as it really is. Or how it could be, if we were attentive enough to look for it every day.</p>
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https://ny.eater.com/2023/4/5/23671161/babettes-feast-dinner-cathedrale-taoAlissa Wilkinson2019-07-30T10:30:25-04:002019-07-30T10:30:25-04:00A Definitive Guide to NYC’s Dine-In Movie Theaters
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<img alt="A spread of food from Syndicated, including hummus with carrots, waffle fries with pickled onions, and grilled cheese" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Vb54F1k6sWX0TqSoDqpHcuch3OI=/304x0:5168x3648/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64877024/syndicated3.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Syndicated in Bushwick serves dishes such as hummus, waffle fries with pickled onions, and grilled cheese | Syndicated [Official]</figcaption>
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<p>What to expect and what to order at movie theater restaurants, according to Vox’s film critic</p> <p class="p--has-dropcap p-large-text" id="qpOWgn">Dine-in movie theaters are still relatively rare nationwide, but New York boasts a handful which cover a wide range of tastes both culinary and cinematic. So far, only Manhattan and Brooklyn are lucky enough to have dine-in options, as the one AMC dine-in theater on Staten Island is currently closed.</p>
<p id="nmllnA">Most of them work the same way: Patrons order at their seats, often from a menu of takes on American bar food, and a server collects orders throughout the show, dropping off the check near the end of the movie. But some use a slightly different system and range in vibes and luxury levels. Here’s what to know before going — including notes on showing up early, the type of food, and whether arthouse flicks or blockbusters will be available.</p>
<h3 id="LFOTfB">Alamo Drafthouse</h3>
<h4 id="ukKbKE">Downtown Brooklyn, 445 Albee Square W #4, inside City Point</h4>
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<img alt="Alamo Drafthouse’s theater, which has tables in-between seats for food" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8aUNpotYrRFII74hppOc44TLa5s=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/18366347/5._Alamo_Drafthouse_Brooklyn_by_Victoria_Stevens.jpg">
<cite>Victoria Stevens/Alamo Drafthouse [Official]</cite>
<figcaption>Alamo theaters have assigned seating and tables in-between seats</figcaption>
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<p id="dtgoYK">The Brooklyn outpost of Alamo Drafthouse, the Austin-based franchise, boasts movie offerings that range from blockbusters to quiet indie fare to cult favorites, as well as hosted screenings and Q&As with stars and filmmakers. Its theaters have comfortable assigned seating and tables shared between two seats, and servers take orders before and during the movie, using cards on which patrons write their order. Menu highlights include reasonably priced snacks (popcorn, buffalo cauliflower, loaded fries); entrees with gluten-free and vegan options; a range of drinks including boozy milkshakes; plus themed menus. Though the theater is strict about its no-texting, no talking policy, an<a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrafthouse.com%2Fnyc%2Fprogram%2Falamo-for-all%3Futm_source%3Dfamily-hub%26utm_medium%3Dmodule%26utm_content%3Dafa&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fny.eater.com%2F2019%2F7%2F30%2F20732350%2Fbest-nyc-movie-theater-food-guide-what-to-order" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"> “Alamo For All” program</a> makes some movies more accessibility-friendly, with lowered sound and lights and some talking and adaptive technologies are allowed. (For regular screenings, children under 17 are only allowed when accompanied by an adult, and the under-six crowd is only admitted to special screenings.) Screenings often sell out quickly, so be sure to plan ahead.</p>
<p id="zL3k3S">If not seeing a movie, the House of Wax bar near the entry is worth checking out — it has a collection of cheekily morbid curiosities from<a href="http://thehouseofwax.com/#museum"> a German wax anatomical museum</a> that shut down in 1922.</p>
<h3 id="cvK914">Cinepolis Chelsea</h3>
<p id="WPdH0m">Chelsea, 260 W. 23rd St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues</p>
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<img alt="Cinepolis chairs are brown, poofy lounge chairs and each have their own tables" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/snc898pDSpL_ojWF1izdPjpr1l8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/18366349/cinepolis1.jpg">
<cite>Hannah Jan Photo/Cinepolis</cite>
<figcaption>Cinepolis seats have individual tables</figcaption>
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<p id="9sLhk6">Cinepolis Chelsea — which locals may remember as the Bow-Tie Cinemas, or Clearview before that — recently completed its conversion to a dine-in theater, albeit a low-key one. There’s no alcohol here; instead, patrons can order from<a href="https://cinepolisdevcdnstr.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/menus/cinepolis_chelsea_web.pdf?sfvrsn=c653174a_1"> a selection of standard movie theater snacks and drinks,</a> as well as more hearty entrees that get delivered straight to the reclining leather seat. While the menu is straightforward and unremarkable — Nathan’s hot dogs, hummus plates, beef sliders — Cinepolis’s forte is shareable food, like nachos with chicken and bacon, mozzarella sticks, or a half-pound of fries, which makes it an appealing choice for groups and families. Assigned seating and a selection of wide-release films round out the offerings. There’s also a kids menu. </p>
<h3 id="A8tqKd">CMX Cinebistro</h3>
<h4 id="Rz6nQr">Lenox Hill, Upper East Side, 400 E. 62nd St., at First Avenue</h4>
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<img alt="CMX Cinebistro’s black, reclining chairs with numbers on the top of the seat" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CxxxXOmvBQIoF7iAPqhhfv4xIsw=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/18366372/Oversized_Recliners.jpg">
<cite>CMX Cinebistro [Official]</cite>
<figcaption>CMX Cinebistro’s chairs recline</figcaption>
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<p id="zL2gIP">For people who hate being interrupted during screenings but still want food and cocktails that go beyond the usual pub-style fare, CMX Cinebistro is a good option. Patrons must arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of the movie to order at the slick bar, which sends food and drink to assigned, loungey seats early in the film. To order more, moviegoers must return to the outside bar, cutting down on the number of servers running around the theater. The movie offerings are standard wide-release films, but the nosh has more variety: Drinks include beer, wine, and craft cocktails like a dirty martini with cheese-stuffed olives, or seasonal fruit-based concoctions. Snacks and entrees are on the heartier side, like tender and filling wagyu sliders, pan-seared salmon, and a cacio e pepe. </p>
<h3 id="IQGWNq">IPIC Fulton Market</h3>
<h4 id="ghqYpL">South Street Seaport, 11 Fulton St., between Front and South streets</h4>
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<img alt="Two people recline in orange seats, with burgers, a lobster role, and drinks on a table in front of them" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hxkRYSmbtXDN-27_OdGL3hGRpqc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/18366377/iPic_Theaters_Premium_Plus_Pod_Seating_1198_CC.jpg">
<cite>IPIC [Official]</cite>
<figcaption>IPIC’s “premium plus” pod seating</figcaption>
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<p id="grbLn7">By far the most luxurious (and expensive) of its peers, IPIC Fulton Market in the Fulton Market Building offers the highest end options. Tickets range in price from $16 to 30 depending on the film, time of day, and the seating option: “Premium seats” include cushy leather seats with individual tables or two-person chaise lounges, while “premium plus seats” have accessible seating with companions or semi-private “pod seats” for two. (A “Gold Membership,” which costs $45 per year, comes with variable ticket discounts, 10 percent off food and drinks, <a href="https://www.ipic.com/membership">and other benefits</a>.) Premium plus seats include a pillow, blanket, and dining where servers are paged with a button; others need to bring food and drinks from the grab-and-go counters outside. The food and drinks are higher than at other movie theaters but standard pricing for Manhattan; entrees include lobster rolls, calamari with gochujang glaze, and an extensive keto menu with kebabs and fried chicken. At the Tuck Room restaurant upstairs, bar snacks and selected drinks are priced starting at $5 during the 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. happy hour, especially solid even if not planning to see a movie.</p>
<h3 id="mpv8r4"><a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/nitehawk-prospect-park">Nitehawk Prospect Park</a></h3>
<h4 id="TzGKeG">Park Slope, 188 Prospect Park West, at 14th Street</h4>
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<img alt="An orange cocktail and a sundae with blueberries and a spider web decoration" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/n7b4uSmWVeUFwhdVcm0h0EW6Ij8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/18366382/spider_Man_menu_items_Conrad_gangone.jpeg">
<cite>Conrad Gangone/Nitehawk [Official]</cite>
<figcaption>Nitehawk’s specialty drink items for ‘Spiderman’</figcaption>
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<p id="LX8jHX">Brooklyn standard Nitehawk opened its second location in late 2018, in the building that<a href="https://ny.eater.com/2018/12/17/18145021/nitehawk-prospect-park-opening-date"> formerly housed the legendarily awful Pavilion</a> theaters. Now it’s a Park Slope staple, serving up mainstream recent releases and a handful of cult classics alongside inventive drinks and a brewpub-style menu with vegan and gluten-free options, as well as themed specials timed to recent releases. (<em>Spider-Man: Far From Home</em>’s specials included a summer vacation-themed sundae and a Cognac-based cocktail called the “Peter Tingle.”) Orders are collected before and throughout the movie from cards that patrons stand up on their tables. There are bars on the ground floor and the second level, which also has a few vintage video games. Ticket-holders get $3 off drinks at the upstairs one after the film. Patrons who buy tickets online can also opt into the theater’s “Dine and Dash” program; credit cards get automatically charged (including tip) for minimal interruption at the end of the movie. The family-friendly cinema also runs<a href="https://nitehawkcinema.com/prospectpark/film-series/lil-hawkskid-friendly-screenings-2/"> special kid-friendly morning screenings</a>, while maintaining<a href="https://nitehawkcinema.com/prospectpark/age-policy/"> a strict age policy depending on the time of day</a>. There’s no assigned seating, so make sure to get there early if picky about seating.</p>
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<img alt="Nitehawk Prospect Park’s exterior" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ANuCh_RaamiWtoKluYA85-xdRTM=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13632527/image1.jpg">
<cite>Sakeenah Saleem/Nitehawk</cite>
<figcaption>The exterior of Nitehawk Prospect Park</figcaption>
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<h3 id="WX2Qlq">Nitehawk Williamsburg</h3>
<h4 id="r1jpBo">Williamsburg, 136 Metropolitan Ave., between Wythe Avenue and Berry Street</h4>
<p id="pmSvEy">The city’s first dine-in movie theater boasts slightly more mature, offbeat programming than its younger sibling, though it still runs a selection of baby- and child-friendly films for Williamsburg’s youngest residents. The menu is similar to Prospect Park’s — vegan, gluten-free, brunch, and late night options are available — and includes everything from a local cheese and charcuterie plate and risotto balls to Beyond Burgers and Nitehawk’s truffle popcorn, with half-priced refills. Dine and dash is available, and seats are not assigned, so arrive early. The “Lo-Res” bar on the ground level serves cocktails, beer and shot specials, while films from Nitehawk’s VHS collection play on a 24/7 loop. </p>
<h3 id="N2uEfR">Syndicated</h3>
<h4 id="BQt3UJ">Bushwick<strong>, </strong>40 Bogart St., at Thames Street</h4>
<p id="a6H4UA">Syndicated is Bushwick’s only movie theater. Its cavernous bar and restaurant stays busy, with a notably strong cocktail and pub-style menu. The thick, spiced burger and fried chicken sandwich are on-point (though fries are not included), while cocktails include stand-outs like the High Noon, made with a mesquite-based whiskey. The theater itself boasts very inexpensive tickets ($7 apiece), but it’s a little less comfortable than its cousins. Syndicated has only one screen, with 60 seats and narrower rows than other similar theaters, and shorter people should sit further down in order to avoid cutting off a narrow strip at the bottom of the screen. (Seats are not assigned.) Programming, though, more than makes up for it. With only one screen, Syndicated shows just a few movies per day, but they range from new art-house releases to second-run restorations (the new print of <em>Paris is Burning</em> moved to Syndicated after its Manhattan run) to random and delightful treats, like <em>Zoolander</em> or a <em>Harry Potter</em> marathon.</p>
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<img alt="Syndicated’s seating is one long row, with tables dispersed throughout" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4iwHkSI7s4LMST4R7mrrl9qf5FY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/18366407/syndicated4_michaeltulipan.jpg">
<cite>Michael Tulipan/Syndicated [Official]</cite>
<figcaption>Syndicated’s one and only theater</figcaption>
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<p id="lZHHjx"><a href="https://twitter.com/alissamarie"><small><em>Alissa Wilkinson</em></small></a><small><em> is </em></small><a href="https://www.vox.com/authors/alissa-wilkinson"><small><em>Vox.com’s</em></small></a><small><em> film critic.</em></small><br><small><em>Hear hosts Amanda Kludt and Daniel Geneen dive into the history of eating in movie theaters on Eater’s Digest:</em></small></p>
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https://ny.eater.com/2019/7/30/20732350/best-nyc-movie-theater-food-guide-what-to-orderAlissa Wilkinson