Dining at the super stores of Atlanta nightlife
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Think of them as Atlanta’s super stores of nightlife, destinations to grab dinner plus a little extra entertainment, all under one roof. Bundling food, drinks and an attraction can be cost-effective. You can chalk up the pool cue, experience Shakespeare, or see a film on a full belly, all while stretching dollars and saving gas. If the total tab inspires sticker shock, consider how much it includes: in most cases a complete dinner with appetizers, desserts and drinks, as well as an evening’s diversion.
Jeff Watkins
Jeff McKerley, Tony Brown, Tony Falcitelli, Laura Cole, Mary Russell, Matt Nitchie perform onstage at the New American Shakespeare Tavern.
Medieval Times
Two ‘knights of the realm’ compete in a full-speed joust on horseback.
TEN PIN ALLEY
Dinner: The Dolce Group’s menu nods to homey alley favorites with meatball subs, nachos and wings. More scene-appropriate plates include seared sesame tuna with wasabi mayo and a large shrimp cocktail. Even better is when the two schools join forces, as they do in the playful lobster corn dogs or Kobe beef sliders served with radicchio and smoked white cheddar.
And bowling, billiards. A good plan of attack is to begin with drinks in the lounge, followed by a game of bowling or billiards, then into the dining area for dinner. Wait staff can serve drinks and apps during games as well.
• What else to know: There are no claw cranes or Old Milwaukee glass lamps warming thin plastic cups of watery beer, and don’t come dressed as “The Dude.” This is bowling as only the Dolce Group can manufacture. The guarded velvet rope out front could be intimidating, but adhere to the strictly enforced dress code and you’ll be fine. No sweats, hats, athletic wear, sleeveless shirts or white T-shirts are among the rules. Nine bowling lanes are up for grabs in the main area, and three private lanes are also available. Reservations are recommended for large parties. Bowling rates (including shoe rentals) are $80 per hour on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Approximate tab for two: $140 for non-private Friday or Saturday night lane rental for up to six people, two rounds of drinks and dinner, including appetizer.
• Details, reservations: 261 19th St., N.W., Atlanta. 404-872-3364, www.dolcegroup.com/tenpinalley/.
NEW AMERICAN SHAKESPEARE TAVERN
Dinner: Chef for a Night catering prepares the hearty menu selections from scratch in the Tavern’s kitchen. Favorites include creamy Rainy Day Tomato Soup, shepherd’s pie and the famous Cornish pasties that have been served since the beginning, nearly two decades ago. The menu changes every other month, and is set to turn toward fall-inspired dishes in November, while keeping old standards intact. An impressive selection of 19-ounce Samuel Smith beers including Oatmeal Stout, Nut Brown Ale and India pale ale support the heavy-wood Elizabethan vibe inside. Few pass on the kitchen’s signature hot apple crisp with ice cream, available at intermission.
And an intimate performance of Shakespeare. This professional theater company approaches the Bard’s masterworks with reverence and a delivery that’s meticulously crafted. The 2006 renovations turned the formerly generic space on Peachtree Street into a miniature Globe Theatre outside. Inside, brick walls, glass lanterns, tapestries and tables with ample legroom show how highly the company thinks of its audience. House lights are left up ever so subtly and actors often speak directly to patrons. “Twelfth Night” ends Sept. 27, and the final performances of the three-actor “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” will be Sept. 26 and 28. “Antony and Cleopatra” is up next (Oct. 4-Nov. 2), and in November, the company brings back 2003’s “The Henry Series,” with “Henry VI” parts one, two and three throughout the month.
• What else to know: Dinner, served cafeteria style, begins an hour and 15 minutes before show time. When purchasing tickets, choose among balcony, box or main-floor seats. Seating within sections is first-come-first-served. Food and beverage service stops five minutes before the play, but drinks and desserts are sold again during intermission.
• Approximate tab for two: $95.
• Details, reservations: 499 Peachtree St., N.E., Atlanta. 404-874-5299, www.shakespearetavern.com.
Dinner: After the dinosaur kids meal bags and toys have been stashed under the counter for the day, the Fernbank Café springs to life with grown-up selections like gourmet pizzas, ribeye steaks, crab cakes, hummus and the popular grande chicken nachos. Appetizers range from $6-$20, entrees from $14-$22. The full bar boasts seven specialty martinis, several wines, by the glass or bottle, beers and mixed drinks.
And an Imax movie. They take you inside flaming volcanoes, under the oceans and up close to ancient ruins and dinosaurs. The large-format films appeal to the child within. But as an adult, with cucumber martini in hand, they’re still fun, and paired with dinner as well, they’re a whole evening wrapped in one. After knocking back a few under the bones of the 123-foot-long Argentinosaurus — cocktails are also welcomed inside the theater —the pre-screening warning to stare at your shoes in case of dizziness takes on new meaning.
• What else to know: Martinis & Imax starts at 5:30 p.m. every Friday, January through November. Live music always begins at 6:30 p.m. The Bill Anschell Quartet performs jazz Sept. 26. Upcoming theme nights include Fright Night Oct. 31 and Blues and Barbecue Nov. 14.
• Tickets include admission to one IMAX movie: $15 for adults, $14 for students, $10 for Fernbank members. $7 cover charge after 6:30 p.m. if no movie ticket desired. Movies begin hourly starting at 6 p.m. Last movie screens at 10 p.m. Now showing: “Antarctica” at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.; “Wild Ocean” at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.; and “Ring of Fire,” screened only during Martinis and Imax, at 10 p.m.
• Approximate tab for two: $90.
• Details: 767 Clifton Road, N.E., Atlanta. 404-929-6300, www.fernbankmuseum.org.
RHODES HALL MURDER MYSTERY DINNER THEATER
Dinner: Avante Catering provides a three-course meal including three glasses of wine. Choose from chicken roulade stuffed with pancetta, roasted shallots and mushrooms served with wild rice and broccolini spears or riesling-marinated pan-seared salmon with braised fennel and rice. All dinners are served with a field green salad and cheesecake with blackberry coulis for dessert. The best part is supping on this fine feast in the reception hall of the 1904 “Castle on Peachtree.”
And a murder mystery. What an opportunity to break the fourth wall: a crime drama presented by RedruM Mystery Theater unfolds in a real-life late-Victorian setting. Like Agatha’s, you’re part of the drama, and by dessert, you’ll be pitching in to solve the crime. But here crowds are limited to a maximum of 40.
• What else to know: Tickets are $75 per person, and extra glasses of wine cost $5 each. Reservations required. 7:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Oct. 13-Nov. 24. Proceeds will help restore the mansion’s breakfast room and the veranda’s ceiling.
• Approximate tab for two: $150.
• Details, reservations: 1516 Peachtree St. N.W., Atlanta. 404-885-7809, www.rhodeshall.org.
More DINNER AND A...
…Interactive mystery drama. At Agatha’s a Taste of Mystery. A five-course dinner woven into a four-act play. Bonuses are the appetizer buffet bar and impressive collection of Hollywood memorabilia adorning the walls. 161 Peachtree Center Ave., Atlanta. 404-584-2211, www.agathas.com.
…Movie. At AMC Fork & Screen or Northlake Festival Movie Tavern. Popcorn and Coke, or a pomegranate martini and a Tuscan flatbread pizzetta? Both theaters are newly renovated, cushy and comfortable.
Northlake Festival Movie Tavern. 4043 LaVista Road, Tucker. 678-680-5782, www.movietavern.com.
AMC Fork & Screen (formerly Buckhead Backlot). 3340 Peachtree Road N.E., Buckhead. 404-816-4262, www.moviewatcher.com.
…11th century tournament. At Medieval Times, where asking for utensils may result in a rebuff from your wench/server. Count on spare ribs, roasted chicken and a show complete with knights jousting on horseback, sword fighting and a falcon that flies overhead. Check out the torture museum on the way in. Discover Mills Mall, 5900 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville. 1-88-WE-JOUST, www.medievaltimes.com.
