AMC Theatres Premieres "Fork & Screen" Concept

AMC Theatres' Olathe location has re-opened their east wing as an entirely new concept called "Fork & Screen". Fork & Screen offers in-theatre dining, with comfy seats and ample counters or tables on which to eat while watching your movie.


I was invited to a 'sneak peek' of this concept last night, and it is SPECTACULAR.


When you enter the Fork & Screen wing, you first encounter MacGuffins, a lobby-bar that offers food and drinks (both adult and soft). You can dine/drink here either prior to entering the theatre or for dessert afterwards (or both!).


When you are ready to watch your movie, there are two theatre-style choices: the Fork & Screen theatre and CinemaSuites theatre.


The Fork & Screen theatre has larger seats, more legroom between rows, and a roomy counter on which you can dine. A concierge button allows you to call waitstaff when your popcorn runs dry or you need another Guiness. Yes, they have Guiness...I checked.


The even-more-cool, upscale CinemaSuites theatre has larger, reclining seats with footrests, and swivel tables (kinda like college, only with a place to put your beer). CinemaSuites has reserved seating, offered online. There is an additional charge of $10, but $5 comes back as a food credit and for the extra comfort and intimacy, the extra $5 is well worth it.




In conjunction with the Fork & Screen rollout this weekend, AMC is hosting some special events and giveaways, including free movie tickets for a year (Friday), a free Rock 'n' Roll party (Saturday) and a Mom's Day Out (Sunday).


NOTE: To enter the Fork & Screen wing, you must be 18 years old or older, or accompanied by a parent or guardian. To enter the CinemaSuites theatre, you must be 21 years old or older. Movie selections will reflect this demographic.

Wanna go? I've got coupons for one free admission and some buy-one-get-one food. Be the 10th person to comment and I'll send them your way! Good luck!

Go See "Clay"

This is the best play I've seen in a long time! Note the special performance (with beer!) on Saturday:

Special 10 pm performance of CLAY
Saturday, September 27
Kansas City Repertory Theatre

On Saturday, September 27, celebrate the final weekend of acclaimed hip-hop musical Clay's pre-Lincoln Center run at this special 10 p.m. performance at Copaken Stage. All beers only $2--and you can take them into the theatre! Ticketholders will also be invited to a special post-show reception. Tickets only $25!

website: http://adventuroustheatre.com/

Broadmoor Bistro Opens for Fall

Broadmoor Bistro, 6701 W. 83rd Street in Overland Park, is a restaurant in the Broadmoor Technical Center that is run by students. And by "students", I mean junior and senior high school students.

...but this ain't no cheeseburger and fry joint. They serve a 4-course gourmet meal. And it's delicious!

Some friends and I went on their opening night this week. We had to wait a while to get seated, and they attempted to serve us our first appetizer twice. But we chalked this up to opening night jitters.

...and did I mention that the food was fabulous? FABULOUS! They had to wrestle the mistaken second appetizer out of my hands!

Our group decided that we had never had scallops this good! And my tenderloin medallions were absolutely perfect.

I'd recommend this place, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Don't expect gourmet restaurant service. This is student-run. The service was not bad, but it wasn't fabulous either. That said, you are not expected to tip - so bring your patience along.
2. You have to make reservations. The only way to do this is through their website. Dining times start from 5:30 to 7:00pm, in 15-minute increments.
3. You have to pay in advance. If there's a chance you won't make it, pick another date.
4. They are only open on Wednesdays, so you'll have to set your DVR to find out who got booted from "Dancing With the Stars".
5. They don't serve alcohol. Which is a big bummer, because this food is crying out loud for some wonderful wine pairings. But alas, only tea, lemonade and coffee. It IS a high school, afterall.

Even with all these disclaimers...Broadmoor Bistro is definitely worth a visit.

website: http://www.broadmoorbistro.org

Melbee's is Closing on July 31st

This is such a bummer! Text below is copied from the official email.


MelBee's Farewell

Dear Friends,
As many of you know, MelBee's is saying goodbye and will serve its last dinner on Thursday, July 31st. Since announcing our news several weeks ago, we have been truly touched by the outpouring of kind regrets regarding our closing. Words cannot express our gratitude and appreciation for all of your heartfelt words of support and encouragement. It has truly been an honor to serve you over these last six years!

During MelBee's remaining days we hope you will give us the opportunity to say good-bye personally.

• We will be open for dinner on Monday through Saturday evenings until July 31st.
• On Thursday, July 24th we hope you will join us in honoring Christine Germann, the Village Food Pantry & Clothes Closet Director at our Christmas Eve in July Dinner. We will serve our new Summer Menu and Christy Meinhardt and Everette DeVan will entertain. MelBee's friends have been very generous this summer in bringing food items, clothing, paper goods and small appliances.
• Monday, July 28th is our final MelBee's Date Night. Dinner for two and a bottle of wine for $50 per couple.
• Beginning Monday, July 28th, we will be offering all wines remaining in our inventory at 50% discount.

We are currently making plans for the future and will stay in touch to keep you informed. Thank you again for all of your kindness and support over the past several years. It has been with great pleasure that we have been able to serve you.

Hope to see you one last time at MelBee's.

New Spin! Pizza

One of my favorite pizza places, Spin! Neapolitan Pizza, is opening up a new location in Olathe, at 119th & Greenwood (the new strip just east of Blackbob, on the north side of 119th Street). They are scheduled to open this coming Monday, June 16th.

Mmmmm....I can't wait.

website: http://www.spinpizza.com/

Happy Gillis Cafe & Hangout

A few weeks ago, I had lunch with my massage therapist at Happy Gillis Cafe & Hangout. I can definitely attest to the 'hang out' factor - I think our lunch lingered on about 2 hours. Happy Gillis is located in the Little Italy part of the River Market area, which has a very residential feel. We ordered our lunch, then snagged an outside table, as the weather was nice that day. I think only one car drove by as we were lunching outside the cafe.

I was daring and ordered the Bahn Mi sandwich, which boasted grilled chicken, a variety of Mexican veggies, and fresh jalepeno peppers. Yep! They were fresh and hot...but not too overpowering. Very good! My lunch partner had the Curry Chicken Salad. She had been to Happy's before and she liked this salad so much that she had not seen it necessary to order anything different.

We struck up a conversation after our lunch with Todd Schulte, the owner of Happy Gillis. He also owns The Happy Soup Eater, which makes homemade soup weekly for delivery to hungry, soup-loving customers. He said that Happy's had been open for a few months and the lunch crowd was good some days, and not so good other days. We promised to spread the word.

So....GO THERE! You'll like it!

website: http://www.happysoupeater.com/ (Happy Gillis doesn't have a dedicated website yet)

The Drum Room

I visited The Drum Room (1335 Baltimore, right inside the Hilton President Hotel) today for lunch with a friend. Our overall experience was good, but I have to say, I think going to this place for lunch is like going to World of Fun in October. Sure, it's the same great place, but the ambiance is missing somewhat.

You see, The Drum Room is known for their music and their martinis, neither of which was present over the lunch hour. Well, I suppose I could have tried a martini, but I didn't...

Maybe because of this, or maybe because of the surprisingly lack of signage for this joint, there were no huge crowds here over lunch. Actually, if you were looking for a nice, quiet lunch spot to talk business (or gossip) and have some great food, this would be your place. The entire time we were there, we only saw 4 other diners.

Other than the lack of customers, our experience was great. The waitstaff was friendly and attentive, and the food was WONDERFUL. I chose the "Soup, Salad and 1/2 Sandwich" option. I love trying multiple food options in one meal - I stink at multi-tasking and this makes me feel like I'm at least trying to multi-task. My lunch partner chose the Drum Room Burger with Sweet Potato fries. I don't remember seeing even a crumbs left on her plate when she was finished.

For my S, S & S trio, I chose Tomato Bisque, Caesar Salad, and the Lump Crab Cake Sandwich. The bisque was thick and creamy, and served with some yummy, seemingly homemade crackers poking up from the red-orange goodness. The Caesar salad was very good (though none I've tried have ever matched Garozzo's Caesar salad - it's the standard by which I judge all other Caesars). The Crab Cake sandwich was surprisingly good. It was served open-faced, with some diced avocado and tomato sprinkled on top. All this for $11.

I'd love to try this place at happy hour, or during a performance, when it's really hopping!

Website: http://drumroomkc.com/