Central Cinema offers tasty food and fun films

[img1]Film and food have joined forces at the Central Cinema, a restaurant/movie house that opened last spring in Seattle's Central District.

The artsy, cozy theater screens older features, indie films and special-themed movie nights alongside a thoughtful menu of tasty meals.

"The idea for Central Cinema came from one of our trips to Portland," says owner Kevin Spitzer. "We almost always end up at the Mission theater (a McMenamin-owned theatre-pub) for a pitcher of beer, a hot sandwich and an old movie. Invariably, one of us says, 'What is Seattle's problem that we can't do this at home?'"

As residents of the Central District for 9 years, Kevin and his wife, Kate, noticed the lack of entertainment options in the area. "Everyone has to go somewhere else to do anything," he said.

Kevin, a metalwork artist, and Kate, an architect, then decided to transform their art studio into a theater. The influences of their trades and aesthetic sensibilities are reflected in the space itself. Central Cinema maintains an industrial feel with stylish touches, including a red-lit marquee and beautiful mosaic work on the front entrance. The screening room seats 120 -- the front area is reserved for dining and the back is for regular theater seating.

The cinema offers a wide variety of themed nights to satisfy a range of palates, from the tough-guy action flicks of the "Man Alone" series to the interactive "Sing-a-long Sundays," where audience members can belt along to the featured musical. GLAMN! (Gay, Lesbian and Alternative Movie Night) features films that highlight and explore the gay experience. "Pie & Politics" runs a political documentary, followed by desert and discussion, sometimes with the filmmaker in attendance.

Also notable is "Independent Exposure," an experimental film festival created by Microcinema, a company that curates short films, video and digital moving images. Screened through a syndication of alternative film venues, the festival runs at Central Cinema every second Wednesday of the month.

Next month's collection, entitled Mobile Exposure, will feature shorts made by cell phones, PDAs and other handheld mobile devices.

Just as the atmosphere and film selection at Central Cinema is not the "McMovie experience" of the major cineplex, neither is its menu. It gives standard fare a kick, including handmade pizzas with inventive toppings. Spitzer's personal favorite is the Firenza pizza with roasted potatoes and rosemary ($7.50).

The menu includes a "chef's choice" calzone, soup of the day, sandwiches, appetizers and a small desert selection.

"We are in the process of putting together the winter menu," says Spitzer. "We change seasonally so we can cook with fresh and timely ingredients."

Popcorn is available for the traditionalist -- with real butter, brewer's yeast, curry or dijon and dill on top ($3).

Patrons seat themselves in the theater's booth-styled benches, which are outfitted with a countertop. Orders are placed with a waiter who provides full-table service -- arrive a little early if you want to visually appreciate your meal before the lights go down.

The danger of forks and "night blindness" is quickly forgotten, however, by the fantasy fulfillment of being able to legitimately eat real food while cop chases, dramatic climaxes or hilarity ensue on the big screen.

Not only that, but you get to drink good beer, and as John Travolta's character says about Amsterdam's movie theaters in Pulp Fiction: "You can buy a beer, and I don't mean like in no paper cup. I'm talking about a glass of beer."