Simply put, it was dinner and a movie, hosted by the lady owner herself who personally served us alongside her black clad staff.
The movie was "The Big Night" starring 'Monk' (Tony Shalhoub) and the creepy guy from the American version of "Shall We Dance?" (Stanley Tucci) Dinner was a recreation of the huge dinner they prepared on the film.
They seated us at three long tables running through the length of the room and a fourth shorter table that capped the space. Yes, the food was served family-style so you had to share with your neighbors whom you may or may not know. We began with pours of our choice of a red (Quattro Mani Montepulciano 2008) and white (Mandrarossa Fiano 2008) wine - as much as we could drink - and a spread of three appetizer plates: cannelini beans/house-pickled vegetables/beet & fennel salad. Then the movie began playing on a sheet taped up with duct tape.
It was quite a leisurely meal, with bowlfuls of a golden liquid served as La Zuppa nearly a half hour after the movie started. The chicken broth was surprisingly intensely flavored and the homemade pasta perfectly al dente.
The two parter I Primi began with the Italian flag lookalike serving dish of creamy risotto - spinach/bianco/tomato-seafood, and was then followed by Il Timpano. The baked pasta/egg/sausage in a pastry shell was first paraded around the room for us to oh and ah over, before it was served in slices on individual plates.
After viewing the actual dinner on our big screen, I was wondering if we'd have a whole pig to dine upon. Nope, but we did enjoy striped bass and roasted chicken for I Secondi, along with a platter of roasted asparagus, potatoes, and carrots. Both fish and fowl were waltzed around the room before they were portioned out for our enjoyment.
As I Dolci course was missing from the movie, I had no idea what to expect. Tiramisu and eclairs ended up being a simple finish to an enjoyable meal.
At $65pp plus tip & tax, I left with a full belly and fond memories. Two quotes especially stuck out in my mind. The first, from the movie, spoken in response to the American diner who insisted that spaghetti should always come with meatballs: "Sometimes spaghetti likes to be alone." And the second from a tablemate, as we watched yet another course pass us by before it was our turn to be served: "This is the most excruciating table."
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