The Classic: Dinner and a Movie

A few weeks ago, Sean took me out to dinner and a movie for my birthday. While dinner and a movie is a traditional date night idea (and not particularly unique), Sean put his own creative spin on it by taking me to The Big Picture, a cute movie theater in Seattle (though there is also a location in Redmond).

The Big Picture is a small theater that shows first run movies. So what makes it unique? The lounge outside the theater serves cocktails before the show and they allow you to continue indulging during the movie. Cocktails can be delivered to you at your seat during any time of your choosing. For those on a tighter budget, there is no bar minimum purchase required, though drinks are very reasonably priced. The Big Picture also features their award-winning white cheddar Champagne Popcorn, which is definitely worth the $6 price tag! For those who prefer not to have dinner before the show, they do have a limited dinner menu available that can also be delivered to you while you relax and take in the movie – talk about VIP treatment!

Words of Warning: The Big Picture is a one-room theater, so make sure you double check which movie is playing before you go. Also, only guests 21 and older are permitted in The Big Picture.

For dinner, Sean took me to Tavolata, one of Ethan Stowell’s restaurants (other restaurants include Anchovies & Olives, How to Cook a Wolf, and Staple & Fancy). Tavolata was only a few blocks from The Big Picture, so it was a great choice for the evening. Although we spent a little more than $100 for the entire date (in part because of Sean’s huge appetite), Tavolata has an amazing happy hour (every night from 5:00 – 7:00 pm) and can be done much more affordably by limiting the number of drinks consumed and by ordering off the happy hour menu, which I would highly recommend. For dinner, I ordered the Seared Scallops, which were set atop an eggplant caponata, basil, and saba. It was absolutely delicious! Sean ordered the spaghetti AND the Gnocchi alla Romana (pictured) off the happy hour menu and both were very generous portions (and very tasty as well).

Tavolata is a fun restaurant – while we chose to have a private table by the window, they have one long communal table in the middle of the restaurant if you want to make some new friends (they also have outside dining if the weather permits). The waiters and waitresses were all very friendly and made us feel like we were a part of their big Italian family. Overall, Tavolata and The Big Picture put a fun date spin on an old date favorite!

The Big Picture
2 Movie Tickets: $22.00 ($11.00 each)
Food (1 bucket of popcorn, 2 beers, 2 boxes of candy): $16.00

Tavolata
Dinner (3 entrees, 3 drinks, tax and gratuity): $71.40

Other Costs
Parking: $12.00

Total Date Cost: $121.40

The Big Picture: http://www.thebigpicture.net/
Tavolata: http://ethanstowellrestaurants.com/tavolata/