Pruneyard Cinemas in Campbell pairs classic films with three-course dinners and themed cocktails, attracting large audiences despite broader theater attendance struggles. Chefs Trevor Hansen and Nicko Moulinos design menus inspired by the films, recreating featured dishes or reimagining items tied to locations or characters. Mixologist Jacqueline Aguirre creates specialty cocktails that reflect film themes and memes. The series launched in 2019 as a monthly event focused on food-centered films, then broadened to include a wider range of movies. The combination of communal theatrical viewing and curated food-and-drink offerings has driven unexpected success for the venue.
Serving food in the theater with a movie is hardly a new concept, but what sets Culinary Cinema apart is the work of chefs Trevor Hansen and Nicko Moulinos, and mixologist Jacqueline Aguirre. The chefs design menus that take their lead from the movies, maybe recreating a dish featured in the film or putting a spin on an entree or appetizer that lines up with a location or character.
Aguirre comes up with a specialty cocktail that does the same. For last Monday's screening of 2004's "Mean Girls," that was the You Go Glen Coco-Tini, a tiki-style drink with coconut cream named after a minor character in the film who became a meme sensation. Hansen's menu also included Glen Coco-nut Shrimp. "Creating the menus is fun, and the customers enjoy it," Hansen said.
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