Photo Courtesy Silverspot Cinema

By: Adam Baron

Dinner and a movie. For years, it has been the de facto weekend plans of couples everywhere. If you’re like me, you’ve noticed that sometime along the way, that old standby has become not such a pleasant experience.

First, there is the dilemma of the both of you agreeing on a place to eat. Then, you need to figure out how far the restaurant is from the theater so you can make your movie on time, or at least getting there early enough so you’re not relegated to the first row. Then there is the whole riffraff in the audience these days; parents too cheap to hire babysitters taking their wailing infants; squads of annoying teens who think the theater is nothing more than a dark, ambient backdrop for their texting. Let’s not forget to mention those tiny seats where you have to play elbow hockey with complete strangers for the armrest.

What if I told you that all these problems have been solved?

Bar area of Trilogy where patrons wait for a movie

Silverspot Cinema has figured out a way to take the “dinner and a movie” experience to a whole new level creating an entertainment oasis where one can have dinner, drinks and then enjoy a movie in the most comfortable of surroundings.

The Coconut Creek theater located at 4441 Lyons Road opened last May and it’s restaurant Trilogy, opened soon after. The theater offers 11 screens with seating that you select in advance. No more fumbling around or getting to the theater early for the best seats; like a concert, your seats are reserved.

Not ones to enjoy shlepping from place to place on a Saturday night, it was a pleasure to park in the new parking garage at the Promenade at Coconut Creek and walk a short ways to the theater. We made a reservation in advance for the Trilogy restaurant as it gets busy on the weekends, especially in the hour proceeding the movie you’d like to see. The movie we chose was “The Martian” starring Matt Damon which we knew would be packed.

Crispy shrimp dumplings with sweet chili sauce

The 120-seat restaurant is owned by the David Burke Group, which was founded by famed New York City chef David Burke, who operates high-end restaurants like David Burke Kitchen, Fishtail and David Burke’s Primehouse.

Our reservation was at 6:30 p.m and we were greeted by a fresh-faced hostess and promptly seated in a booth. The decor is decidedly modern emulating a club-like atmosphere. There is also seating outside on a covered patio. The bar area features unique cocktails with names like: “Seabiscuit Julep,” “From Russia with Love,” and “A Clockwork Mango.” My wife started her meal with “A Clockwork Mango” which had Flor de Cana Anejo Rum, mango, fresh lime, mint and soda for $10.

Tomato soup burrata basil

For our appetizers, I ordered the Crispy shrimp dumplings with sweet chili sauce for $15. The dumplings are fried to a golden brown with a tender shrimp filling inside. The chili gives the perfect sweet-hot kick to the dumpling and they were gone before I knew it.

My wife ordered the Tomato soup burrata basil for $7 which was smooth, creamy with a great zesty flavor and a large portion.

BLT lobster rolls

For my main course, I ordered the BLT lobster rolls for $16 which was a great trio of sandwiches made with generous amounts of lobster mixed in a tarragon-tinged mayo flanked by crisp thick bacon and tomato slices and all of it cradled in a soft, fresh bun. In a word; delicious. Did I mention they give you three of these bad boys?

My wife ordered the Angry shrimp fajitas which had peppers, onions, chili oil, guacamole, and pico de gallo for $18. The shrimp were large and spicy. For dessert she chose a tiramisu with a Chocolate kahlua glaze and raspberries for $10

Angry shrimp fajitas

As our movie was at 7:35 p.m., we were cutting it close, so we decided to have them give us the dessert to go. They placed it on a tray to carry into the theater which was able to be inserted into the cupholder for a convenient table top. The concession stand eschews the traditional theater fare for a more refined snacking experience. Gone are the mega-boxes of M&M’s and the like. Here you will find cupcakes, pies served in mason jars, bottled waters and juices.

Not your typical movie theater concession stand

We went right to our reserved seats in the theater, which was a convenience considering the movie was about to start. The leather seats are large and comfortable with ultra-wide armrests. We’re talking living room quality here. There is also plenty of leg room in front so you don’t have to contort yourself into a yoga position when somebody needs to get by. In some of the larger theaters, there are even ottomans on the first row to prop your feet up. I’m not a fan of sitting so close to the screen, but those sure did look comfortable.

Tickets are more than the typical movie at $14.50 for adults, $9.75 for children 10 and under and seniors $12 but well worth the price for the comfort. The elevated pricing also has another great, but unintended consequence; it keeps the riffraff out!

As the theater lights dimmed, we settled into our big comfortable leather chairs and noshed on tiramisu, eager to see how they were going to bring that plucky Matt Damon back home to Earth.

Silverspot Cinemas Coconut Creek
www.silverspot.net

Trilogy Restaurant
4441 Lyons Rd
Coconut Creek, FL 33073 | Map it
Phone: 954-977-9877
Hours of Operation
Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.