Last Updated: February 8, 2009
What's better than watching Catherine Zeta-Jones belt out "All That Jazz" on the big screen? Watching her sing and do her thing while noshing on Brie, Pate and a bulky Pastrami Reuben.
Dinner and a movie have always been a great combination, and the Gilson Café~Cinema in Winsted, Connecticut, takes that natural pairing to a whole new level. Since 1986, the old theater has turned movies into a "dinner theater" experience. Rows of theater seats have been replaced with round café tables and reclining chairs, and table service is offered throughout the show. The menu features a diverse assortment of snacks, appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pasta entrees and desserts. Coffee drinks, beer, wine and a full bar are available.
Your dining experience at the Gilson Café~Cinema can really be anything you imagine: popcorn and a pitcher of Bud, Brie and Pate with crusty bread and a glass of Merlot, Cheese Tortellini and an oversized salad, or coffee and a round of desserts to pass around the table and sample with friends.
The Gilson is a second-run theater, but since my baby was only two months old when Chicago was released on Christmas Day 2002, I wasn't exactly getting out to a lot of movies. This cabaret-style movie house was the perfect place to finally see the Academy Award-winning musical starring Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger. It's also the perfect choice when the babysitter's meter is running or you're on one of those early dates where making conversation for more than an hour can feel like Richard Gere trying to tap dance.
Chicago was playing in the Main Theater. There is a second screen in the Lounge Theater upstairs. Movies are often held over at the Gilson for many weeks due to demand.
I wondered if the waitresses, the munching and the mental anguish over which dessert to select would distract me from the film, but the good news is--they didn't! The waitresses' stealth tactics were admirable, there were actually fewer noisy disruptions than in a theater filled with teenie bopper popcorn crunchers, and my immediate and quite pleasing decision to opt for the Carrot Cake and a Mexican Coffee freed the few brain cells that baby hasn't mangled to focus on the story of murderesses, celebrity and jazz.
Gilson Café~Cinema: What You Need to Know
Location: The Gilson Café~Cinema is located at 354 Main Street (Route 44) in the center of Winsted, Connecticut. It's a little less than an hour's drive from Hartford and about a half hour west of Avon.
Schedule: The Gilson shows two movies on two screens every night except Monday. The doors open at 6 p.m., and the movie starts at 7 p.m. Call the theater to verify showtimes.
Reservations: Reservations are a must on Friday and Saturday nights, as the Gilson often sells out. Call 860-379-5108 and be sure to indicate which film you would like to see.
Age Requirements: On Friday and Saturday nights, only adults ages 21 and up are admitted. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday nights, children ages 12 and up may attend a movie if accompanied by an adult.
Prices: Movie tickets are $6.50 per person. Food items are reasonably priced. As of 2003 when I visited, sandwiches and salads ranged from about $6 to about $9, and desserts were in the $3-$4 range. The menu can be previewed online. You don't purchase movie tickets at the door; the movie fee is added to your check at the end of the evening. American Express, Visa and MasterCard are accepted.
For Information on What's Playing: Call 860-379-5108 or visit the Gilson Café~Cinema Web site.
