I should have known when I was invited to tour the new AMC Dine-In Theaters in Fort Lauderdale (they are behind the Target on Federal Highway and Oakland Park Blvd.), that I shouldn’t have eaten before I went.
Yes, it’s a movie theater, per se, but there’s no questioning that the new AMC is all about food. Lucky me, I got to sample just about everything that AMC is now serving at this one-stop shop for dinner and a movie.
I tried the Jalapeno chipotle Big Burger and fries (Pepper Jack cheese, fried jalapeno poppers, chipotle mayo and smoked bacon, plus more jalapenos and, there’s a hamburger in there somewhere). They brought out the BLT pizzetta, a flatbread loaded with more of the Applewood bacon that was on the burger, plus Cheddar Jack cheese, with arugula layered on the top so you can ensure you get your veggies.
Speaking of me getting my vegetables that day, I also got a Wedge Salad, more bacon, blue cheese crumbles and creamy blue cheese dressing. But I dug into what was on the side first: a warm soft pretzel breadstick. For dessert, Ryan Noonan, AMC’s director of public relations, who was also my tour guide, insisted that I try the Waffle Sundae (go ahead twist my arm), which is more than one person can eat, but, in the interest of being a good journalist, I devoured the whole thing.
This concoction, which Noonan touted as one of their signature selections, had two warm maple-infused Belgian waffles topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel drizzled, and guess what? More bacon — this time it was a sweet-savory candied bacon and sprinkled on top. As if one dessert wasn’t enough, they brought out the Toasted S’mores Pizzetta, marshmallow cream spread over pizzetta crust, topped with Hershey’s chocolate bars, graham crackers, and chocolate and caramel sauces, plus whipped cream. I ate half of that, and took the rest home in a doggie box.
And that’s just a tip of the iceberg on what’s on the AMC Dine-In menu. There are sixty dishes to choose from with prices that are competitive with, say, an Applebee’s or Chili’s menu. "We call it ChilAppleBack, so Chili’s, Applebee’s, Outback — it’s comparable to that," says Brittany Kerckhoff, head chef at AMC Coral Ridge. Tenderloin tips are $15.99, for instance; the burger I had is priced at $12.99, thai coconut chicken tenders (oooh, I’ll have to have those next time!), are $12.49. There are also kids meals available and, of course, popcorn and movie candy. The chef’s favorite? Chicken Mac & Cheese (yes, more bacon, bread crumbs, lots of cheese and chicken, and you also get that warm soft pretzel breadstick. It’s a pretty big portion for $11.99).
I wondered how easy it is to serve food while a movie’s playing without disturbing guests.
"Our servers are very good; we call them our Ninja servers. They are experts at sliding the food in while you’re watching the movie. You look down and all of a sudden your food is there. We have training and things in place so that the food serving doesn’t interrupt the moviegoing experience at all," says Kerckhoff.
Truth be told, I never really visited the AMC Theater at Coral Ridge. It seemed old and not very inviting, but the new multimillion-dollar renovation has changed all that. The employees staff has increased from 20 at the old theater to nearly 300.
There are 10 auditoriums with seating that feels like you’re lounging in a first-class airplane seat. There are two different types of movie-food experiences: Fork & Screen ($10 per ticket) has five auditoriums. It’s the family-friendly theater that, Noonan says, will show a lot of the PG and PG-13 movies. Of course, it has the full-service menu, plus kid’s meals. Then there’s Cinema Suites ($12.50 per ticket), which are the other five auditoriums that have power reclining seats (yes, the seats are like a nice recliner in your house, so feel free to put your feet up). AMC calls this its mature movie experience for guests who are 18 and over only. (So no crying babies allowed). Date night, anyone?
Both of the theaters feature the AMC Dine-In Theaters the team of "Ninja" servers. Push the button placed discreetly by your seat, and a server will be there momentarily. Yep, no more standing in line for your popcorn – that’s brought to you. (Popcorn with a free refill is $8.50.)
"Going out for dinner and a movie is an American tradition. Now you can have dinner and a movie in one spot. Instead of spending four hours out, you come here, eat and see a movie," says Noonan. "But we’re not a movie theater that serves dinner and we’re not a restaurant that shows movies. We’re the perfect combo of both."
I’m still not convinced all this food serving won’t bother my moviegoing.
"Everything is designed to make sure that your focus stays on the screen. So if an hour into the movie you need a refill or you want the waffle sundae, instead of servers walking around, push the button and it alerts our servers, then a minute or two later someone will come by to refill your drink or popcorn," Noonan assures.
He senses my skepticism."When the pictures going and the sound is going, people get wrapped up in the movie. The servers are trained to keep any distractions to a minimum. We’ve considered everything — even down to the plateware that we use; it’s specifically designed so it’s not ’clanky.’ The concept is designed to ensure the guests’ focus stays on the screen, providing the ultimate enjoyment of a night out at the movies," says Noonan.
In addition to having a full menu, there’s also booze, guests (21 and older, of course) can grab a beer, glass of wine, or cocktail at MacGuffins Bar, which is pretty much the first thing you see when you walk into the complex. Guests can also have a libation delivered to their table in either of the concept.
Don’t worry about someone getting belligerent and causing a ruckus in the middle of Transformers. "We have initiatives in place so that we make sure everyone is drinking responsibly," says Noonan. One of those fail safes is to use different glasses for beer, wine and cocktails, than regular drinks, so that the alcoholic drinks can be spotted in the movie theater (that way no drinks can be passed to those that are underage, for instance). Servers are also trained on what Noonan says is a way to "serve guests responsibly."
Seating is reserved, so no more scrambling for your seat. Moviegoers can plan ahead and get their ticket online (yes, of course, there’s an app for that) and select the seat they want. If you do walk up to the movie theater, you can get your ticket at the box office, but your seat will still be reserved.
"We suggest people arrive 15 minutes before the theater, so that they can look at the menu and put their order in," says Noonan. Most of the food orders are delivered during the previews.
OK. I’ve yet to try the truffle parmesan fries, smoked brisket quesadilla, or the pumpkin spice cake sundae. Oh, and that chicken mac ’n’ cheese. Guess I’ll be making a lot of trips to the movies.
The revamped theater opened on Friday, June 27 and is located in the Coral Ridge Mall, 3401 N.E. 26th Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Parking is ample and free. Want to see the full menu? http://dinein.amctheaters.com/menu. For showtimes and to reserve your seat, go to www.amctheaters.com/coralridge.
