GUEST COLUMN: Considering the 4 Coolest Movie Restaurants To Have a Meal
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Considering the 4 Coolest Movie Restaurants To Have a Meal
by Lewis Robinson
Have you ever been watching a movie and thought to yourself how cool it would be to go to the restaurants that are part of the movie? Maybe you enjoy seeing the early 20th-century prices at diners like those shown in Road To Perdition. Perhaps you like the busy, weekday morning ambiance of the coffee shop shown at the beginning of Training Day, or the strict decorum of the steakhouse where Denzel tracked the three wise men down and told Ethan Hawke to order a baseball steak. Celluloid seating doesn't exist for folks who aren't actually part of the movies, but if there was a way to break down that fourth wall, there are loads of eateries that might be fun places to people-watch or take a meal.
1. Jack Rabbit Slim's (Pulp Fiction)
This movie set Hollywood on its ears when it came out in the 1990s, and the restaurant, where Vincent Vega took Mia Wallace, was dripping with vintage authenticity, complete with waitstaff dressed as and imitating stars who've passed, like Buddy Holly. Other staff was there for ambiance, like Rick Nelson performing.
Who wouldn't want to try the five-dollar milkshake that Mia ordered, or enter a dance contest on a stage in the middle of the restaurant while a pseudo-Ed Sullivan introduces you? As you're dancing in stocking feet in front of the other patrons, you might consider how much to tip your waiter or waitress.
2. Mos Eisley Cantina (Star Wars)
When you think of this classic spot from the original Star Wars movie, you might not think of what sorts of restaurant equipment were utilized, although it would've been fun to examine. Although it seemed like only the most rough and tumble customers frequented the cantina, those men traveling across space would've definitely needed some nourishment to go with their pints of space brew.
As far as ambiance is concerned, if you enjoy being in a place where everybody eyeballs each other and anybody could be an imperial spy, you'd enjoy your time there. Where else could you watch a Wookie tear off somebody's arm, only to then go to a booth and relax while his partner negotiates with another ne'er-do-well? If none of this convinces you to stay, the Modal Nodes swining instrumentals might change your mind.
3. Rick's Cafe (Casablanca)
Did you want to hear Sam play that old romantic song again, too? Set in Casablanca during World War 2, Rick's was a kind of oasis in which all comers could relax, or maybe do some under-the-table black market dealing, amidst an otherwise chaotic environment that was quite under the command of the Nazis.
At Rick's, you might not witness the drama of lives becoming momentarily reconnected after a shattering parting years earlier. Instead, you could experience how it feels when Nazi commanders walk in with the local law, intent on letting their presence be known to everybody. The power dynamics that exist in Rick's are staggering. Would you keep your head down or make direct eye contact? Probably it depends on what your business was in Casablanca in the first place. However, if you needed a fake passport to get you across the border, or maybe even to America, Rick's is your place.
4. Copacabana (Goodfellas)
The Copa did exist as part of New York City's scene until the 1970s. Experiencing it the way that Henry Hill experienced it would be worth the price of admission. He bypassed the long line and walked through the kitchen, where the bustling activity seemed to simply part as he and Karen walked on through on their way to the grand room. Depending on your social status, tables can be instantly added in prime spots, like in front of the stage, where crooners like Frankie Valli can sing to you and your date.
If you go on Friday or Saturday night, just remember to be careful introducing yourself to the boys in the mafia. Depending on the evening, they'll be with their wives or their girlfriends. Do you remember which night is for whom?
