by Andrew Chalk
Congratulations to Nick and Sam’s Grill for saving the destitute northeast corner of Prestonwood Blvd. and Belt Line from urban decay. I used to get taken past the sorry edifice of the former cinema here every Sunday morning by my dog. I saw it reduced to a pile of rubble. Now it is restored to a glory that its predecessor never saw, even in its heyday.
I attended a media event this week and, briefly, part of the old cinema space is an impressive and commanding Nick and Sam’s Grill. Another part is still a building site but will be transformed into a Coal Vine’s pizzeria around mid-year. The third part of the old cinema lot is… a cinema! However, Nick and Sam’s didn’t make the mistake of cloning the operation that failed. This new cinema, “Look“, is a dinner theatre with an eclectic menu of popular items like flat bread, calamari and sushi and a selection of beers (including some interesting examples such as Fireman’s 4) and what is currently a rather depressing selection of wines (but that can be changed). The seats are sumptuous and reclinable via one button. The sound system is state of the art. And the legroom copious.
Take your honey for a romantic evening. There is lots of free parking (as well as valet) for now, but I expect the capital investment put in here to spurn a slew of restaurants and bars on this premium stretch of Belt Line that was ignored for too long before this smart money came in.
