Eat like hobbits for dinner, breakfast at ‘Lord of the Rings’ fest
It’s the season for hobbit food. Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville is running a “Lord of the Rings” Film Festival from Friday through Nov. 15. The theater will screen “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy films several times throughout the week, and there are two food-related events tied to them. One is a themed dinner/supper at The Vandal along with a movie screening at the Row House, and the other is Second Breakfast, where patrons can take breakfast food into the screening.
Joey Hilty, owner of The Vandal, loves the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and was excited about coming up with a menu that would complement the films.
The fall/winter menu that features comfort foods “has ties to British cuisine, and I think hobbits eat the kind of food we eat at this time of the year.” Mr. Hilty also is planning to pair the courses with local mead and cider.
He is working with pastry chef Cole McLaughlin, a big fan of the book series.
Their first course will be obvious to fans of the books — lembas bread, an elven bread or waybread (travel food made by elves), which will be served with accoutrements.
It will be followed with an apple and hazelnut salad, roast beef with sides (or a vegetarian option if desired) and marmalade cake for dessert.
The maximum crowd size for each seating is 26, so the event will be intimate.
Guests can choose a 6 p.m. dinner at The Vandal followed by “Return of the King” down the
street at Row House, or a 4 p.m. screening of “The Two Towers” at Row House with an 8 p.m. supper at The Vandal. The event is on Monday, when The Vandal is typically closed to customers. Tickets for either the dinner or the supper with screening are $75.
Molly Ebert, director of events and membership at Row House, said her staff wanted to work with The Vandal not only because the restaurant is nearby but also because its food is “suited to the films” with meats and root vegetables figuring prominently on the regular menu. Mr. Hilty said the restaurant’s very first special event was a beer dinner done in conjunction with Row House, and he appreciates the long-standing relationship.
A lower-cost but still hobbit-themed food event is the Second Breakfast with a screening of “The Fellowship of the Ring” at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Row House staff will assemble a breakfast bar with pastries, coffee and tea, and patrons can take them into the theater for the show. Tickets are $12.
Staffers chose “The Fellowship of the Ring” for the breakfast event because that’s the movie in which the hobbits are shocked to discover that the rest of the world doesn’t recognize “second breakfast” as a daily meal.
The Row House staff “all love the “Lord of the Rings,” so we felt it was time to do something special with that, and it’s perfect for fall,” Ms. Ebert said.
The theater always runs a themed film festival in November.
For more information, go to rowhousecinema.com. The food events are also detailed on facebook.com (search for Lord of the Rings Dinner & Supper with The Vandal or Second Breakfast & Fellowship of the Ring).