Eatery brings comedy to Wellington
There are a lot of places to catch a show in the western communities, from Wellington’s murder mystery dinners to movie theaters to the occasional openmic nights.
But for those who like to laugh, there’s one offering conspicuously absent from the lineup: a comedy club.
The Grille Fashion Cuisine in Wellington hopes to help fill that void when it hosts its first comedy night on Oct. 21. The restaurant has three comedians on deck, with each bringing something different to the (dinner) table:
■ Cal Verduchi: High-energy “master of voice impressions” seen on Comedy Central.
■ Doug Almeida: Blue-collar comedian who was in the World Series of Comedy.
■ Kendall “Shorty” Ward: Improv star seen with Bill Bellamy and at the Wendy Williams Comedy Experience.
Fashion Cuisine Group marketing manager Kelly Colbath said the comedy night is the latest in The Grille’s lineup of events that have kept the restaurant packed during Wellington’s typically slow summer season.
“We keep trying to find unique events for The Grille,” she said, mentioning the jazz dinners and wine-pairing events that have made the restaurant — in the space previously occupied by another popular spot, Nicole’s — a hotspot in the village.
Colbath said she’s been “really shocked” by the response to the comedy night, with about half the tickets already snatched up.
“A lot of us don’t want to go east of 441 for something like this,” she said. “West Palm Beach, Delray Beach have these great events. We thought, ‘Why not in Wellington, too?’”
There are two ways to buy tickets to The Grille’s comedy night: Either a $10 cover charge with a two-drink minimum for the 8:30 p.m. show, or people can pay $39 for a three-course meal. The dinner, which Colbath said has been the most popular choice, with seatings every half-hour from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Colbath said The Grille “definitely” would have its event again, depending on the success of the Oct. 21 comedy night.
“We’re willing to bring it back as much as our patrons want,” she said.