It’s showtime!

Treat yourself to dinner and a show

Tired of the same-old date night? Skip the movie and savor a supper club.

It used to be “you get dressed up and see a show,” said Antonio “Tino” Cione, executive chef at Dino’s Backstage & The Celebrity Room in Glenside. “We’re trying to bring that back, and I’m so happy to be a part of it.”

The son of an entertainer himself, Cione joined the team in July, offering a “whole new menu.”

“Everything is homemade. Everything is fresh,” he described. “I’m a first-generation Italian-American. Both my parents were born in Italy. I’ve been cooking since I was 5 years old.”

It’s all about the food (try his ricotta gnocchi), the ambiance and the acts, which range from Grammy-nominated singer Marilyn Maye to “The Snow Show,” featuring holiday favorites.

“When you come to dinner and a show, you’re getting quality entertainment, a night out,” said chef Bob Imperial of Imperial Music Hall and Imperial’s Catering in Trappe. “We don’t get bar bands. We get bands that travel the country and play at different venues.”

He tailors the menu to each show like steak, chili and corn bread for a country band or Elvis-worthy peanut butter-andbanana desserts.

“If you have the same meal, it takes the fun out of it,” Imperial explained. “I get to try new recipes and do things that are different.”

So does executive chef Fred Duerr of Rising Sun Inn in Telford, who hosts catered concerts in a restored barn. Think Jamaican jerk chicken at a Bob Marley tribute and “magic mushroom soup” for a Jerry Garcia birthday show.

He also partnered with Montgomery Theater in Souderton, giving ticketholders 20-percent off dinner, including his signature bison Wellington.

“After a show, enjoy a good meal and talk about the show,” Duerr said. “It’s good marketing for us because it reaches an audience we potentially wouldn’t reach.”

It’s become so popular that Montgomery Theater teamed up with other restaurants too.

“It’s a showstopping deal,” he added.

COURTESY OF RISING SUN INN Mike Guldin and Rollin’ & Tumblin’ take the stage at Rising Sun Inn.

COURTESY OF JESSIE MAE KANAGIE PHOTOGRAPHY ”Elvis” takes the stage at Imperial Music Hall.

COURTESY OF JESSIE MAE KANAGIE PHOTOGRAPHY Elvis would have loved this peanut butter-andbanana dessert at Imperial Music Hall.

COURTESY OF KEVIN ALVEY See award-winning singer Marilyn Maye at Dino’s Backstage & The Celebrity Room.

COURTESY OF MICHAEL KELLY-CATALDI Experience the food, ambiance and acts at Dino’s Backstage & The Celebrity Room.