ROCKWELL TABLE & STAGE
DINNER THEATER WITH BITE

I’m not sure how you feel about “dinner theater”, but to me it’s an odd concept. I either want a good dinner or a good theater experience, the idea of getting both at the same time is nice but more times than not I fear it will fall short. When it comes to my meals and entertainment time, I want solid quality over convenience. But dinner and a show at Rockwell Table & Stage in Los Feliz proved to be exceptional on both fronts.

Walk into Rockwell Table & Stage and you’ll be awed by its open-air patio with a mighty coral tree taking center stage. Its indoor dining room features the stage where all kinds of productions take place, from musical parodies such as Scream, and Home Alone to weekly live jazz performances from actor Jeff Goldblum. And equally impressive is the cuisine of Chef Wayne

.

The dinner theater menu seems to change with each production, so the menu I enjoyed during its Scream production may not be exactly as it is during its current holiday run of Home Alone but the following should give you a good idea of what Chef Wayne is shooting for.

During our recent visit for dinner, we started with a delicious order of Garlic Shrimp prepared with olive oil, garlic, red pepper, Spanish paprika and parsley. This dish was just so flavorful. It’s a perfect starter item to share or to enjoy all by yourself.

A rather unique and equally enjoyable appetizer is the Avocado-White Bean Dip with fresh crudités. I just loved the fresh and crunchy veggies. This dish was just plain cool, from its presentation to extreme flavor.

Unfortunately the crafted cocktails didn’t really do it for me. The Muggleton’s Mule with Russian Standard Vodka, fresh basil, lemon juice and ginger beer was just too gingery for my liking. Likewise, the Hattie Perkins with Bombay Sapphire East Gin, blood orange, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur and champagne was too sour. I’m sorry but sour by itself is not a flavor. And the Willie Gillis with Jameson (a favorite of mine), apricot brandy, apricot preserves, pressed apple juice and lemon juice was also too sour. This was an immediate “pass” for me.

The Rosie’s Riveter with Corzo Tequila, fresh lime, canton ginger, honey and mezcal was a little sweet but rather refreshing. At this point I felt I was lucky if I didn’t want to just toss it aside so I drank it happily. The Saturday Evening Sazerac with Old Overholt Rye Whiskey, absinthe, syrup, bitters and lemon twist was rather potent and not well balanced but I prefer boozy to sour or saccharine.

I suppose I could have stuck to simple spirits, beer and/or wine seeing how it seemed that the dinner theater experience was all about dinner and theater.  Maybe asking for fine handcrafted cocktails was too much.

A great sharable menu item was the Forest Mushroom wood stone flatbread prepared with wild mushrooms, leek, white sauce and truffle oil. This was one tasty flatbread. It will prove to be a feast for one but a terrific treat to share.

For our entrees, we went with the highly recommended Basil-Garlic Rigatoni with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, pine nuts, sage, marjoram and a white wine butter sauce. This was a filling and decadent dish but a real crowd pleaser. Although my favorite proved to be the Stuffed Sea Bass stuffed with shrimp and spinach mousse with green beans and a mushroom sauce. While sea bass is one of my favorite dishes and I prefer it not to be altered, this was an original spin on it and quite enjoyable above all.

If you’re looking for a side item, go for the Capt’n Crunch Onion Rings as they’re a must-have sharable order. In case you’re curious, these are onion rings battered with Capt’n Crunch cereal so they’re sweet and just so damn delicious. I’m hooked now.

For dessert, we split the Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce, and the Skilled-Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie with vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate caramel sauce. Both of these dishes are decadent and delicious, but I have to say the skillet-baked cookie was just unreal. Consider it a must-have.

At Rockwell, the indoor remodeled dining room opens nightly at 5:30pm with music shows beginning at 8pm or 9pm. The outdoor patio space is open daily from 11am until 12am Sunday through Thursday and 11am to 2am Friday and Saturday. After work specials are served on the patio daily from 5pm to 8pm, while brunch is served daily from 11am until 3pm and features health conscious lunch and brunch specials and innovative beverages. DJ’s spin Thursday through Saturday evenings and at Sunday Brunch is served from noon to 4pm.

Who says dinner theater has to be for the blue-haired set? At Rockwell Table & Stage you get both that wholeheartedly satisfy and entertain.

Rockwell Table & Stage is located at 1714 N. Vermont Ave in Los Feliz. Reservations can be made by calling (323) 669-1550.

Story by Jose Martinez

Photography Courtesy of: Rockwell Table & Stagek