Inqlings: Double feature: Film and food

Chef Jason Cichonski hoisting chef Charles "Chip" Roman at Wednesday's Philly Cooks benefit for the Ronald McDonald House at the Crystal Tea Room. The pair will open a Chestnut Hill restaurant called Mica in March.

By Michael Klein, Inquirer Columnist

Posted: February 27, 2011

You've heard of dinner and a movie. How about together, in a theater?

Movie Tavern, a Texas company, won approval last week for a liquor license for its first East Coast location, in the Providence Town Center at Routes 422 and 29 near Collegeville. In June, says marketing director Traci Hoey, movies will play on eight screens (each with 100 to 200 tabletop-equipped seats), and waiters will take orders from patrons. Menu will be comparable to Chili's, though Hoey says grub leans toward non-messy items that can be safely eaten in the dark.

Also combining food and fun is a craft-beer bar coming to Fishtown, near the SugarHouse Casino. A team from Brooklyn, N.Y., has started construction of Barcade, whose shtick is a lineup of 1980s arcade games such as Ms. Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. Pete Langway says he and his partners were sold on the building, at 1114 Frankford Ave., just south of Girard Avenue, because it has a certain je ne sais Williamsburg: It appears to have been an old carriage house with a warehouse out back, Langway says, adding that they hope to open in three to four months. It will be the third location, after one about to open in Jersey City, N.J.

Radio activity

Snow is good for snowplow operators, ski resorts, and all-news KYW-AM (1060), which accumulated high ratings in January, according to Arbitron. Among listeners in the advertising sweet spot of ages 25 to 54, KYW was a solid No. 1 in the morning, followed by Preston & Steve on WMMR-FM (93.3) and Tiffany & Michael on WBEB-FM (B101). Throughout the day, KYW was just a fraction of a point below the perennial leader, WBEB (B101).

Sports sorts

A team led by Chase Lenfest and featuring 6ABC's Walter Perez, PhilliesNation.com's Pat Gallen, CW57's Kharisma McIlwaine, and Survivor alumnus Gervase Peterson won the Police Athletic League's annual PAL Night media basketball game during halftime at the Sixers game Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center. It was a 14-5 blowout, but not a total loss for Marisa Magnatta, producer of Preston & Steve. "I got a rebound," she says brightly, adding: "And then a 14-year-old girl stole the ball from me." Magnatta, who at exactly half the height of the rim was the shortest on the court, says: "I was trying to get people to hoist me up." Magnatta's teammates were Comcast SportsNet's Marshall Harris, NBC10's Harry Hairston, CBS3's Jericka Duncan, and ESPN 97.3's Mike Gill. The event raised more than $11,000.

Stephenie LaGrossa says she and her husband, Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick, did not time her pregnancy to coincide with what might be the heat of a pennant race, but "we're grateful about it." She announced last week on Facebook that she is with child. Looking on the bright side, the Delaware County-bred LaGrossa, 31, who owns the Old City restaurant GiGi, says she is looking forward to delivering in September and enjoying champagne in October. At a parade, no doubt. She and Kendrick, 26, were married in November.

In the kitchen

Scott Swiderski, who spent a dozen years as executive chef at Buddakan before leaving last summer, has been tapped as exec chef at Serafina, a New York-rooted Italian restaurant coming to 10 Rittenhouse at 18th and Sansom Streets this spring. Swiderski left the Corner, a small, start-up restaurant at 13th and Drury Streets, last week, as HughE Dillon reported on PhillyChitChat.com. It's a long way from Buddakan's angry lobster and dip-sum doughnuts to Serafina's pasta and pizza, but Swiderski points out that his pre-Buddakan work was at Manhattan's Coco Pazzo and Le Madre. John "Chainsaw" Taus succeeds Swiderski at the Corner.

The circuit

Drexel University got a shout-out last week on the CW's 90210 when Liam (Matt Lanter) said that after graduation, he would apply there because "they have an excellent engineering department."

Bobby Rydell visited Chris' Jazz Cafe on Feb. 18 to hear his childhood buddy Pat Martino, the jazz guitarist. The two played in a band together as teenagers, with Rydell on drums. Rydell has a March 25 date at the House of Blues in Atlantic City with Lou Christie and Fabian.

Briefly noted

Monday is the final day for artists to submit high-resolution photos of their original works to qualify for the 22d annual Manayunk Arts Festival (June 25-26). Apply online at www.zapplication.com

Before the Flyers' Wives Fight for Lives Carnival on Sunday, Flyers alumni Bob Kelly and Dave Schultz, former Phantom Frank "The Animal" Bialowas, and current (but injured) Flyer Ian Laperriere will sign autographs at Barb's Harley-Davidson (926 Black Horse Pike, West Collingswood Heights) from noon to 2 p.m.

Chef Hiroyuki "Zama" Tanaka, who owns Zama near Rittenhouse Square, on Monday will hand a check for $1,200 to the Variety Club, the proceeds of a campaign for which local celebs (the Eagles' Winston Justice, sandwich meister/actor Tony Luke Jr., Phillies pitcher Ryan Madson, and Flyers great Bernie Parent) put their names on sushi rolls.

Contact columnist Michael Klein at mklein@phillynews.com. Follow his blog at http://go.philly.com/insider and on Twitter @phillyinsider.