Pixar dinner took you to the movies

By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer

 

The Pixar dinner, held recently at the Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa, was set up like a drive-in movie theater for a four-course meal and the showing of Toy Story.

All the tables in the ballroom were set up, looking at the screen, with Cracker Jacks at each place setting with Pixar-shaped lamps at each table, along with iced water, with lovely tablecloths and attentive servers. The food was delightfully named and was set to correspond with several Pixar movies set from Paris to Radiator Springs.

Before the dinner, there was a Pixar short shown of Pixar lights learning to bowl, with Randy Newman doing the music and Brad Bird directing.

This evening featured a four-course meal with specially crafted themed cocktails and corresponding non-alcoholic mocktails. The first course was a shrimp Caesar Salad, to correspond with the movie Finding Nemo with a tropical cocktail with Captain Morgan rum. The story of the Pixar film Finding Nemo is where a Clownfish goes searching for his son, Nemo, in the vast ocean.

The second course was a summer vegetable delight: ratatouille. The in-season zucchini, tomatoes and squash were layered and seasoned to perfection, from the movie Ratatouille, the story of a rat who wants to become a great French chef.

The trivia contest of questions with Pixar prizes was hosted by Marc Resnick, the Lake Arrowhead Resort’s new food manager.

The third course was chicken and waffles, with syrup, paired with the movie Cars.

The dessert course was an ice cream sundae with gumballs on a stick as décor like balloons from the movie Up, which was much appreciated on such a hot evening.

As everyone entered, they received a free raffle ticket. Throughout the evening there were numerous raffles. Most of the raffle prizes were Pixar items, such as plush animals, headphones and other Pixar-branded items. The grand prize was a one-night stay at the Lake Arrowhead Resort.

The ending feature was a custom movie clip, which featured Lake Arrowhead itself as a Pixar movie set, with numerous Pixar movie characters and Resnick. It was a fun evening.

The last dinner and a movie event took p lace in July and was themed Harry Potter, which had 80 people attend, many in fantastic costumes. The next dinner and movie event will be Pirates of Lake Arrowhead on Sept. 18, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. There is only limited seating available because of the seating design.

For that night, they will be transforming the dining room into a pirate’s cove, with a four-course themed feast, crafted cocktails and entertainment that’s billed as “more thrilling than a cannon blast at sea.” For only $99 a person, guests will embark on a bold culinary journey with four courses and cocktails of seafaring flavor, with pirate trivia contests and treasure raffles. There will also be a costume contest for the saltiest and swaggiest swashbucklers. They invite everyone to attend and enjoy the fun, whether as a fearless captain, a mischievous deckhand or a land-loving rogue; come dine, compete, and enjoy a night of unforgettable fun.

The menu will include as the first course “Unleash the Kraken” with squid ink, linguini, fried calamari tentacles in red pepper cream sauce. The Black Pearl drink will be kraken spiced rum, ginger beer with lime juice.

The second course will be called “Tortuga Jerk Shrimp” with jumbo shrimp marinated in Caribbean jerk and coconut rice. The Flying Dutchman drink will contain coconut rum and coconut purée, with citrus simple mint.

The third course, “Barbosa’s Leg,” is a smoked turkey leg with the Rum Runner’s Island drink consisting of silver rum, dark rum, banana liqueur, blackberry liqueur, pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice and Grenadine.

“Jar of Dirt” is the dessert course consisting of chocolate pudding and whipped cream, with Oreo crumbles. The Tiki Room drink is made with rum, pineapple, banana and coconut milk.

There will be raffles and prizes, so plan now to come to the Lake Arrowhead Resort and become a part of the evening’s entertainment during their monthly dinner and a movie. RSVP now at the Lake Arrowhead Resort website: https://www.lakearrowheadresort.com/lake-arrowhead-restaurants/pirates-themed-dinner/