Viragh was inspired by Alamo Drafthouse, a dine-in theater chain with liquor and beer service and an increasing presence now in New York.
The glossy cookbook is part schtick, like the cocktail “Red Rum,” a mix of rum and hibiscus syrup for “The Shining” (for the uninitiated, “redrum” is murder spelled backward), and part literal movie reference, like the “Cup O’ Pizza” from “The Jerk.” He, too, was executed in the restaurant scene.
The name of the veal dish is based on a line uttered by the character Virgil Sollozzo before Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone shoots him to death, though the Nitehawk book attributes the famous words to corrupt police Capt. “Try the Veal, It’s the Best in the City” contains veal, new potatoes, olives and sliced blood orange in honor of “The Godfather.” In the classic film trilogy, oranges can be seen in scenes involving deeply meaningful death. There’s “The Dude Abides,” a coffee-infused, vodka-and-egg-white concoction with stout, ancho chile, walnut and salted honey syrup, in homage to the White Russians that Jeff Bridges’ character downed like Kool-Aid (“Jesus, you mix a hell of a Caucasian, Jackie”). He and his team of cinephiles, chefs and mixologists throw in bits of film history, too. With two Brooklyn locations now and a loyal following, Viragh has extended his dream to a cookbook, “Nitehawk Cinema Presents,” offering fan-favorite recipes and cocktails adapted for home. It certainly has created opportunities for other theaters, too, in the city.” “I didn’t quite expect it to happen, so we were prepared to operate how we initially set it up, where we would have a restaurant and bar in the front area. “It was a long shot,” he told The Associated Press in a recent interview. Then, Viragh began creating cocktail and food selections themed to the movies he was offering. The lobbyist rounded up some friendly lawmakers, and Nitehawk Cinema got its wish in 2011, becoming New York State’s first legal dine-in theater. Viragh, who left advertising for the theater business, hired an Albany lobbyist. But he had a state Prohibition-era liquor ban to contend with first. He wanted to serve moviegoers booze and prepared food as they sat in their seats. NEW YORK (AP) - More than a decade ago, Matthew Viragh was a Texan with a dream.