Chunky's Casino Royale with Cheese

I like to think that I'm pretty in-the-know about Greater-Boston-Area offbeat local activities and attractions not too far outside the city. I'm not one for Jillian's or a Sam Adams brewery tour or walking the Freedom Trail; I'm more about the Good Time Emporium, Nashoba Valley Winery, and Davis Mega Maze. So I tend to get pretty surprised when I discover something new that's always been there, but for some reason has escaped my attention and Google searches.

D and I wanted to see Casino Royale this weekend, which is a bit of a feat, because it's in its waning weeks in theatres. We also tend to be pretty picky about our movie theatres; If it can't be IMAX, then we prefer stadium seating, and if that's out, then at least we need to go where the screen is decently big. Also, we'll go downtown if we have to, but there's an added hassle to the driving/T/parking scenario therein that makes it not the preferred choice. Also-also, for anything with lower than an R rating, I prefer shows that begin closer to 9pm or later because I hate kids and highschoolers in the theatre with me.

In D's defense, most of these restrictions/preferences come from me. I'm high-maintenance.

Anyway, so I Googled up the movie to see where it's playing, and in doing so discovered Chunky's Cinema & Pub. There's one in Haverhill, which is about 45 minutes north of Boston. I immediately called D over to have a look at the website, and we agreed that it was THE premier choice of the venues available for us for the evening. Mostly because OMG CINEMA AND PUB.

The box office opened only 30 minutes before showtime, and we were the third couple to buy our tickets. The theatre itself had a relatively small screen (probably about the size of a regular multiplex screen) and three levels, all with tables for 8 or 4 people perpendicular to the screen, and every seat was a reclinable bucket seat from a limosine. No, seriously, for real.

Sadly, their liquor license was wasted on us ...this time. They have a deal with a local microbrewery, though, and I plan to try the IPA as soon as I get back to drinking. We started with an appetizer, the Wizard of Ozzerella Sticks. We each had a burger; I had the Kevin Bacon Burger, D opted for the Robert deNiro Burger, which is a cheeseburger with attitude, apparently. The burgers didn't arrive until after the movie had started (no previews or commercials; they just start right in), which is our own fault for taking forever to decide what we wanted. The waitstaff was really good about finding good times during the movie to deliver food or check in on us, which is really saying something during a Bond film, because there's hella action.

Overall, we really enjoyed the place. There weren't many people in the theatre with us, and I don't know if that's because of timing, or that the movie had been out for so long, or if the place just isn't popular. I wouldn't want to go to a non-R movie there, though, because it seems like a terrific place for kids otherwise, and I think that's where they make their money. It makes for a decent date night, but I think the best use would be to go in a group of 6 or 8 to a fun, goofy show like Wedding Crashers. Unfortunately for us, we'll probably have to pay for 4 hours of babysitting the next time we go up there. But don't let that stop YOU.