Eat at “EAT.”
EAT is the new restaurant now open at Black Lodge, the iconic movie rental facility, theater, and performing arts venue at 405 North Cleveland.
“It’s something we’ve been wanting to do for the last two years,” says Matt Martin, a Black Lodge owner. “We were set up and ready to build the kitchen right when Covid hit.”
But they had to use that money “to survive,” he says.
The name “EAT,” which Lodge owner James Blair created, is “one part kind of a throwback name” to those “little diners that say ‘Eats’ or ‘Joe’s Eats’” on Times Square “mostly in older movies,” Martin says.
The other part was inspired by John Carpenter’s 1988 movie, They Live. “In that movie, subliminal messages are hidden behind everything.”
The main character, played by Roddy Piper, uses special glasses to see through everything, Martin says. When he looks at a menu he sees the word “food.” When he looks at money, he sees “This is your God.” “Everybody is getting hit with these subliminal messages all the time. We thought that would be funny.”
EAT was the perfect choice. “We didn’t want to call it ‘The Gilded Orchid’ or anything like that. It’s more of of a fun-based diner within the Lodge. A great place when you’re at the show to come over and grab a bite to eat.”
And if somebody asks, “Do you want to eat at the Lodge,” you just said the name.”
Blair also is EAT’s chef. “We were just lucky one of our owners happened to be a well-trained chef. So, he designed the menu. And he’s got all kinds of other additions, specials, and things he plans on unveiling soon.”
They wanted to begin with “a very simple menu. We’ve got a long history of throwing parties, showing movies. Black Lodge has never been associated with food before. This is a new thing for us, but it’s something we’ve always wanted to do. But we needed to learn to do it properly.”
A “high-end breakfast” was a priority, Martin says. “We thought Midtown should have access to breakfast all day and into the night.”
A “Waffle Grilled Cheese Sandwich” made with brie is one item. Another is Blair’s “phenomenal BLTA sandwich everyone is in love with. ‘A’ is for ‘avocado.’”
Blair’s entrees include “Sweet Spicy Thai Pork” and “Thai Yellow Curry.”
“And then we’ve got a lot of different fun lunches. Nachos made with tater tots called ‘Tot-Chos.’”
They also have fresh soft pretzels and gourmet popcorn.
Martin’s life partner Ashlee Tierney is making fresh bread and desserts, including cherry pie (a nod to Twin Peaks) and a “fresh baked brownie raspberry ganache pie.”
A big focus was to add “plenty of vegetarian and vegan options,” Martin says. A lot of restaurants just offer “hummus and bread and that’s it. We were like, ‘We gotta have at least five options for people who are vegan and vegetarian.’ We wanted to make sure our menu is aware of and reflects the diverse tastes of our community.”
EAT is open noon to 9 p.m. on Thursdays, noon to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and noon until 9 p.m. on Sundays. The Lodge plans to expand hours, menu choices, and add food delivery.
