A blanket and a box of cupcakes probably aren’t the usual accessories for dinner at Victory Tavern, but the hostess didn’t bat an eye when we brought them along.”Are you going to the movie?” she asked. “That should be fun.”
She had us pegged. We were headed to one of a series of free movie screenings at Victory Park. (The Sound of Music is showing this Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.) On the way, we stopped for dinner at the restaurant, which is right around the corner.From the outside, I never would have guessed how spacious the interior is. It’s also a bit fancier than the tavern part of the name might imply, with lots of sleek wood and chandeliers that look like giant hoops with lights around them. But it’s not fussy, and some folks were wearing jeans.The menu included entrees such as fish and chips and prime rib, but I tried the mixed summer greens salad ($8), which came with spicy pecans, crispy apples and honey balsamic dressing. Don’t imagine that I’m dietarily virtuous, though. I admit to sharing my friend’s fries that came with her Tavern Burger ($12).After dinner, we headed to the movie, which was shown on the big screens at Victory Park. It was set up so people on the patios at Nove or N9ne Steakhouse could watch, too. There was a mix of families, hip young types and even a few pocket-size dogs waiting to catch The Princess Bride. Most people lounged on blankets or lawn chairs, and one woman even brought her own table and a container packed with fancy-looking snacks.My friend had brought cupcakes from Society Bakery on Greenville, so we munched as the action unfolded (the bakery closes at 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, so you have to plan ahead to pull off this part of our outing). Afterward, I thought we needed something to help us cool off, so we popped into Paciugo, where the tempting gelato offerings ranged from strawberry-celery to chocolate. It’s in the plaza where the movies are shown; you can even watch from the tables there if you’d like. We each ordered a small cone with three flavors of gelato. (Hey, I told you I’m not virtuous!)The audience was pretty into the movie, and there was a burst of applause when Inigo Montoya killed the evil six-fingered man: “My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!” And the crowd clapped again when Buttercup, Westley and company rode off into the sunset, providing a sweet end to our sugar-fueled outing.Pulling it together • BRING CUPCAKES: Society Bakery, 3426 Greenville Ave. 214-827-1411. http://www.societybakery.com/. • GET A TASTE OF VICTORY: Victory Tavern, 3030 Olive St. 214-432-1900. http://www.victorytavern.com/. • CATCH A CLASSIC: The Sound of Music screens this Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Olive and North Houston streets. Free. www.victorymedianetwork.com • COOL DOWN: Paciugo, 3030 Olive St.. 214-220-1200. http://www.paciugo.com/.