The fast-paced work behind the scenes is designed to provide dinner theater audiences with a fresh, relaxed dinner experience.
Article by Jim Flint of Ashland.news
There's one dining out experience where slow service is never an issue: dinner theater.
A unique blend of cuisine and entertainment, Dinner Theatre Kitchen distinguishes itself from traditional restaurants by seamlessly blending food with live performances.
And after nearly 40 years in business, Oregon Cabaret Theatre has maintained its impeccable track record.
It's not just about speed — no one here is on roller skates — cabaret co-owner Rick Robinson says proper staffing and training are what ensures a seamless, on-time experience, without making patrons feel rushed.
“We have a really good team of servers and hosts who make each table feel cared for, and an experienced kitchen that can crank out the one plate per minute pace needed to be successful on a 60-guest evening,” he said.
A large staff gets it done
Achieving these results requires more than a skeleton crew.
“We have 12 seats in the back and 25 in the front,” said Cabaret executive chef Christopher Scott.
Scott, 32, has been with Cabaret for three years after being recommended by Smithfield founder and chef Neil Clooney. Scott previously worked for Clooney and has also worked at Talent's Sweet Beat Station and Peerless in Ashland.
Is running a cabaret similar to running a traditional kitchen? Scott says it's much different than he expected.
“For example, it has to be very quiet during the show,” he said. “The kitchen is not known as a quiet place.”
Additionally, because the theatre is located in a historic building, the placement of the dish pit requires special care and consideration to avoid noise disturbances during the show.
A typical restaurant might be open for four to six hours in the evening, but a cabaret doesn't have that luxury.
“We have an hour and a half to prepare the main dishes and get them ready to clean up,” Scott said.
“We ask that people come in between 6 and 6:30 p.m. for dinner,” Robinsons says, “which means the first orders start going to the printers around 6:30.”
The cabaret can accommodate dinner for up to 70 people, and the goal is to allow enough time for everyone to enjoy dinner before the show begins.
“We ask the kitchen to have all entrées served by 7:35 for dinner and 12:35 for brunch,” Robinson said.
One dish per minute
This requires plating a dish every 55 seconds, a much faster pace than the average restaurant.
It all starts again during the intermission, when the cabaret typically serves more than 100 different desserts and coffees (ordered before the show) and checks in all guests within 20 minutes.
Perhaps roller skating isn't such a far-fetched idea after all.
This entire operation presents a major challenge for front-of-house staff and is the reason why the cabaret has a policy of only accepting a maximum of two checks per party.
“If everyone had a separate bill, the break could stretch to 35 or 40 minutes,” Robinson said.
Despite the many possibilities for disruptions, the service usually runs without a hitch.
“The kitchen crew has been pretty much the same since I started,” Scott says, “so most nights run smoothly, but there are certainly times during service when Murphy's Law kicks in: mixers break, plumbing issues occur, breakers short out, etc.”
Teamwork
Robinson and Scott work closely together to ensure a comfortable dining experience, including menus tailored to the show.
“I tell Christopher the setting of each play early on so he can start thinking about what cuisine might suit it,” Robinson said.
Robinson sometimes suggests the types of cuisine he would like to see on a particular show, giving Scott the freedom to design the menu with those ideas in mind.
“Chris is passionate about local ingredients,” Robinson says, “so he wants to incorporate fresh, local meat and vegetables into any theme we're creating. Each director also submits a report detailing any food references in the show, in case there's anything that might spark inspiration.”
Show Matching Menu
One example is the Cuban food served in “Christmas, Contigo,” a holiday show set in the Little Havana neighborhood of Hialeah, Florida.
Scott says each show presents its own menu opportunities and challenges.
“For example, there is no food reference in Legally Blonde, but it is set in Massachusetts, so we focused on vibrant, uplifting dishes like bright colors, fresh vegetables and classic summer snacks like fresh ahi tuna poke to help beat the summer heat,” Scott said.
The cabaret operation is unique among dinner theatres in that dining reservations are not required when patrons book tickets.
“That means we need to earn your business both at the theater and at the restaurant,” Robinson said.
“The only benefit for customers is that when they make a reservation for dinner or brunch, they're already in a location to watch the show,” he said, “rather than having to park somewhere else and stress about whether they'll make it to the show in time.”
While there are several recurring dishes on the menu, the kitchen frequently changes the menu to coincide with the show, ensuring plenty of choice all year round.
Home of Dick Hay Pie
The closest thing the cabaret has to a “signature dish” is the famous Dick Hay Pie, named for the innovative and visionary Oregon Shakespeare Festival theater and set designer, Richard “Dick” Hay.
More information
For more information about shows and menus or to purchase tickets, visit oregoncabaret.com.
The dessert was invented by Craig Hudson, who brought this delicious layered treat of vanilla ice cream, peanut butter and Oreo cookie crumble crust to a dinner party at Hay's home 40 years ago.
The pie was a big hit with the party's host, who didn't hesitate to request it at subsequent dinner parties.
When the cabaret opened, Hudson put his signature dessert on the menu, and the legend of the Dick Hay Pie was born.
Robinson said there are many benefits to running a dinner theater, and he and his wife, cabaret co-owner Valerie LaShelle, enjoy making every aspect of the business a success.
Also, after closing for the night, we found some leftover Dick Hay Pie and shared it with everyone.
Freelance writer Jim Flint is a retired newspaper publisher and editor. Email him at news@ashland.news.
