Dinner-and-a-movie dates in North Bethesda are about to become a one-stop shop. The iPic luxury movie theater chain, boasting reclining plush seats and in-theater touch-screen ordering, is coming to the Pike & Rose development on Oct. 31, accompanied by City Perch, a restaurant opening Nov. 17 from James Beard Award-winning chef Sherry Yard.
The luxury-seat theater:
When you walk into an iPic, you won't see a box office. Instead, there's a concierge.
"The entire experience, when you walk in there, is much like walking into an affordable luxury hotel," said iPic Entertainment CEO Hamid Hashemi, "like a W."
So, no sticky floors. And, Hashemi said, fewer disruptions. "It’s an experience where people are respectful of other people. When you go to the movies and you see people texting [during the film], I can assure you, that never happens in these theaters," Hashemi said. "They pay a little bit more. They have a love for the experience, they give other people that same kind of treatment."
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iPic is among the growing trend of movie theaters that offer assigned seating. There's no need arrive early to stake out the best view, as you'll be able to reserve your row and seat ahead of time. If you join the theater's free membership program, you'll be notified of seating times as soon they go online. If you pay $15 for "Sapphire Membership," you can get access to tickets 24 hours before they're released to the general public.
There are two types of seats: The premium leather seats ($11-$13), which are 33-inches across with an individual table, or the reclining "premium plus" seats ($17-$22), which also include a pillow and blanket, unlimited popcorn and an anti-glare touchscreen picture-menu that you can use to order food during a film.
iPic Express:
That in-theater food comes from a concept called iPic Express, with a menu of upscale-casual comforts by Yard. Those who get the regular seats can order her pizza, burgers and other classics, and bring them into the theater. But if you order from the touchscreen menu, your food will be delivered by "ninjas" -- servers dressed in head-to-toe black, who will sneak in and set your food down at your table without blocking your or anyone else's view of the screen.
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Developing a movie-friendly menu posed a number of interesting challenges, Yard said: "Is it going to crunch and make too much noise? Are they going to be able to hold it in their hands? Is it going to smell?"
Share this articleShareBao buns filled with shortribs and pickled vegetables, and "naanchos" -- plates of grilled naan with smoked gouda and jalapenos -- are among the finger foods on her menu. Tempura green beans are an alternative to french fries. Yard said she even found a way to make a salad that could be eaten without a knife and fork: She stuffs the fixings for a Caesar salad in rolls of romaine.
Candy, too, gets an upscale twist: it's served in a champagne glass. And Yard says she plans to put an Old Bay popcorn on her menu as a Maryland tribute.
City Perch:
Yard's City Perch restaurant, opening Nov. 17, is an adjoining but separate concept to the theater. "It will be very chic," Yard said. "The food is just going to be fun and engaging."
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Yard, who worked for Wolfgang Puck for nearly 20 years, was recently inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s "Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America." City Perch, she said, is "my first foray in having an idea of a restaurant and putting it together from start to finish."
She's still developing the menu, but Yard said the upscale-casual American restaurant will utilize fresh produce from the nearby farmer's market. There will be a raw bar and a rotisserie, and all of the breads will be made in-house. The bar menu will be developed by iPic's mixology director, Adam Seger.
The restaurant, which seats approximately 200, has an outdoor terrace with three fire pits. The interior has been designed with those dinner-and-a-movie daters in mind, with plenty of intimate booths. "It's sexy," said Yard.
iPic and City Perch at Pike & Rose, 11580 Old Georgetown Road, North Bethesda. Opening Oct. 31 and Nov. 17, respectively.
Update: A previous version of this story included an incorrect opening date for City Perch. The restaurant will open Nov. 17, two days later than originally announced. This version also includes updated price ranges for the iPic theater.
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