“WE HAD a great concept,” co-owner Ed Battista says of the high-end brasserie chef Abbi Merriss installed at his Kan-Kan Cinema in mid-2021. “But with a pandemic and moviegoers’ need to fit a meal in around a show, the upscale approach just wasn’t sustainable.” In the remake, longtime staffer Travis Hitch is at the top of the kitchen call sheet, rolling out a cast of Japanese-inspired small plates and dishes that contribute some truly memorable performances.Film buffs can come early to split a plate of tempura or fried tofu with sambal-spiked hot-and-sour cabbage and a “handshake” cocktail (a shot and a beer) or stay after to discuss the plot over delicate tuna tataki, tobiko-crowned okonomiyaki, and a standout bowl of garlicky spring vegetables in browned butter. “In the end we just wanted to provide a comfortable atmosphere to enjoy quality, unexpected food in what we think is a truly unique cinema space,” Battista says.
1258 Windsor St., 317-800-7099
