Fast-paced work behind the scenes is designed to make dinner fresh and relaxed for dinner theater patrons

By Jim Flint for Ashland.news

There’s one kind of dining-out experience where slow service is never an issue: dinner theater.

In a unique culinary and entertainment fusion, dinner theater kitchens set themselves apart from classic restaurants by seamlessly blending dining with live performance.

And, after nearly 40 years in business, Oregon Cabaret Theatre has it down to a T.

It’s not just a matter of speed. Nobody’s on roller skates here. Cabaret co-owner Rick Robinson says proper staffing and training is what ensures a seamless, on-time experience, without patrons feeling rushed.

“A really good server and host team make sure a table feels cared for, and an experienced kitchen can produce dishes at the one-plate-per-minute rate necessary to be successful on a night where we have 60 diners,” he said.

Large staff pulls it off

Achieving those kinds of results requires more than a skeleton staff.

“We have 12 in the back of the house and 25 in the front of the house,” said Cabaret executive chef Christopher Scott.

Scott, 32, has been with the Cabaret for three years, recommended to the kitchen by Smithfields founder and chef Neil Clooney. Scott previously worked for Clooney and also did stints at Sweet Beet Station in Talent and at Peerless in Ashland.

Is running the Cabaret operation like running a traditional kitchen?  Much less than he expected, Scott said.

“For instance, we need to be very quiet during the show,” he said. “Kitchens aren’t known for being silent.”

In addition, the theater is in a historic building, so placement of the dish pit requires special care and attention to avoid noise during the show.

A typical restaurant has four to six hours of evening service, but the Cabaret doesn’t have that luxury.

“We need to be prepared to serve and clear entrées in one and a half hours,” Scott said.

“We ask people to arrive for dinner between 6 and 6:30 p.m., Robinson said. “That means the first orders start getting sent to the printer at around 6:30.

The Cabaret has up to 70 people for dinner. The goal is to make sure everyone has ample time to enjoy their dinners before the show starts.

“I ask the kitchen to have every entrée out by 7:35 for dinner or 12:35 for brunch,” Robinson said.

A plate a minute

That requires plating a dish every 55 seconds, a much faster pace than the average restaurant.

It all begins again during intermission, when the Cabaret typically serves more than 100 desserts and coffee (ordered before the show) and clears all guests’ checks in a 20-minute window.

Perhaps the idea of roller skates isn’t that far-fetched.

The whole operation is a massive challenge for front-of-the-house staff — and the reason for Cabaret’s policy of two checks maximum per party.

“If everyone had a separate bill, intermission could stretch to 35 or 40 minutes,” Robinson said.

Despite all the opportunities for chaos, service usually comes off without a hitch.

“I’ve had the same kitchen crew nearly since I started,” Scott said, “so most nights are quite smooth. There are definitely times, however, when Murphy’s Law comes into play during service — anything from a broken blender to a plumbing problem or shorted breakers.”

Teamwork

Robinson and Scott work closely together to ensure a pleasant dining experience, one that often matches the menu to the show.

“I will give Christopher the settings for each of the plays very early so his wheels can start to turn on what food might be a good match,” Robinson said.

Sometimes Robinson suggests the kind of cuisine he would like to see for a particular show, then gives Scott leeway to design the menu with those ideas in mind.

“Chris is passionate about local ingredients,” Robinson said. “So, he’ll want to marry fresh, local meats and vegetables into any theme we’re trying to create. Each director also provides a report that details any food references in the show, in case there is something that might be a good hook.”

Show-matching menus

An example is the Cuban fare that was offered during the holiday show “Christmas, Contigo,” set in the Little Havana neighborhood of Hialeah, Florida.

Scott says each show presents its own menu opportunities and challenges.

“For instance, ‘Legally Blonde’ has no food references at all, but is set in Massachusetts. So, we leaned into the bright colors, fresh vegetables, summer snack classics and fresh ahi tuna poke,” Scott said, “all lively, uplifting dishes that help mitigate the heat of the summer.”

The Cabaret’s operation is unique for dinner theaters in that dining is not required when patrons book their tickets.

“That means we have to earn everyone’s business on both the theater and dining sides,” Robinson said.

“The one advantage for customers is when you book a dinner or brunch, you’re already at the place where you’re seeing the show,” he said. “You don’t have to park somewhere else and stress about making it to the show on time.”

There are a few dishes that appear on the menu with some regularity, but the kitchen switches up the menu often to match the shows. Diners can expect a rich variety of options throughout the year.

The home of Dick Hay Pie

The closest thing to a “signature dish” at the Cabaret is its famous Dick Hay Pie, named after the innovative and visionary Oregon Shakespeare Festival theater and set designer, Richard “Dick” Hay.

The dessert was created by Craig Hudson, who brought the scrumptious layered treat of vanilla ice cream, peanut butter and Oreo cookie crumble crust to a dinner party at Hay’s house 40 years ago.

The pie was a huge hit with the party’s host, who was not shy about requesting the concoction for 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 the rewards of running a dinner theater are many. He and his wife, Cabaret co-owner Valerie Rachelle, find much to enjoy in delivering on all facets of their business.

That and finding a rare leftover piece of Dick Hay Pie to share after closing for the night.

Freelance writer Jim Flint is a retired newspaper publisher and editor. Email him via [email protected].