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Three Sons Restaurant and the 'Vic' provide a great 'Dinner and a Show'
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The common outside hides an extraordinary inside
On the recommendation of “small” theater examiner, Deb Flomberg, I decided to take in Dinner and Show starting at “Three Sons” Italian restaurant and ending with “Tales of the Night” at the Denver Victorian Playhouse. It was an excellent way to spend an evening combining a great dinner and a fabulous live performance in the tradition of 1930s radio.
If you have not been to Three Sons Italian Restaurant, (2915 W. 44th Avenue, 303-455-4366), in a while, you are really missing something. This place is completely renovated and not at all as I remember. The outside looks very similar, but the inside is very new, very classy and, yet, very traditional. It is almost a shame they are moving next March to 64th and McIntyre, but, if the present location is any indication, the new location will be well worth the expense. I hope they are able to convince most of their fine staff to come along in the move.
Our server, Sara, was a joy. She was very professional, neatly dressed, attentive and accommodating even though we ordered only inexpensive house wine and simple, basic entrees. She patiently fielded all our questions about which items were truly vegetarian, the restaurant’s connection with the theatre, and what was happening with the move. When she did not know an answer, she did not hesitate to find out, and treated us just the same as if we were wearing tuxedoes and ordering all the best from the menu even though we were not. Service like hers is an asset to any company, but essential in the restaurant business. The food and wine were very good too.
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Completely remodeled, it is like dining in a villa
My date ordered the Spinach Fettuccini with the Pear Tomato, Fresh Basil, Garlic and Olive Oil Sauce. I sampled the Homemade Egg Noodles with the Diavolo Sauce. Both dishes were exquisite in both flavor and presentation, and priced right. Diners can spend some money eating at this restaurant, but the less-expensive, traditional offerings are just as good and easier on the wallet. If you dine here, expect to pay $13 to $23 per person for an entrée, including the entrée salads, with good Chianti as inexpensive as $28 a bottle. Appetizers range in price from $7 to $13. We found the Garlic Bread appetizer to be a fine start to dinner. The entire dining experience was enjoyable and very conducive to a nice evening out. Adding the play made the evening complete.
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Be sure to take a peek in the central wine cellar.
Theatre is not my area of expertise, but I have been to more than a few shows and know a good one when I see it. This is a good show. Being a bit of a history buff, I loved the connection to 1930s America when radio was still relatively new, still a major form of news and entertainment, and still the best way to reach many people quickly and economically. Americans at the time were just beginning to learn the power of such a medium and that they should not believe everything the people in the box told them.
The show, “Tales of the Night”, was a trilogy and featured updated variations of three stories that actually aired over CBS radio back in the 1930s. I was familiar with the first story, “Sorry, Wrong Number”, from a rebroadcast a few years back on the Jazz station. The second story, “The Hitch Hiker”, later became an episode of “The Twilight Zone” for black and white TV and the final story recreated Orson Welles' October 30, 1938 performance of H.G. Wells, “War of the Worlds” that confused so many people and landed him in so much trouble. It is timely to recreate Orson Welles' folly since this October 30 marks the 70-year anniversary of that original broadcast and The “Vic” is the perfect venue for such a historic performance due to its age, styling and size. The theatre itself is as good as any prop the company could have contrived.
Three Sons features simple classics as well as top end entrees.
The Denver Victorian Playhouse, or the “Vic”, as they call it, came about when George Swartz moved to Colorado for treatment for his tubercular lungs. Being a lover of Shakespeare, he began performing works of the bard as part of his treatment, and, when his performances grew in popularity, he actually built a small theatre in his new home on Hooker Street in Denver to perform for neighbors and friends. The old building and theatre passed through a number of owners and changes, but eventually became what we now know as the Denver Victorian Theatre retaining much of its 19th century charm.
This quaint theatre now seats around 70 and is a member of the Colorado Theatre Guild featuring $45 “Dinner and Show” deals with Three Sons Italian Restaurant. Through these deals, local establishments make it possible for just about anyone to take advantage of the abundant talent in the area and enjoy the pleasure of a live show combined with fine dining. At the show I attended, there was at least one family of six taking advantage of the dinner and a show plan, and loving both the food and the show.
The big theatres and shows are great, but the little theatre members of the 16 theatre Guild are all just as wonderful and worth a look. Teamed up with dinner at a local establishment, they make for an evening of entertainment and adventure second to none. I certainly enjoyed my dinner and a show and I invite you to check out one of your own soon. With the level of talent in the area, it is difficult to go wrong at any of these small, live shows. Individually, both the Three Sons and The Denver Victorian Playhouse receive my highest marks, but, together, they make for an evening of dining and entertainment as good as any you will find in Denver.
The "Vic" is easy to find right on the corner.
For more info: Three Sons Italian Restaurant -2915 W. 44th Avenue, (One block East of Federal on 44th) - 303-455-4366 On line at: www.threesons.net
The Denver Victorian Playhouse - 4201 Hooker Street, 303-433-4343 - On line at: www.denvervic.com
The Colorado Theatre Guild - 303-778-7724 - On line at: www.coloradotheatreguild.org
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Fine Dining ·
Historic Dining
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