The Playhouse New Canaan Opens The Pub From Elm's Chef Luke Venner

Just through the doors of The Playhouse, a building that’s stood in New Canaan since 1923, awaits a brand new British style pub that opened in late June of 2024.

Twizzlers, Peanut M&Ms, butter drenched popcorn, a bucket sized Coke. Come on! We’re all guilty of indulgences when we go to see the latest blockbuster movie. I’m a Reese’s guy (or addict rather) myself.

But moviegoers in and around New Canaan have an upgrade when it comes to theater fare. And no, we’re not talking about a certain chain that likely just heats up something from a package.

One of the cocktails on the current menu is the Bella Luna - gin, crème de violette, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup.

Pimento cheese and a giant cracker

The Playhouse in New Canaan, along with movie houses in South Orange, New Jersey and Cañon City, Colorado, with another in Bradley Beach, NJ on the way, are part of a renovation project by movie producer Luke Parker Bowles, the CEO of Cinema Lab Theaters.

Why we’re talking about a movie theater on a food website is because food is involved here, and we’re talking food that’s not frozen pizza or doughy convection oven pretzels with a mystery orange cheesy substance dip.

A peek into The Playhouse’s second floor Marquis Lounge, complete with its own bar, that’s for members.

At The Playhouse, ahem, I mean, The Pub at The Playhouse, think along the lines of a British style pub, only elevated. And it all comes from footsteps away at Elm.

“They’re (Cinema Labs) finding these small, indy movie theaters in special, quintessential neighborhood towns, renovating them, and incorporating local food vendors into the mix,” says Elm’s executive chef and owner Luke Venner. “The Pub doesn’t have a kitchen, so we’re producing the food just steps away. We like to call it our “pool” menu, like when you’re at a resort and you order fish tacos poolside that get delivered to you.”

Smoked carrot hummus

Seasonal cocktails will be a part of the bar program like the Fireside Fling - bourbon, smoked maple syrup, apple cider, lemon juice, and aromatic bitters.

Wings, celery root + carrot salad, buttermilk ranch

The menu at The Pub, however, isn’t the same as anything you’d regularly find at Elm, except for a few echoes. For instance, at Elm, Venner has a trio of smoked meats with ribs, a half chicken, and pork belly used for bao buns. At The Pub, he’s using his smoker for brisket chili and sweet, spicy wings that are smoked, then fried, and a smoked carrot hummus with raw veggies and thick cut grilled sourdough.

More refined shareable snacks are in that same pub spirit—deviled eggs, pimento cheese with a giant homemade cracker, and a few salads big enough to feed a small family.

Venner also took the time to fuss around with the humble potato for a proper order of fish & chips.

“I mean, it’s halibut, so it’s got to be the most expensive fish & chips around here,” he jokes. “But the chips, we went through nine versions before getting to this one. They’re whole roasted potatoes before they’re cut and fried.”

This burger deserves a close-up

One of the other questions that fans of Venner’s Elm might have is, “Can I get the Elm In-N-Out inspired Double Double at the theater?”

Sorry, but no. And that’s something Venner was particularly excited about, creating a new, but thicker, pub burger.

“The Elm Burger became something I couldn’t get rid of at the restaurant,” he explains. We did this Cali night years ago with Tyler Anderson and that was one of the items, only people kept asking for it after that event. We used to have a thicker burger before that. We got rid of the seeded bun at The Pub. Here it’s sourdough brioche and an eight-ounce patty instead of two smash patties. That one at Elm is wagyu, this one’s LaFrieda dry aged. English cheddar, shaved raw onions soaked overnight in ice water so they’re super crispy, Hollywood Sauce is our special sauce, like Big Mac Sauce.”

What’s a British pub without sticky toffee pudding?

Another addition Cinema Labs added to The Playhouse is a full bar with beer taps (Guinness of course is one of those), wine by the glass and bottle, and a craft cocktail program led by bar manager Konrad Dziedzic, who you may know from his time at Greer Southern Table.

The only bad news is you can’t take food into a movie, but we’re told they’re working on some gourmet snacks that you will be able to bring inside the screening rooms. As for the the drinks, have at it. The only rule is they have to be in a plastic cup. Until then, your wine, beer, or cocktail pairing while seeing a new or classic film might be that king sized pack of Twizzlers after all.

The Pub at The Playhouse is open daily and FYI, you don’t have to buy a movie ticket to enjoy it. Do one or the other or make a day of it and do both.

93 Elm Street, New Canaan
203.594.1200, playhouse.cinemalab.com/home