Kate Krader (@kkrader on Twitter) is Food & Wine's restaurant editor. When she tells us where to find our culinary heart's desire, we listen up.
You’ve seen the omnipresent ads. Now get ready for the first Bourne movie without Jason Bourne.
And when we say, "get ready," we mean, "start thinking about your movie snack strategy." Whether or not you need something to get you through a Bourne installment that doesn’t include Matt Damon is your own decision. (Personally, we’re big fans of Jeremy Renner, too.)
Remember, The Bourne Legacy is one of the last big action films of the summer. According to a recent New York Times story, "More Bitter Pills than Popcorn," the fall movies are going to tackle tough issues. Exhibit A: Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming Django Unchained is a brutal tale about a former slave who hunts white plantation owners.
So we say, break out the popcorn (or your favorite popcorn alternative) now while it’s still summer and the action heroes are still on-screen in full force."
Strategy 1: Pack your own popcorn
There’s always bucket-size corn at the movie theater. But more enterprising snackers should consider these BYOP options.
Popghum
These mini-size kernels of popped sorghum are as addictive as popcorn; the Grey Sea Salt variety is even more so. (Sorghum is a cornlike grain with less calories and fat than corn.) Among the other cool things about Popghum: It’s gluten-free; it’s organic; the company supports conservation agencies like the World Wildlife Fund. The snack has no hulls, so nothing gets stuck in your teeth, which is key when you need to keep your attention focused on what Jeremy Renner is up to on-screen.
Quinn Popcorn
This new organic, non-GMO microwaveable popcorn brand is sold in bags that are made from recycled and compostable paper - in short, no chemicals. The super-crunchy corn comes in key flavors like Vermont Maple & Sea Salt.
Halfpops
Look, another new, feel-good popcorn snack! This one, from Seattle, features adorable kernels that taste popped but look unpopped. The Aged White Cheddar flavor has the amazingly satisfying crunch of corn nuts but with true cheddar taste. According to their package, Halfpops are gluten-free, nut-free and have no hydrogenated oils, no preservatives and no negativity.
Don’t let the New Age messaging get in your way; instead, vote on their website for the next flavor: Natural Kettle Corn, Natural Chipotle & Lime, or Natural Jalapeño Aged Cheddar Cheese.
Strategy 2: Stock up on candy before the movie
OK, don’t have popcorn for your Bourne Legacy screening. You should still plan ahead so you’re not stuck with the generally lame candy selection at theaters.
Dylan’s Candy Bar - New York City and various locations
The candy mecca first opened in Manhattan in 2001. This summer, Dylan Lauren and company will launch their first West Coast location in Los Angeles in the Original Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax. Look for the soft opening on or around August 15, just about the time The Expendables 2 hits theaters.
For those who don't want to be exposed to fruits and vegetables when they’re buying candy, there are Hot Tamales, Astro Pops, Tootsie Rolls, Jelly Belly jelly beans and candy rings in a gazillion other places.
Sweet Mickey’s - Seattle, Washington
This new spot in Ballard is named for owner Randy Brinker’s grandmother (Mickey), whose baking inspired him. Mickey’s features ice cream from local creamery Bluebird in their sundaes, floats and milkshakes. But the city is going especially crazy for their 130 or so types of candy.
According to Seattle Met’s nicely named blog Nosh Pit, Brinker has a large supply of candy necklaces, Pixy Stix and little chocolate coins for the kid-friendly price of 10 cents each; older generations can flash back to Flicks candy bars and Juicy Fruit and Fruit Stripe gum, “things that you don’t see at grocery stores,” says Brinker, who also has a broad selection of licorice in deference to Ballard’s Scandinavian history.
Sugar Shop - Brooklyn, New York
This is proof for anyone who thought Brooklyn could only produce a candy shop for hipsters. This bright, colorful little shop has more than 150 kinds of candy, including Jelly Belly jelly beans and gummy everything. They also have nostalgic items like Mary Janes and Mallo Cups.
Sugar Shop smartly has a second party room for kids (and presumably for candy-obsessed adults like myself). And, this being Brooklyn, they have a section for locally made chocolates, like the awesome Mast Brothers and Fine & Raw.
Godiva - National
If I had to pick one absolute favorite candy for my dessert island snack, it would be malted milk balls. To my rescue: Godiva, which has a new line of milk and dark chocolate malt balls. If I had to choose between them, I’d probably go milk. They are only a limited edition summer item, so stock up now, while the action movies are still dominating the big screen.
More from Food & Wine:
America’s Best Bars
Best Burgers in the U.S.
Best Pizza Places in the U.S.
Best Fried Chicken in the U.S.
Summer Grilling Recipes
© 2011 American Express Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a friend who has been doing a little research on this. And he actually ordered me breakfast because I found it for him... lol. So allow me to reword this.... Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time to discuss this matter here on your blog.
So right, Arlene!!! My old few is very different from my new few! Here's how I do it.. The air pop pocropn machine only allows you to pop 1/4 cup of kernels at a time.. which blows up to about 6 cups I put the giant Tupperware under the popper to catch it as it pops and spritz it with Pam Butter Spray and salt as it falls When done, I then grab one handful (about 1/2 cup) of the tiny pretzels twists (if you can't find the little ones, use the pretzel sticks, but break them up before tossing them in so they go farther..) then, throw in 2 T of dried cranberries, a couple of T of cinnamon Rice Checks or Honey Nut Cheerios and, finally, (my fav!) 2 T of M&Ms Put the lid on the Tupperware and give it a good shake so all the salt and sweet mingle..You'll have a HUGE Tupperware full of snacks that you can put in lunches, or your car or, like I do, take to the movies!! (or, like we did last night, pour it in bowls and watch a re-run of Mad Men, a re-run of Idol and the new Breaking Bad!) xoxolmc
Last time I went to a movie, I was unfortunately positioned directly in front of a person with the "larger than life" tub of popcorn. ALL THROUGH THE MOVE all I could hear is "crunch crunch crunch- smack smack smack" as he ate each kernel one at a time with his mouth open.
How about some reasonably priced quiet snacks for movie goers?
Readers of this article should keep in mind that at most theater chains, bringing in your own food or drink is expressly forbidden, and can get you permanently barred if you get caught.
Thanks Bill.
Now, I have some nice 10 dollar 64 ounce sugary beverage and way overpriced candy for you – if you need a snack. It's not a restaurant. They sell tickets for the movie. Charge me more for the movie and let people bring in their own snacks. Heck, it may turn out to be profitable. Or, charge a little less, make it healthier, and sell more.
The Bourne Legacy was exciting and thrilling with awesome scenery. Didn't miss Matt Damon too much b/c Jeremy Renner was the main character. We really enjoyed it and didn't eat any snacks. Great special effects too
Eric Holder and Obama are criminals and pigs who ordered assault rifles to be sent to drug cartels, arrest these terrorists.
Hey bone head ..you been watching too much FAKE (FOX) News. Selling guns to drug cartels all started with George W.Bush and Dick head Cheney. Look it up. They should be in prison.
ummm. wrong thread i think.
I don't understand moviegoers or the articles they write about it.
STOP the war against Medical Marijuana Patients – It will cost Democrats the Election in November.
As a very young adult, I used to sneak in pony bottles of beer in my large straw purse. Only got caught after a friend shook his up before opening. Sprayed at leave 5 people in the two rows ahead of us.
Tony, if you're out the reading this, you are still in the dog house.
Oh, you can choose to take your family to a drive-in movie. We still have a few in my state. You can then take your own Rice Crispy treats, a 55-gallon bag full of popcorn, and a cooler full of drinks. Can't loose with that.
You can if you can't spell lose.
I hate to sound like everybody else but prices have just got ridiculous. $14 for the ticket, $8 for a small bag of corn and $5.75 for a 12oz drink. Holy handgrenade of Antioch that's just plain crikey. I can't wait for fall to set in so I can start wearing coats again to the movie. Then I will go to the kiosk and buy a $11 senior ticket, and carry in bags of my own popcorn, drinks, candy, Chinese food, pizza, hamburger, chicken nuggets, and a 1/2 gallon container of malted milk balls.
what was this story about?...was it needed?
only an idiot shops at dylan's candy bar where the same bag of cotton candy that costs 99 cents at cvs or a drugstore sells for $4. the same exact bag. ridiculous.
And most people know that the best advice comes from people on the internet with names that refer to dirty panties.
I do agree, if this story was supposed to be about saving some money on the movie snacks, Dylan's was not the best choice. It's delicious, but expensive.
I always bring snacks and water for my kids. They don't really like chocolate or popcorn and theater stuff is too full of oil and other crap. I just always carry my stash in a shopping bag with my shawl on top. Nobody knows the difference, and I save $30. I'm a tad bit ashamed of myself for doing this but not enough to quit. LoL!
"They" are watching for you now, you schofflaw.
Kind of a pointless article considering the theatre industry makes the majority of its income from concessions and snacks. I've never been "allowed" to bring my own food or beverages into a theatre, including – no surprise – a bag full of popcorn that I made myself! I just sneak stuff in.
try adding some mochi, arare or furukake to your movie popcorn, it's a favorite here in Hawaii. you can even order this concoction on line, it's called "Hurricane popcorn"
Sounds delicious!
As kids, sneaking candy and our own popcorn into the theater made it taste 10 times better.
That's a common thing for many people I know – including myself – and most of them aren't kids anymore! I'm 18 but love buying my own candy for $3 at the store than $10 at the theatre. Every time I see a movie now, I end up seeing somebody with a bag of M&Ms or something else that's not available for purchase at that particular theatre. It's commonplace, and nobody cares enough to even make a bother out of it.
I don't think I've ever been to a movie theater that allowed outside food or drink. The only time I've seen it happen was at an absolutely stuffed full midnight showing where they allowed people to get Starbucks to bring in. Considering they announced it leaving us plenty of time to go next door and get some, my guess is Starbucks paid them for the favor to get business. There's no way they're letting you walk in with your own bag of popcorn though.
Just goes to show that the people writing these articles have no connection to reality.
I agree and last time I checked the movie theatre only makes money on their snacks and beverages.
Yeah, cause the guy at the theater is going to let me stroll in with a giant bag of popcorn from outside of their establishment.
Stashing candy in the pockets is common for me, though. And back in the day, a flask or small bottle of da booze. Which reminds me of a funny story. This guy I knew in the Air Force and his buddy went to a movie and were drinking in the theater. Apparently he got so smashed he started smoking while watching the movie and eventually barfed in the aisle. It took him barfing before he was booted from the theater. Apparently he was simply asked to stop smoking.
If I saw him sitting in a theatre alone like that, I would run, not walk, the he!! out of there! Creepy.