Movie Theaters Go Gourmet

Dalian Wanda Group Co. to pay $2.6B for chain

(AP) - A Chinese conglomerate announced today it will buy major US cinema chain AMC for $2.6 billion in China's biggest takeover of an American company to date. Dalian Wanda Group Co. says its purchase will create the world's biggest movie theater operator. The Beijing-based company said it will invest an additional $500 million to fund AMC's development. "We support AMC becoming bigger, not only in the United States but in the global market," said Wanda chairman Wang Jianlin at a signing ceremony for the acquisition. More»

Seeks refunds for those who've been overcharged

(NEWSER) - After paying almost three times the drugstore price for a Coke and candy, a Michigan man has had it: He's suing his local AMC cinema in an attempt to lower snack prices statewide. "He got tired of being taken advantage of," Joshua Thompson's lawyer tells the Detroit Free Press . "It's hard to justify prices that are three and four times higher than anywhere else." More»

Can we ditch the unisex bathrooms?

(NEWSER) - Fed up with giant wine glasses that leave no room on the table? How about excessively classy ketchup? Zagat offers a new list of restaurants' most irritating trends. A few of the highlights:

• Tables squeezed way too close together. If you're not Lara Flynn Boyle, it's absurdly difficult just to get to your seat.
• Nonstop wine-replenishing. We can pour it ourselves, thanks.

Bivalve connoisseur describes 3-day journey

(NEWSER) - The world's most delicious oysters can be found in the French region of Brittany, where "they are generally smaller than other varieties but intensely flavored," writes Susan Spano in the Los Angeles Times . She recounts her 3-day oyster tour of France's Atlantic coast, where she devoured dozens of the minuscule bivalves. She even pauses to deflect misconceptions about the gunky bottom feeders, noting that "oysters contain vitamins and minerals, especially phosphorous, good for bones and teeth." More»

Bankrupt restaurant chain offers bad food at high prices

(NEWSER) - There are a lot of theories as to why Sbarro filed for bankruptcy last month—including “too-rapid growth” and the decline of malls. But Justin Peters has “a simpler explanation: Nobody likes Sbarro,” he writes in Slate . “Devoid of atmosphere, charm, and gustatory relevance, with no signature product to call its own, it's America's least essential restaurant.” On top of that, a simple slice of pizza sets you back $3.49. More»