ST. LOUIS, MO (AP) -- Popcorn at the movies is one thing. A meal from a marquee chef raises the culinary stakes considerably.

MX Movies opened for business in downtown St. Louis on Friday, marking the first time since a 10-screen multiplex at Union Station closed in 2003 that downtown has had a movie theater.

But MX Movies is more than that. The theater, which opened with showings of "Lincoln," "Les Miserables" and "Django Unchained," is the latest example of a dine-in theater with roomier seats and table-side food service.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the supervising chef is Josh Galliano, formerly executive chef at the popular restaurant Monarch. At MX Movies, he oversees a menu with restaurant-quality Midwestern fare such as pulled pork and Illinois braised beef.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com

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