The Majestic Theater was built in 1915 and the Garden Bowl in 1913. The entire complex has been recommended for inclusion on the National Register of Historic
Places by the State Historic Preservation Office.
This inclusion will allow the complex to qualify for state and federal historic tax credits, a huge financial boon to the renovation being planned, which will include the addition of a rooftop deck.
In the meantime, Joe Zainea, whose family has owned the Majestic since 1946, has unveiled a new menu at the
Majestic Cafe that includes pan seared sashimi grade ahi tuna as an appetizer and seafood risotto with sauteed shrimp, mussels, lobster and asparagus as a featured entree. "With the economy down, there was not enough foot traffic walking through the doors -- it was time for
a change," he says. "Me, as a chef, I was getting bored with the menu. I wanted to give a cleaner look to the menu, make it fresh and more innovative," he says.
Zainea says the new menu is healthier and lighter and even ventures into the avant garde. There are a total of 50 items between the lunch and dinner menus as opposed to close to 100 previously, which he feels will give the kitchen a sharper focus.
Source: Joe Zainea,
Majestic Theater CenterWriter: Kelli B. Kavanaugh