It’s date night. The restaurant selection on University Boulevard is limited and Fourth Avenue only has so much to offer to someone who is under 21.

Luckily, The Loft Cinema and Guilin Chinese Restaurant exist and are only a short drive from campus, located just east of Country Club on Speedway Boulevard.

Guilin serves some of the best Chinese food in town and is a classic example of a local Tucson restaurant, while The Loft offers a distinctive film experience. As a combination, Guilin and The Loft work perfectly to put a spin on the classic dinner and a movie date night. It’s sure to impress.

Guilin doesn’t look like much from the outside, but its popularity isn’t based on appearance. Instead, Guilin is a staple in Tucson’s restaurant scene because of its lunch specials — which are a steal — and the wide variety of food options available. That also includes an an incredible array of vegan and vegetarian options.

The lunch special, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., serves a large amount of quality food for a low price, costing only $4.95 for beef, chicken, pork, tofu and vegetable dishes, or $5.95 for vegan meat and shrimp dishes.

The lunch special also comes with a choice of tangy hot and sour soup or delicious egg drop, white or fried rice and crab puffs or egg rolls. The vegan sweet and sour chicken has an uncanny resemblance to its real meat counterpart and the Kung Pao shrimp packs a spicy kick while not compromising flavor.

Dinner dishes are going to cost a couple dollars more, but the serving sizes are larger and well worth it. Still, most dishes run under $10. There are options on the dinner menu that aren’t available during the lunch special that are definitely worth a try, such as the vegetarian’s favorite veggie meat duck.

The veggie duck is a slightly dry dish, yet it’s way less fatty than actual duck meat. Even still, the flavor is quite comparable to the real thing. The dinner menu is the barbecue pork, which is also worth noting and comes with vegetables or mushrooms. This dish is succulent, tangy and flavorful.
Guilin is a great stand-alone date destination, but what is dinner without a show?

The Loft Cinema has been screening art films, both American and foreign independent films, documentaries and cult classics since 2002. It also hosts community events and director Q&A’s. The Loft is a true cultural and entertainment gem that screens everything from campy horror flicks to serious independent documentaries. The atmosphere at The Loft is welcoming, and the theater sports both movie theater style seating and couches up front. The staff is friendly and engaging.

This weekend there will be a free screening of “Please Vote for Me” at noon on Saturday. Couple this with the Guilin lunch special and that is one cheap date, though it is at a weird time of the day.

On Friday and Saturday there will be showings of horror and indie films throughout the day, but the real treat is 10 p.m. showing of the cult classic Clue. General admission is $10 and delivers some classic comedy. For the bravest viewers there’s a midnight double feature of Clue and Rocky Horror Picture Show. For all the Rocky Horror virgins, be prepared to have some embarrassing fun and singing along. General admission is only $6.

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