Dinner & A Movie

As the screwball comedy "Leatherheads" attests, professional football in the 1920s was a much less glamorous and far dirtier sport than it is today: Men wore leather caps, little padding, and no face masks; illegal maneuvers were the norm, as was holding games in farm fields, and players were quick to change jerseys if the salary offer was right. Still, all that made football great fun to watch. This weekend, Dinner and a Movie checks out a restaurant where fans can dine on quality eats, watch the game, and throw back a few. (And by the way, let's go, Rangers!)

DINNER

The Dominican-inspired, bilevel Hudson River Café has a joyful atmosphere. Two televisions — usually showing the Mets and the Yankees at this time of year — are suspended above the bar, where customers sip on glasses of sangria, or house cocktails such as the piña mojito (with rum, pineapple and lime juice, and Licor 43, a type of citrus liqueur) or the Harlem Sidecar (Hennessy cognac, amaretto, and lime and orange juice). Outside, a large patio seats patrons with a shimmering view of the Hudson. The food, prepared by chef Ricardo Cardona, also shimmers: Ceviches abound on the menu, including a soy and ginger tuna ceviche, and a lobster and shrimp ceviche with passion fruit. A hearty entrée is the churrasco, or grilled skirt steak, wrapped in a spiral and garnished in the middle with greens. The plate comes with three mojos, or sauces, and a pile of crispy yucca fries. The juices of the steak make the perfect dipping sauce for the fries and the plate is sure to evoke backyard barbecues and lazy summers. (697 W. 133rd St. at Twelfth Avenue, 212-491-9111)

MOVIE

George Clooney directs and stars in "Leatherheads," which follows a ragtag pro football team in Duluth, Minn., in 1925. Mr. Clooney plays Dodge Connolly, a war veteran and aging football player who fights to save his team from bankruptcy after a valuable sponsor pulls its support. To do so, he convinces a World War I hero and star Princeton football player, Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski of "The Office"), to join the team. Carter's heroic claims and the Duluth Bulldogs' antics soon arouse the suspicions and interest of an ambitious Chicago cub reporter, Lexie Littleton (Renée Zellweger). Winning Lexie's attention off the field, even as she sniffs around for a scoop, quickly becomes a source of competition between Dodge and Carter. The film, full of quips, jokes, and sidelong glances, includes a score by Randy Newman and appearances by Jonathan Pryce. (Friday, 7:20 p.m., AMC Loews Lincoln Square, 1998 Broadway at 68th Street, 212-336-5000, $11)