Reenact A Famous Scene From Rainman At Pompilio's Across The River From Cincinnati
By Andrea Limke|Published February 11, 2020
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Andrea Limke
Author
A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.
You may know by now that Hollywood loves the Queen City and especially in recent years, many films have been shot in our area. We’ve even been named one of the best cities in the country for filming, and of course we have to agree! With diverse neighborhoods, historic buildings, and relatively low costs, Cincinnati can become the backdrop of practically any era.
Perhaps those are the qualities that brought Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, along with the rest of the cast and crew of Rainman, to Cincinnati in the 1980s. Hopefully you’ve seen this incredible movie and not just for the acting, but for all of the Cincinnati sightings! One of the most famous scenes involved toothpicks, pancakes, and a pay phone and it was shot at Pompilio’s, a historic restaurant in Newport, Kentucky. You can reenact this scene of Rainman at Pompilio’s and enjoy the delicious food and history at the same time.
Pompilio's sits in Newport, Kentucky, right across the river from Cincinnati.
As one of the longest-running restaurants in the Cincinnati area, it's been around since 1933. And the building actually dates back earlier, to the turn of the century.
As a family-owned restaurant, the Pompilio family operated it until 1982 when it was bought by another family who (smartly) kept the name.
This restaurant and the building went through so many interesting time periods including Prohibition and the gangster acitivity that Newport was known for. Definitely take the time to read more about the history of Pompilio's on its website.
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In 1987, Hollywood took notice of this historic restaurant and filmed a scene of Rainman at Pompilio's.
The movie was mostly filmed throughout the Cincinnati area and that is evident if you know the city at all and watch the movie. Pompilio's was one of many recognizable spots and it is one that you can still visit today.
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While it wasn't actually an Italian restaurant in the movie, the interior is easily recognized.
Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise sat at a table in the dining room, just past the bar. During the scene, their wattress (Bonnie Hunt) approaches the table and Dustin Hoffman's character recognizes her name from the phone book that he's memorized. He then tells his brother (Tom Cruise) that he wants pancakes and he has to eat them with a toothpick.
You can visit Pompilio's today and enjoy this same memorable atmosphere, but instead of pancakes, you'll be served some of the best Italian fare in the area.
The view below shows what this same section of the restaurant looks like today.
Unfortunately these two famous actors will not be seated here when you visit, but we promise this restaurant is worth a trip, especially if you've never experienced it.
And if you know the movie well, you recognize this pay phone that was used by Tom Cruise and is still hanging on the wall today.
If you don't remember this scene, be sure to watch the clip below.
Today, Pompilio's is known for its incredible Italian food and long history that just so happens to include a feature in an Academy Award-winning movie.
Another movie was actually filmed at the restaurant again in 1993. Airborne didn't receive the same recognition as Rainman, but it did welcome new (at the time) actors Jack Black and Seth Green.
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If you're a fan of Rainman, movies, history, great Italian food, or any combination of these, then make a reservation at Pompilio's.
Step into history and feel as if you are reenacting a scene from Rainman, and don't forget to pick up a few toothpicks on your way out.
In case you haven’t seen it, here is that iconic scene from Rainman at Pompilio’s:
It’s always fun to see Cincinnati on the big screen and the city was one of the stars of the popular film Rainman, as Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise made their way around the city and surrounding areas. And this particular scene of Rainman at Pompilio’s can be relived today with a reservation at this historic, delicious restaurant in Newport.
Did you know this bit of trivia about Pompilio’s and Cincinnati? What other similar places and stories of Hollywood in Cincinnati do you know? Share with us in the comments!
