Bowling alleys pin down an upscale atmosphere

— -- The shoes may still be unglamorous, but don't expect old-school standards like greasy onion rings and fries on the menu at modern bowling alleys. High-backed booths and leather sofas fill these hot spots, offering colorful martinis, plasma-screen televisions, dimmed lights — and a food and wine menu to rival any white-tablecloth joint.

"People think bowling, they think hot dogs and cold beer," says Guy Revelle, owner of the upscale Splitsville in Tampa. "We take that idea and blow it out of the water."

Revelle turned to Tim Cushman, who was named a 2008 best new chef by Food and Wine magazine, to create Splitsville's grilled mahi mahi, lightly blackened and topped with shrimp sautéed in a spicy butter sauce, and the Tampa roll, a tempura shrimp roll topped with sesame seared ahi tuna, asparagus and wasabi mayo drizzle. Another staple is the steak Oscar, an 8-ounce sirloin topped with fresh crab meat and asparagus and coated with hollandaise sauce.

Bowling is back as an American pastime, the National Sporting Goods Association says: the group reports that the sale of bowling balls jumped from 138.5 million in 2000 to 156.9 million in 2007. That's a big gain, considering today's competition for entertainment dollars, says Dan Kasen, director of information services for the association.

But that stiff competition may be exactly what's motivating bowling alley proprietors to step up their games, offering centers that feel more like fine supper clubs than places to knock pins.

"Americans want nice things," says Bill Starbuck, executive corporate chef for Lucky Strike Lanes, a posh bowling franchise with 18 locations nationwide (with three more opening this year). "A dirty bowling alley with oily appetizers won't do."

Starbuck's customers love his unique tapas-style offerings, such as tomato and cheese s'mores made of mini toasted French bread rounds, roasted tomatoes and mozzarella cheese and dabbed with herb olive oil. The grilled flat-iron steak is sliced for easy sharing, topped with a balsamic syrup and a side of lightly roasted Yukon gold potatoes.