Delicious D used to be an up-and-coming music star, a “turntablist” whose scratches and grooves propelled people onto the dance floor. Then came a motorcycle accident that propelled him to the curb — and, soon, into a wheelchair and a spot on L.A.’s Skid Row.
And he’s lived there for years, wrapped in layers of thrift-store clothes and bitter self-pity. Until one day, with absolutely no warning or reason at all, he discovers he has the ability to “lay on hands” and cure any affliction. Any, that is, except his own.
And Delicious D becomes a new kind of star.
This is an interesting idea for a movie, but then “Sympathy for Delicious” — despite the strained Rolling Stones reference in the title — was an intriguing little project from the start.
It was written by its star, Christopher Thornton — an actor who lost the use of his legs decades ago, after a rock-climbing accident. It’s directed by co-star Mark Ruffalo, a longtime friend of Thornton’s who, at the time he began this, was thinking of giving up acting.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
'Sympathy for Delicious' review: Good cast buoys flawed but compelling meditation on faith
Delicious D used to be an up-and-coming music star, a “turntablist” whose scratches and grooves propelled people onto the dance floor. Then came a motorcycle accident that propelled him to the curb — and, soon, into a wheelchair and a spot on L.A.’s Skid Row.
And he’s lived there for years, wrapped in layers of thrift-store clothes and bitter self-pity. Until one day, with absolutely no warning or reason at all, he discovers he has the ability to “lay on hands” and cure any affliction. Any, that is, except his own.
And Delicious D becomes a new kind of star.
This is an interesting idea for a movie, but then “Sympathy for Delicious” — despite the strained Rolling Stones reference in the title — was an intriguing little project from the start.
It was written by its star, Christopher Thornton — an actor who lost the use of his legs decades ago, after a rock-climbing accident. It’s directed by co-star Mark Ruffalo, a longtime friend of Thornton’s who, at the time he began this, was thinking of giving up acting.
And he’s lived there for years, wrapped in layers of thrift-store clothes and bitter self-pity. Until one day, with absolutely no warning or reason at all, he discovers he has the ability to “lay on hands” and cure any affliction. Any, that is, except his own.
And Delicious D becomes a new kind of star.
This is an interesting idea for a movie, but then “Sympathy for Delicious” — despite the strained Rolling Stones reference in the title — was an intriguing little project from the start.
It was written by its star, Christopher Thornton — an actor who lost the use of his legs decades ago, after a rock-climbing accident. It’s directed by co-star Mark Ruffalo, a longtime friend of Thornton’s who, at the time he began this, was thinking of giving up acting.
Purple daze: Plum on Park in Montclair enchants with plenty of charm
Natalie Colledge is the third generation of the family that owns Styertowne Bakery in Clifton, a landmark shop known for traditional German pastries, including plum cakes made from fresh prune plums. She spent every year of her life pitting plums — her hands would stay purple for months — so when she was trying to come up with a name for her first restaurant, Plum on Park seemed a natural.
This little restaurant just off Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair has had several incarnations in the past 75 years or so. Originally a stainless steel diner, I only found it when it became a Greek place, then Market Restaurant (which moved to bigger digs on Church Street) and now it’s home to Colledge’s eatery, which opened in October.
With 18 seats at the counter and six small booths, Plum on Park gets tight when it’s busy. But even though a short order cook is still slinging hash on the grill attached to the original, gleaming stainless steel diner wall, Colledge, 35, of Montclair, has done something with the space her predecessors had not: She’s made it charming.
You know you’re in for something special before you enter. Deep purple canvas drapes surround the entrance, setting the stage for the cozy, shabby chic interior, with old chandeliers and fabrics accenting the plum of the restaurant’s name.
The only negative thing I can say about this delightful breakfast and lunch place is that it isn’t open for dinner; I’d be there in a flash. Lolita Cruz, the chief of staff for Assemblyman Tom Giblin, took me there for the first time several weeks ago. We met on a busy Saturday morning and were joined by Wanda Anderson, an interior designer from South Orange. I didn’t know they were regulars until Colledge welcomed us and knew they’d be ordering corned beef hash and eggs ($9.75).
I hadn’t seen hash on the printed menu, and was told it was a Saturday special. Eggs Benedict ($9.75) was also on the blackboard, so I went for it. The conversation and company were excellent, but at the same time, I was watching the cook behind the counter. Cooking breakfast — and short-order cooking in general — is an art. You’re juggling a lot of meals at one time in one small space, so making eggs come out properly and getting several dishes to one table at the same time is not for the faint-hearted.
THE STAR-LEDGERAn open- faced prosciutto sandwich at Plum on Park includes sun-dried tomatoes, fresh ricotta, arugula, and balsamic glaze.
Norma DiBello is a pro. Always smiling, always genial, she flips flapjacks and French toast like she was born to it. Actually, DiBello, 62, of Clifton is a family friend and volunteers her time with Colledge. She says she knows the restaurant will be a success and she loves being here. When breakfast ends at 11:30 a.m., she cleans the grill and comes out on the floor as a server. When breakfast ends at 11:30, she cleans the grill and comes out on the floor as a server. Colledge goes back into the kitchen to cook, and the menu changes for lunch.
Our meals prove their worth. Typically not one of my favorite dishes, the corned beef hash is exceptional, with house-made corned beef chopped in chunks and tossed with diced potatoes and seasoning, it is delicious. It also comes with rye toast from Styertowne, where all the breads are made.
By the way, Plum on Park is a wonderland for people on gluten-free diets. The homemade country white bread is gluten-free, as are at least one of the daily desserts. My niece Rebecca is a vegetarian, and on our second visit, she was excited by the many interesting options.
My eggs Benedict are perfect, with a smooth, subtle Hollandaise and good French country ham instead of Canadian bacon. Everything is made from scratch and in-house, so even buttermilk pancakes served with real maple syrup ($5.95) stand out for flavor. Seasoning is key for Colledge, and it shows in her crispy, first-rate home fries, made with butter, onions and a "secret."
Other breakfast offerings include a chorizo scramble ($8.95), a parfait of granola, Greek yogurt, raisins and brown sugar ($5.95) and cinnamon raisin French toast on Styertowne cinnamon raisin bread ($5.95). Since it’s Jersey, Taylor ham has a presence, and you can order yours on a hard roll with egg and cheese ($4.25).
Rebecca says the house-blend coffee is really good, and Colledge recommends the cappuccino; both are made throughout the day from freshly ground beans.
For lunch, there are several stand-outs. As soon as I finished the last bite of the signature Plum on Park sandwich ($10.95), I wanted another. Every flavor and texture of the sliced roast pork tenderloin, balsamic-poached plums, brie, homemade honey mustard and pickled red onions served pressed on a baguette is perfect. If you’re a vegetarian, it can be made without the pork.
There are four salads, including a classic Greek ($9.25), mixed greens, beets, cucumber, dill, and goat cheese ($9.25), grilled chicken breast, toasted almonds, Italian green olives, and golden raisins ($11.95), and field greens, apples, walnuts and blue cheese ($9.25).
If you’re in the mood for soup, Colledge makes one from roasted red peppers and gorgonzola ($4.95). If you’re a chili fan, try the three-been with meat version ($5.95) to fill you up and warm your insides.
Open-faced sandwiches include black bean, avocado, tahini and arugula on multi-grain ($7.95), or sliced beets, wonderful hummus and feta on toasted grain ($7.95).
For closed sandwiches, the bacon, tomato, avocado, herbed mayonnaise and arugula on rye ($8.55) is a good bet, as is the chicken breast, tomato jam, amd chipotle mayo on baguette ($8.95). There are also pressed choices, and the house-roasted turkey or anything with plum chutney is a winner. All sandwiches come with a side salad.
On my first visit, we shared a piece of vanilla yogurt cake topped with chocolate ganache ($3.95), and on my return, a slice of coconut pound cake ($3.95) showed off Colledge’s family roots to their best. I also saw brownies, cupcakes and crumb cake and watched a woman buy an entire carrot cake right off the counter before we could order.
For Easter brunch on Saturday, you’ll find jumbo lump crabmeat eggs Benedict and a few other specials in honor of the holiday. Plum on Park is a great find, and I can only hope they’ll stick around in the sweet little diner for a long time to come.
This little restaurant just off Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair has had several incarnations in the past 75 years or so. Originally a stainless steel diner, I only found it when it became a Greek place, then Market Restaurant (which moved to bigger digs on Church Street) and now it’s home to Colledge’s eatery, which opened in October.
With 18 seats at the counter and six small booths, Plum on Park gets tight when it’s busy. But even though a short order cook is still slinging hash on the grill attached to the original, gleaming stainless steel diner wall, Colledge, 35, of Montclair, has done something with the space her predecessors had not: She’s made it charming.
You know you’re in for something special before you enter. Deep purple canvas drapes surround the entrance, setting the stage for the cozy, shabby chic interior, with old chandeliers and fabrics accenting the plum of the restaurant’s name.
The only negative thing I can say about this delightful breakfast and lunch place is that it isn’t open for dinner; I’d be there in a flash. Lolita Cruz, the chief of staff for Assemblyman Tom Giblin, took me there for the first time several weeks ago. We met on a busy Saturday morning and were joined by Wanda Anderson, an interior designer from South Orange. I didn’t know they were regulars until Colledge welcomed us and knew they’d be ordering corned beef hash and eggs ($9.75).
I hadn’t seen hash on the printed menu, and was told it was a Saturday special. Eggs Benedict ($9.75) was also on the blackboard, so I went for it. The conversation and company were excellent, but at the same time, I was watching the cook behind the counter. Cooking breakfast — and short-order cooking in general — is an art. You’re juggling a lot of meals at one time in one small space, so making eggs come out properly and getting several dishes to one table at the same time is not for the faint-hearted.
THE STAR-LEDGERAn open- faced prosciutto sandwich at Plum on Park includes sun-dried tomatoes, fresh ricotta, arugula, and balsamic glaze.
Norma DiBello is a pro. Always smiling, always genial, she flips flapjacks and French toast like she was born to it. Actually, DiBello, 62, of Clifton is a family friend and volunteers her time with Colledge. She says she knows the restaurant will be a success and she loves being here. When breakfast ends at 11:30 a.m., she cleans the grill and comes out on the floor as a server. When breakfast ends at 11:30, she cleans the grill and comes out on the floor as a server. Colledge goes back into the kitchen to cook, and the menu changes for lunch.
Our meals prove their worth. Typically not one of my favorite dishes, the corned beef hash is exceptional, with house-made corned beef chopped in chunks and tossed with diced potatoes and seasoning, it is delicious. It also comes with rye toast from Styertowne, where all the breads are made.
By the way, Plum on Park is a wonderland for people on gluten-free diets. The homemade country white bread is gluten-free, as are at least one of the daily desserts. My niece Rebecca is a vegetarian, and on our second visit, she was excited by the many interesting options.
My eggs Benedict are perfect, with a smooth, subtle Hollandaise and good French country ham instead of Canadian bacon. Everything is made from scratch and in-house, so even buttermilk pancakes served with real maple syrup ($5.95) stand out for flavor. Seasoning is key for Colledge, and it shows in her crispy, first-rate home fries, made with butter, onions and a "secret."
Other breakfast offerings include a chorizo scramble ($8.95), a parfait of granola, Greek yogurt, raisins and brown sugar ($5.95) and cinnamon raisin French toast on Styertowne cinnamon raisin bread ($5.95). Since it’s Jersey, Taylor ham has a presence, and you can order yours on a hard roll with egg and cheese ($4.25).
Rebecca says the house-blend coffee is really good, and Colledge recommends the cappuccino; both are made throughout the day from freshly ground beans.
For lunch, there are several stand-outs. As soon as I finished the last bite of the signature Plum on Park sandwich ($10.95), I wanted another. Every flavor and texture of the sliced roast pork tenderloin, balsamic-poached plums, brie, homemade honey mustard and pickled red onions served pressed on a baguette is perfect. If you’re a vegetarian, it can be made without the pork.
There are four salads, including a classic Greek ($9.25), mixed greens, beets, cucumber, dill, and goat cheese ($9.25), grilled chicken breast, toasted almonds, Italian green olives, and golden raisins ($11.95), and field greens, apples, walnuts and blue cheese ($9.25).
If you’re in the mood for soup, Colledge makes one from roasted red peppers and gorgonzola ($4.95). If you’re a chili fan, try the three-been with meat version ($5.95) to fill you up and warm your insides.
Open-faced sandwiches include black bean, avocado, tahini and arugula on multi-grain ($7.95), or sliced beets, wonderful hummus and feta on toasted grain ($7.95).
For closed sandwiches, the bacon, tomato, avocado, herbed mayonnaise and arugula on rye ($8.55) is a good bet, as is the chicken breast, tomato jam, amd chipotle mayo on baguette ($8.95). There are also pressed choices, and the house-roasted turkey or anything with plum chutney is a winner. All sandwiches come with a side salad.
On my first visit, we shared a piece of vanilla yogurt cake topped with chocolate ganache ($3.95), and on my return, a slice of coconut pound cake ($3.95) showed off Colledge’s family roots to their best. I also saw brownies, cupcakes and crumb cake and watched a woman buy an entire carrot cake right off the counter before we could order.
For Easter brunch on Saturday, you’ll find jumbo lump crabmeat eggs Benedict and a few other specials in honor of the holiday. Plum on Park is a great find, and I can only hope they’ll stick around in the sweet little diner for a long time to come.
Oscars 2011: Anne Hathaway's cavalcade of fashion (poll)
As expected, Oscars host Anne Hathaway put her dresser to work, swapping gowns (and in one case, a tuxedo) no fewer than eight times over the course of the evening. Several of the looks were straight from the Paris and New York runways, including an (inter)stellar blue gown from Armani Prive's space-age show last month (we picked a similar blue look for her from that show), a gorgeous red Valentino for her red carpet walk (red was one of the big colors of the night), and a white strapless gown from Givenchy with heavy silver beading around the waist.
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