About Town: Breakfast and a Movie

Saturday mornings at the usually mean long waits, but we think we finally got our timing down. As we pulled into the parking lot at 11:20 a.m. there appeared to be a mass exodus of people leaving the Pancake House, their drowsy demeanor suggesting that their hunger had been satiated. We parked the car, walked right in and were seated immediately. That, my friends, has never happened before.

However, as we sipped our first cup of coffee less than five minutes later, the place had once again become filled with hungry patrons, and the wait exceeded a half-hour. It seems that 11:20 a.m. is the magical time. At least it was on this particular Saturday.

We never used to mind the wait because while one of us hung behind waiting for our names to be called, the other of us (ahem, moi) would browse in Borders. Now with Borders gone, waiting is a drag.

But the wait is worth it. We really are so lucky to have the Original Pancake House in Fort Lee. The service on this particular Saturday was as we’ve always experienced--cheerful, efficient, and they had their timing down. We weren’t kept waiting, but we weren’t rushed.

Unlike large anonymous chains, The Original Pancake House of Fort Lee is actively involved with the community. Among other things, they’ve sponsored a P.B.A. outing that benefitted both Autism Speaks and The Judy Center for Down Syndrome.

Let’s talk food. Although they do pancakes really well, The Original Pancake House doesn’t just do pancakes. They do eggs as well. If you like Eggs Benedict, we highly recommend you order it here. It’s delish beyond belief, especially when paired with a side of perfectly seasoned home fries.

The Original Pancake House seems to be a popular breakfast destination spot for weekly visitations between divorced dads and their kids. There were quite a few of them in the booths surrounding ours and we couldn’t help but take notice because the conversation was much more riveting than at our table.

One dad was diligently questioning his six-year old daughter about mommy’s new boyfriend, along with the frequency of his visits and length of his stays. This young girl, unwilling to just give this information away, actually said between bites of her chocolate chip pancakes, “How much is that worth to you? I expect a LONG trip to the mall if you want those answers.”

I always enjoy a little side of juvenile bribery with my second cup of coffee.  

George Clooney is Foxy

Seriously, that’s his character’s name in Fantastic Mr. Fox, the movie shown Saturday night at the for Fort Lee Movies Under the Stars. It was Family Night at Movies Under the Stars, and the lawn was covered with families on beach chairs and blankets. They came out to enjoy a night of music, a movie, Johnny’s Meatballs on a Roll and Norm’s Ice Cream.

It was a perfect night for an outdoor movie. Although the day was quite hot, there was a mellow evening breeze that made watching a movie under the stars so enjoyable that even after the movie ended, people lingered on the lawn.   

Fantastic Mr. Fox was a great choice for Family Movie Night because it kept both the kids and the adults entertained. George Clooney lent his voice and his sense of humor to his character, and his animated foxy wife, voiced by Meryl Streep, gave him a run for his money.

If anyone can put the foxy George Clooney in his place it’s foxy Meryl Streep. And does she ever!

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a Wes Anderson film complete with lovable quirkiness had strong overtones of his other films, particularly The Royal Tenenbaums, now a cult classic and one of our all-time faves. And, as with most of Anderson’s films, the Wilson brothers were present and accounted for.

Confession: even we were captivated by watching George Clooney playing a sly fox. Oh, and the plot was good too.

Next week’s movie is Universal Studios Son of Frankenstein. It’s the sequel to Bride of Frankenstein and the last time Boris Karloff plays the role of the monster but the first time that Bela Lugosi plays the role of Ygor. This is a great movie for kids to see how classic horror films were made.

We’ll meet you back here tomorrow when we’ll introduce you to another vendor from our Farmers Market.