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THE TIMES LEADER
SECTION F SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2011●
MCT PHOTO
Diners enjoy a meal at Mama Dip’s Kitchen in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Morning meals worthy of a story
By GARY A. WARNER The Orange County Register
Your mom, and the government, say it’s the most important meal of the day.Butfortravelers,breakfastisoften an afterthought, something to be microwaved at the chain motel morning buffet or scarfed from a doughnut or bagel shop. Breaking away for a local breakfast is one of the best ways to experience therealfoodofregionsacrosstheUnited States. Here are a few of my favorite spots from years of mornings croaking “coffee, please” on the road. • Perly’s, Richmond, Va.: It’s all about the biscuits at Perly’s. Eggs are great. Bacon is great. Southern (salty) ham is good. Pancakes are great. But the biscuits. What is it about the South that can turn out these little white lumps of heaven with a golden top like nowhere else?111E Grace St. 804-6492779 • Mama Dip’s, Chapel Hill, N.C.: It’s almost worth becoming a Tarheel just tobeabletogotoMamaDip’swhenever you want for sweet-potato biscuits and grits for breakfast. Mama Dip is the nickname for Mildred Council, 81, who started cooking in local homes in 1939 and eventually opened her own place. The restaurant’s slogan is “Put a taste of the South in your mouth.” 408 W. Rosemary St.; mamadips.com or 919-942-5837. • Duran’s Central Pharmacy, Albuquerque, N.M.: You can get your nasal spray or deodorant up front, but most ofthepeoplecominginareheadingtoward the restaurant in back. The breakfast special is cheese enchiladas topped with a fried egg. You’ll find plenty of Mexican specialties here, along with the usual “American” breakfast regulars. 1815 Central Ave. NW, Old Town. 505-247-4141 • The Original Pantry, Los Angeles: The landmark downtown diner is owned by former mayor Richard Riordan. It’s a leftover of Raymond Chandler-era Los Angeles and is beloved by everyone from Lakers fans heading to Staples Center to working guys at the counter. It’s primarily a steak spot, so mornings are meaty, too. You can eat here any time: the Pantry brags, “We never close.” 877 S. Figueroa St.; pantrycafe.com or 213-972-9279. •It’sTopsCoffeeShop,SanFrancisco: Like a lot of great travel finds, I stumbled on this place when I got very lost driving too far up Market Street one morning. I saw this 1935-vintage,
A TALE OF LATE LOCAL ARTIST FRANZ KLINE By MARY THERESE BIEBEL
mbiebel@timesleader.com
A
fter his father’s death in 1917, Wilkes-Barre native Franz Kline spent six years at Girard College, a Philadelphia boarding school “for fatherless boys.” Assigned to train for foundry work there, he was not the best of students. But by the time he was ready for high school, his mother had remarried and was able to bring her son home to Carbon County. As a student at Lehighton High School, at last the young man found his niche. “He earned an ‘A’ in art,” said Dick Smith of Wilkes-
Barre, a board member of the Luzerne County Historical Society who is putting together a small exhibit of Kline’s work – from the abstract expressionism for which Kline became internationally famous to an earlier, realistic woodcut. See KLINE, Page 5F
1. Franz Kline (center), with his sister Louise and brother Frederick. They lived in Wilkes-Barre during their early years. Franz was born in the family home on West River Street. 2. Kline will be the topic of a lecture at the Westmoreland Club. 3. As a student at Lehighton High School, Franz Kline’s cartoons decorated the yearbook 4. Dick Smith of Wilkes Barre is putting together a small exhibit of the work of Franz Kline, to be displayed in conjunction with the lecture. CLARK VAN ORDEN PHOTOS/THE TIMES LEADER
See BREAKFAST, Page 4F
Ed Helms brings the spirit of Scranton to NBC hit comedy By AMY LONGSDORF For The Times Leader
Scranton takes a lot of ribbing on “The Office,” the hit series set but not shot in Northeastern Pennsylvania. But to hear one star, Ed Helms, tell it, the cast members have a healthy respect for their characters’ home base. Helms, who plays Andy Bernard, points to the show’s “Sweeney Todd” episode in which the action revolved around an amateur production of the Sondheim classic. Originally, the company was to slaughter the musical numbers deliberately, but as the episode came together, the cast members opted to perform razorsharp renditions of “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd,” “Johanna” and “By The Sea.” “What I loved about that epi-
“There is a lot of excitement on the set about what’s next. I think there will be a lot of episodes featuring different characters competing for Michael’s job." Ed Helms Andy Bernard of ‘The Office’
sode is that we all made a decision to do the play within the show very well,” says Helms, whose “Office” character is the most musically talented. “There was a discussion of, like, “Maybe it should be bad because it’s community theater, and it’s, you know, Scranton, Pennsylvania, and (our characters) aren’t good actors.’ “But then we started asking
why? ‘Why aren’t there good actors in Scranton, Pennsylvania? Why can’t they be capable communitytheater actors? And wouldn’t that be more exhilarating to watch, as a fan of the show?’ “So we wound up going in that direction. And I’m really enormously proud of that episode.” As anyone who’s a fan of the series knows, boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) will depart Dun-
der Mifflin Paper Company this spring, four episodes before the season-seven finale airs. A number of “Office” mates are likely to be in contention for the big job, including Andy (Helms) and Dwight (Rainn Wilson). “There is a lot of excitement on the set about what’s next,” Helms notes. “I think there will be a lot of episodes featuring different characters competing for Michael’s job. … It’s one of the most fun stories that we’ve had an opportunity to tell on the show in a long time — and one of the biggest — so they’re going to milk it.” Even if Helms’ character
Actor Ed Helms kisses a cardboard cutout of himself as he poses at the premiere of ’Cedar Rapids’ during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. AP PHOTO
See HELMS, Page 4F