Saturday May 26, 2012SUBSCRIBE
New Jersey Monthly Magazine
Bread

2012 Jersey Choice: The Best of NJ—Food and Drink

We asked our readers to list their favorite places to eat and drink, and they responded. Read on to find out which places our readers feel are the best in the state. more

Best of New Jersey: Food and Drink

We asked our readers to list their favorite places to eat and drink, and boy-howdy did they ever respond. Read on to find out which places our readers feel are the best in the state. more

Au Hasard Balthazar

Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) is the story of a donkey.

It is one of the most sad and strangely beautiful movies I have ever seen. It was written and directed by the French filmmaker Robert Bresson, who Roger Ebert once called "a saint of the cinema."

I love all Bresson's movies, but Balthazar may be my favorite. (It's on Netflix.)

The movie has nothing to do with Balthazar Bakery, Plain Sight's tour of which continues today. But it gives me a rare excuse to mention this haunting movie filled with tenderness and cruelty and the unforgettable sound of one forlorn donkey (named Balthazar) braying.

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A Visit to Balthazar Bakery

Whenever I am in Englewood, or just passing by on Route 4, if I can steal a few moments I try to stop at Balthazar on South Dean Street. There you will find both retail shop and the facility (visible through the glass walls of the retail shop) where all their superlative breads, breakfast pastries, and desserts are baked.

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