Monteleone Has Its Cher

A week or so after it finally opened, F. Monteleone & Cammareri Bros. Bakery has hit its stride. Judging from a recent visit, the full range of Monteleone miniature pastries and cookies is now on offer, the display cases and bread racks are full and service is speedy (even if a guy at the end of the counter with a roll of bills is dolling out change to the counter girls).

As previously reported here, the bakery does sport a large, flat-screen television at the back of the store, and, as predicted, is plays a non-stop loop of "Moonstruck" (the Cher movie that featured the old Cammareri bakery on Henry Street as a location). The soundtrack of the 1987 film is piped out onto the sidewalk outside.

Thankfully, "Moonstruck" is one of those films you don't mind seeing again and again, so catching a scene now and then that features Henry and Court Streets circa mid'80s as you buy some sandwich cookies can be a pleasure. This is not necessarily the case, however, for the Nick Cage-weary help. Last Sunday, I couldn't help but notice as I passed by that the television was playing the John Travolta movie musical "Grease." I went in to investigate. Had the all-"Moonstuck," all-the-time policy been abandoned?

"No," sighed a teenage counter-girl, rolling her eyes. "We're finally get a break just now."



Monteleone and Cammareri Off and Stumbling