u/eldersveld

This episode is the most we see of any Soul Hunter in the series proper, and I love W. Morgan Sheppard's performance so much. Granted, he's an atypical representative, but it's a nice window into how solemnly his race approaches what it sees as its duty... and, for just a moment, Delenn sets aside her fury as she processes what all this means to him. (Of course, she shuts right down the moment he names her.)

"Soul Hunter" (s1e2)

"A Room with No View" (s2e20)

Menkoi Sao

They brought back their cold menu a couple of weeks ago and expanded it! It's labeled as for the summer, and I think we'd all agree that it feels like summer's already here regardless of what the calendar says. I got the good ol' cold spicy miso, which always hits the spot on a day like this one. As delightful as ever. I overheard the server explaining the cold dishes to a pair of diners behind me, and was pleased to hear them both order cold miso. This one might be hard to top, admittedly, but: anyone got recs for other cold ramen around here?

Super Taste

Don't sleep on their stewed pork burger. It's under $6 and, for me, makes a filling meal all by itself. It may take a little while for them to prep it--I get the feeling that it's not ordered nearly as much as their soups or dumplings, but it's well worth the wait. Also, I'm not sure how long they've been accepting credit cards or using branded packaging, but that was interesting to see. Reminded me of when Vanessa's Dumplings started doing that as well as branding their condiments.

Best Sicily Bottega

Similar to Visit Sicily in the EV, with arancini of similarly good quality. When there are multiple kinds of arancini on offer, typically it's one "traditional" (where the filling is a ragu with peas), and then a few that combine cheese and bechamel with meat and vegetarian options. The latter tend to be too rich for me in general, and if someone hadn't had arancini before I'd point them to the former. Anyway, it's nice to see another casual Sicilian spot in Lower Manhattan. Wouldn't expect a place like this in FiDi.

East Village Pizza

Hadn't been here in a long time and it seems they've fancied things up a notch. I certainly didn't recall the basil, shaved parm, or branded paper from my last visit. Solid shroom slice, and they have out hot sauce, which I appreciate when I see. They had some sort of stuffed pepperoni slice; heavier than I felt like doing at the time, but I'm keeping it in mind.

Fascati Pizza

Not as much to say about this one. 3.6 roentgen, not great, not terrible. You'd get a better one at the L&B over in Dumbo, but hey, this place is just over from the subway station.

Champion Pizza

We all know Champion. Strictly speaking, one couldn't call it good, but sometimes, it can hit in a way that a better place like Joe's or Bleecker Street wouldn't. And there's something about that weird crispy shitty crust that I find irresistible. The LES one is probably my favorite.

Taste of Poland

These guys are often at the Grand Bazaar, the big Sunday flea market on the UWS. I first tried them a while ago because they were grilling bratwurst, which isn't all that common here. Their kielbasa is bigger, and probably the better value. $13 gets you a giant-ass sausage with grilled onions, sauerkraut, a dill pickle spear, and a sprinkling of celery salt (something I associate with Chicago). If these guys had a cart or something in the Village I'd be going there all the damn time.

Gray's Papaya

Now, ordinarily I'd get the standard mustard+kraut+onions, but a friend showed me mayo+mustard+kraut and I liked it enough to get it again on my own. However, the dude making it went insane with the mayo compared to before. (Still ate it.)

On a related note, I've heard that Papaya King hasn't been the same since they had to move locations, and the few times I've been there since then, I haven't seen a lot of people. Kinda wonder how long they're going to last. Papaya Dog is gone, so if Papaya King bites it, we'll be down to (AFAIK): Gray's, Chelsea Papaya, and Len's Papaya (at the SI Ferry terminal, Manhattan side).

"To Sleep, No More" (s8e19)

"Sic Transit Vir" (s3e12)

"Signs and Portents" (s1e13)

Interestingly, this is the only time we see any Syndicate-connected person as having an actual office (although we don't really know where he was). Love the Dr. Claw thing he has going on with that chair.

Ever since learning that Poland is a ketchup mecca, I've been seeing what brands and varieties I can get locally. The hot Pudliszki is my favorite overall, intensely savory, tastes kind of like a whole McD's hamburger. Kotlin's mild one was too sweet and one-note for my taste, but this one... I've heard that there are pizza-specific ketchups in Poland, and I wouldn't be surprised if this were either one of them or close to it. Perfect dipping sauce with leftover stromboli, and I'm sure it would be great with anything else you'd dip in tomato sauce, or as a boost for cheap pizza.

This one came from a Polish grocery store in Greenpoint (a Polish-heavy neighborhood in Brooklyn). If you're interested, best of luck in locating it. Even the Slavic stores here often have just one or two varieties of Polish ketchup, but this one had a bit more.

"The Geometry of Shadows" (s2e3)

https://broadwayjoes242.com/

When I inquired about stuffed slices awhile back, I got confirmation that they used to be much more common around the city, and only a few solid leads for where to find them today. Most of the recs were pretty remote relative to Manhattan, so I accepted that I would probably have to take a day trip. The easiest for me was Broadway Joe's, which is right by the end of the 1 in the Bronx, at 242nd and Broadway.

It's an old school place, definitely my style, though I didn't take a pic of the interior because counter dude was looking right at me. They had two stuffed slices, one with chicken, and one with sausage, beef, and pepperoni. Pretty sure there was some bacon in it too. Not the cheapest slice at $6.75, and sauce is another $0.50, but honestly you do get a lot. It's sized like their other slices, and for the sake of reheating, they cut it into halves.

This was excellent, and unless you had a place closer to you that does this same thing, I'd say it's even worth the trip. The label said "beef" but it seemed more like meatball to me. Could taste all the meats, and the whole thing was well-built, not overly greasy, and with a sturdy crust that was up to the task. Good sauce too, tangy instead of sweet. These folks know what they're doing. A lesser place would have given you a sloppy, difficult-to-eat mess.

I acknowledge that this place is out of the way for many; since I'm in the Village, this was a simple enough trip, taking the A from W 4th to 168th and then transferring to the 1. (Yeah, I could just take the 1 from Christopher Street but that's a lot of stops and sometimes an express just feels better even if you don't necessarily save time.) If you wanna go here and try this slice, definitely check to see if the MTA is doing any work that'll take the 242nd St station out of service, because they've been doing that a lot lately.

"Ascension" (s2e6)

I mean, you can see the program for yourself. (Artist list here.) I adore these all-star extravaganzas at Carnegie, and so does everyone else--scoring a decent seat can be challenging even for loyal subscribers. The trick, of course, is to wait for the inevitable cancellations and swoop in like a musical vulture. I was satisfied. Kissin called in sick, and that absence was certainly felt; that scherzo is an eternal classic and I'm a fan of his Chopin interpretations.

I won't do an exhaustive breakdown, but I can say that Isabel Leonard was by far the audience favorite, with vocal cords not of this earth. Renée Fleming gave her props. She and the amazing Audra McDonald quite naturally paired themselves together for the final act. My personal highlight was Trifonov reminding me of the utter masterpiece that is Gershwin's Concerto in F. God, but the ostinatos in that last movement stick in your head. After the concert I immediately looked up performances on YouTube (Yuja Wang's was standout and I think I love it as much as André Previn's). Another thing I was also reminded of is how well a natural showman like Lang Lang integrates with a lineup like this. I'm obviously used to seeing him as the solo star of the show, so it was unusual and delightful to see his rendition of that Tchaikovsky movement slotting in perfectly alongside everything else. Surprisingly touching was Valerie Coleman's "Seven O'Clock Shout", which Renée mentioned was performed at Carnegie's first post-pandemic concert (which I was fortunate enough to attend). Always happy to see that piece in circulation.

They projected backgrounds that were appropriate to each performance, emphasizing New York and Carnegie Hall's history. Included were quotes from Carnegie himself--hey, remember when it was de rigeur for the uber-wealthy to do concrete things that benefit society?

Anyway, what a night. If you have the chance to attend something like this, I can't recommend it enough. It's like a sampler platter of greatness.