May 14 2023 — Existential Autotrip

May 14, 2023
# 1606

Cover: Commentary on Restaurants
Tucker Johnson and Dom Capossela

Some weeks ago the two of us, Tucker and Dom, set out to visit several respected restaurants in the Boston/Cambridge area, this, a new event for Tucker, and a revisit after a decades-long absence for Dom.
(Although Dom interjects here that he had the pleasure of repeated visits to a handful of stalwarts, i.e. places that give you value, always meet your expectations, and are easily accessible, if you are comfortable navigating Boston and Cambridge streets. The only one of these that Tucker has not been to is Fugakyu, and that’s an omission we have to rectify.

The stalwarts, in random order?
Abe and Louie’s. Who else serves martinis in glass cruets set into ice-filled glass bowls? What other steakhouse serves at a burger at the quality and price of dependable A&L.

La Voile. The menu, the pricing, and the service bring you back to the real Parisian moment. I especially like their two-foie-gras pate appetizer plate.

Douzo. Take a look at their $42.00 chef’s sushi plate with its thirteen assorted fish presented in a variety of preparations. I appreciate their quality small bottles of sake.

Fugakyu in Coolidge Corner, with its prix fixe dinner menu that utilizes only Japanese-sourced fish.

Regina Pizzeria in the North End and Figs on Charles Street serve great pizza..

GaGa in Boston’s Chinatown. I have eaten much of their menu and it is all delicious. The ambience is poor. The prices are moderate.

Well, we knew those but we wanted to test out some of the other restaurants in Boston/Cambridge. We randomly selected several ‘best of’ lists and agreed that Tucker would select our visits and Dom select our menu. Just two ordinary guys looking for a nice place and a nice meal to provide a venue for terrific conversation. Typically, except for one restaurant, we got both. Good for Boston!

While the Boston/Cambridge restaurant scene is pretty strong, eating in better restaurants is an expensive proposition. You’ll spend between one and two hundred dollars per person, and in some few, considerably more than that. So, before we give our thumbnail descriptions of the mainstream places we visited, we’ll give you three good value items or places, two of them downright irresistible.

One, is the hamburger at lunch time at Abe and Louie’s for $19.00. And that nineteen bucks buys you lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheese. You get a thick (9oz) burger plus all the accoutrements. A burger down the street at the Sidewalk at the Newbury, costs $34.00.
The second excellent value is the chef’s special sushi at Douzo. One cannot get the variety of fish and preparations like they offer here, not for $42.00.
And, three, the heavyweight in the value department is Fratelli at the Encore Casino in Medford, Massachusetts. There, between the hours of 4-6pm, Mon-Thurs, for $50.00, you get run-of-the-menu choices of appetizers, AND then the same with the pasta courses except for the lobster and pasta, AND a choice of several main courses, AND a dessert. This price is particularly notable since Fratelli is an expensive restaurant where main courses alone can approach $50.00. Hence the bargain.
BTW: the food is excellent.

So here are the other restaurants that we visited.

Pagu, a Japanese-Spanish tapas restaurant in Cambridge, elegantly designed, is large. It was not busy early in the evening. Excellent food and service.

Kava neo-Taverna, a Greek restaurant in Boston’s South End, is attractive. It’s a smaller restaurant. It was not busy during the afternoon meal. Excellent food and service with a tip of the hat to the Moussaka, not an easy dish to find anywhere else.

Kava’s Yiaourti - Greek yogurt, berries, candied walnuts and honey

Chickadee, a Mediterranean-American restaurant, in Boston’s Seaport District, is a larger restaurant. The food and service were excellent.

Frank’s (Frank McClelland of "L’ Espalier fame) in Beverly, is a large, American-food restaurant with a nice interior. Monthly, Frank’s offers a 150.00 prix fixe menu. On our visit, every chair was filled. The food and service were both very good.

The man himself - Frank’s presence was a prominent part of our supper club experience we thought to include him.

THUMBS DOWN
Faccia a Faccia on Newbury Steet, our only thumbs down, was second only to Fratelli in the number of early evening customers. The poor experience: we ordered a fried artichoke and the offering was totally overcooked and terribly oversalted. That was the only plate in our experiences that we returned. We cancelled the order but the kitchen sent out a second try. It was also overly salted and over-cooked.

Faccia’s baked sorrentina - vanilla gelato, yuzu cream, meringue, candied citrus - a delicious end to our experience there.

Commentary on Hungary
Dom Capossela
In the News: MAGA Republicans are tripping over themselves to express support for Hungary’s Pre-Nazi regime, for example, their support for Russia in its effort to control the Ukraine. Let me make this perfectly clear. Hungary’s government and its officials are the most openly anti-Jews this world has seen since Hitler committed suicide.
There is no escaping that Americans supporting the Hungarian government are supporting the people who are openly advocating the annihilation of Jews. Squirm this way, dodge that way, “We want to kill Jews’’ is what the Hungarian government and their supporters want. They want to kill Jews. And gypsies, LGBTQ, labor union leaders, Catholics, …

(Top) Hitler proclaims the *Anschluss* on the Heldenplatz, Vienna, 15 March 1938. (Bottom) Ethnic Germans use the Nazi salute to greet German soldiers as they enter Saaz, 1938.
Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1970-005-28 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the **original image captions**, which may be **erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme**. Einmarsch in das Sudetenland. Motorisierte deutsche Truppen in Saaz. German mechanized troops enter Saaz. The streets are decorated with swastika flags and banners. 9.10.1938 14.30 Uhr. Saaz. Sudetenland

Russia’s efforts in the Ukraine follow the Nazi rule book..
Can you believe we have Americans supporting this?
Makes me want to shout: Stop Jew Hate!
Stop supporting extreme right-wing parties.

Kat’s Gen Z Corner

Bingeworthy TV

I need to hear that a show is someone’s favorite a half dozen times before I am compelled to watch it myself. So, my recommendations are not indie or niche. Nonetheless, here are three shows that the world is loving, and I am, too. In order of preference.

Last of Us (HBO)

The most beautiful and heart wrenching depiction of a father and daughter relationship I’ve ever seen. I just finished season one yesterday and have been listening to all the interviews and podcasts I can consume. I am #TeamJoel all the way to the end, although it hurts me. The last episode forced me to meditate on the extent to which a parent’s love would take us. It’s a bit insane but also immensely powerful. Bella Ramsay rocks. Also I just realized both main characters were also in Game of Thrones. Incredible.

2. Succession (HBO) //new episodes every Sunday night

Moving, infuriating, and psychotically witty. It might even surpass Veep for the best insults on television. Every Monday, my entire office dishes about Succession’s Sunday night episodes, desperately trying to understand where the creators are taking us. There are four episodes left to the entire show and half a million loose ends to tie up. I’ve been enjoying the summary and prediction articles from New York Magazine’s “The Cut.” I also have been enjoying HBO’s end-of-episode recap with the creators.

3. Ted Lasso (Apple TV) //new episodes every Wednesday night

This show has portrayed my generation’s interest in undoing generational trauma, talking about our feelings incessantly, and desperately wanting a softer world, in an unapologetic and hilarious way. You have to love Ted and the boys. No one can take that away, but I found myself cringing during the Amsterdam episode two weeks ago. The last few episodes have been a little over-the-top cheesy for me. I know I probably stand alone in this. I will always be a fan; I just hope something more substantive happens to the plot this season.

______________________________________
Tucker’s Cinema

May the 4th (be with you) is a pretty significant holiday for me as Star Wars is more or less the most significant fandom I belong to. Recent years have seen a lot of discourse around the films and tv shows that have been released that take place in the Star Wars galaxy. Sadly most of that discourse is from an outspoke minority of would-be Star Wars fans that really isn’t much more than bigotry and downright hatred of anything that challenges the status quo of Star Wars. I had a pretty big smile on my face as I watched the newest season of Star Wars Visions. It’s a series that flies in the face of that close mindedness. It’s what Star Wars has always been to me. An enormous place full of every kind of people imaginable.

When Star Wars: Visions premiered two years ago it proved to stellar effect that as long as creators held to the iconography and thematic heart of Star Wars, the medium by which we experience that distant realm doesn’t really matter. Visions 1 made its mission clear from the very beginning. Give some of the best Japanese animation studios the chance to tell Star Wars stories and those studios delivered wonderfully. With Visions 2 that mission has become solidified by allowing studios from around the globe to take a crack at a galaxy far, far away.

Much of Star Wars is steeped in Japanese culture, initially stemming from Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress. With that much influence it made sense for Visions to begin with the country that started it all. Now though we get to see artists from South Korea, Great Britain, Ireland, India, Chile, South Africa and France all get a chance to broaden the Star Wars palette and take a more expansive look at the people and creatures that live there. The wider influence is apparent immediate with broader themes being explored across the nine short films than in season 1. After taking in all of season 2 the true power of such a global effort became clear. These films represent a radical and invigorating interrogation of what we know to be Star Wars. These films mutate and evolve that understanding through their varying art forms, styles, and modes of animation. On a purely visual level Visions 2 is a sumptuous treat for the eyes.

The broad influence is really what makes Visions 2 dazzle just as brightly as its preceding anthology. The first volume proved that both Star Wars’ iconography and its themes could withstand being poked and prodded att, tweaked and interpreted through lenses that proudly defied Star Wars’ established canon to transpose those themes and visuals across everything from jidaigeki films to pop-rock musicals. Visions’ 2 dares to take another key understanding of the galaxy far, far away to its heart: that it is a galaxy, and it is filled to bursting with big, myriad opportunities.

From 3D CG to 2D art, from stop-motion puppetry to traditionally drawn animation, to shorts that mix and match multiple forms to tell their tales, Visions 2 is an incredible visual treat, and uses this vast canvas of styles to cover a whole spectrum of tonal ideas, from tense action to playful comedy, from folk horror to wartime spy thrillers. Even further beyond this variety of form is how this allows each of these shorts to celebrate the flexibility of Star Wars’ most enduring imagery, and broaden it artistically to incorporate cultural histories and identities from our own world. Star Wars has always borrowed from real-life cultures from across the planet, but rarely has it in turn been placed in the hands of creatives from those cultures, for them to play with sandbox of its galaxy in the ways Star Wars has played with their own cultural tableau.

Narratively, they go beyond the Visions 1’s stories in that they aren’t just simply about Jedi vs Sith—and when they are, they are about exploring different facets of the Force than simply good, evil, and laser swords. Here the Force is shown as an energy of creation, of familial bonds, of strength in the face of environmental and societal persecution. And when these shorts go beyond that mystical dichotomy, they explore spies and soldiers, laborers and pilots, the upper echelons of the galaxy to its lowest rungs, reminding us that Star Wars is not always about its fantastical mythos, but about people in general, and the things that connect them beyond a magical energy field.

If Visions 1 was Star Wars through the lens of its Japanese roots, Visions 2 is our own world played back to us through the lens of what Star Wars can be. It is a reminder of just how at its strongest creatively and visually, Star Wars does not have to be beholden to a strict set of narrative and visual rules to still “be” Star Wars. If we allow it to be, if we expand our own minds in turn, a lightsaber can be a blade of plasma or a paintbrush, a promise of freedom or the gateway to a spiritual identity. A starship can be a tool of violent oppression, or the home of a family, or a pathway to the stars. The heroes of a galaxy far, far away can be divinely powered warrior monks, brothers and sisters, young and old, dancers and artists. Star Wars can be anything and is for everyone. Visions’ second outing doesn’t just understand this, but casts its arms open widely and warmly to embrace it in its joyful, soul-stirring totality.

All episodes of Visions 1 and 2 are streaming on Disney +

___________________________________
Food/The Dining Experience
Sometimes we eat out for convenience. Then, not much of what we list below is pertinent. At the ezine we eat out because we love the experience.

In Boston, we have a lot of choices. A lot.

How do we choose the restaurant
Do we want a particular cuisine?
Is the location important? Like close to home or work? Is parking accessible ? Is it close to public transportation?
Sometimes I like the restaurant’s structure, like an ‘a la carte’ menu or a ‘prix fixe’.
What about selecting for the ambience? Do we feel like getting dressed? Or do we feel like a casual, laid-back atmosphere? Is the lighting good? Do you like the music, and décor?
Is price a factor? Will we splurge on a special occasion or are we working with a budget? Or do I want to take advantage of an ‘early bird’ special?
Are we revisiting a restaurant or are we going on someone else’s say-so? A reputation or a review?
If we’re going to a revisit, is it because of the professional and/or friendliness of the staff?

The steps before
Making the reservation is often quite smooth, made that way by the several sites that specialize in reserving tables. You can make the reservation, modify it, or cancel it at any time, even off-hours.
I always read the restaurant menu (and I usually pick out my dinner) before I get there. It’s part of the fun so you can take your time. And you don’t miss anything.
I love to walk to restaurants or return home by walking. It extends the experience.
At the restaurant, it’s nice to be greeted by a friendly, professional person.
And getting that table that’s right for you is often important.
For me, getting my drink or glass of wine in a timely fashion is important. I define ‘timely-fashion’ as a New York minute. Since I know what I’m going to eat before I open the ,menu, my wine order is appropriate.
Drink arrives, now I can order.

The Dinner Companion
I’m not crazy about eating alone. A dinner companion is reams more desirable.
Eating out is the ultimate conversational moment so we want our dinner companion to be
a good listener, and an interesting speaker;
easygoing - able to roll with the punches and enjoy the meal, regardless of any minor inconveniences or unexpected situations that may arise;
appreciative of whatever you have contributed to the experience;
and, of course, he/she must be someone who appreciates the food and drinks you are about to share.
But mostly, we want a kind person - someone friendly, generous, courteous, and empathetic.

Food and Drink
Our food comes. It’s good.
It’s made with high-quality ingredients, from fresh produce, to meats, and seafood, sometimes all locally-sourced products, products that are typically better than are available in local supermarkets.
The courses are made by highly-trained chefs and kitchen staff skilled in their craft, displaying expertise in cooking techniques, flavor combinations, and presentation, creating dishes that are both delicious and visually appealing.
The food shows attention to detail, from the seasoning and sauces, to the plating and presentation.
often the restaurant specializes in a particular type of cuisine, such as French cuisine or sushi. This concentration may result in a higher quality.
And adding to the enjoyment of the food is that: we are hungry.

And no cleanup
And as we walk out, we realize that we have no responsibilities to clear our tables; wash our dishes. Yayy!

Le Grand Véfour restaurant at the Palais Royal in Paris
Zairon - Own work
Interior of Grand Véfour Restaurant as Part of the Palais Royal, Paris, Region of Île-de-France, France

Not your typical neighborhood joint

______________________________________
Chuckles and Thoughts
Michael Flanders and Donald Swann
”At the Drop of a Hat”
The Armadillo Song

I was taking compass bearings for the Ordinance Survey
On an army training camp on Salisbury plain
I had packed up my theodolite, was calling it a day
When I heard a voice that sang a sad refrain:

'Oh, my darling Armadillo
Let me tell you of my love
Listen to my Armadillo roundelay;
Be my fellow on my pillow
Underneath this weeping willow
Be my darling Armadillo all the day.'

I was somewhat disconcerted by this curious affair
For a single Armadillo, you will own
On Salisbury plain, on summer, is comparatively rare
And a pair of them is practically unknown.

Drawn by that mellow solo
There I followed on my bike
To discover what these Armadillo
Lovers would be like:

'Oh, my darling Armadillo
How delightful it would be
If for us those silver wedding bells would chime
Let the orange blossoms billow
You need only say 'I will'-oh
Be my darling Armadillo all the time.'

Then I saw them in a hollow,
by a yellow muddy bank -
An Armadillo singing ...
to an armour-plated tank

Should I tell him, gaunt and rusting,
with the willow tree above
This - abandoned on maneuvers -
is the object of your love?

I left him to his singing
Cycled home without a pause
Never tell a man the truth
About the one that he adores

On the breeze that follows sunset
I could hear that sad refrain
Singing willow, willow, willow down the way;
And I seemed to hear it still, Oh
Vive L'amore, vive l'Armadillo
'Be my darling Armadillo all the day
Be my darling Armadillo all the day.'

bronze sculpture by Liene Mackus in Riga
Pemba.mpimaji - Own work
am Dom in Riga

I asked ChatGPT what makes this song attractive and she/he responded:

The song "The Armadillo" from the album "At the Drop of a Hat" by Flanders and Swann is attractive for several reasons:

Humor: The song is a humorous take on a bizarre and unlikely romantic encounter between an Armadillo and a tank.
Catchy melody: The melody of the song is catchy and memorable, with a simple, sing-along chorus that is easy to remember.
Clever lyrics: The lyrics of the song are clever and well-written, with a mix of humor and wit that keeps the listener engaged.
Quirky subject matter: The subject matter of the song is quirky and unusual, which adds to its appeal and makes it stand out from other songs.

Overall, "The Armadillo" is a charming and amusing song that showcases Flanders and Swann's talents as songwriters and performers.

Social Life

Living alone, whether younger or older, your social life ebbs and flows. I am, at this moment, passing through a quiet moment, as in before the storm.
Coming up are seven days and nights of activities, each of which is exciting: two with a theater group, three with my visiting daughter, and three with friends. That’s eight. (One day I have two events.)
Exciting.

**Shutterstock Images - Best Stock Images Online - Shutterstock's All-in-One Plan**https://www.shutterstock.com/All-in-One/Free Trial

Too busy!

_____________________________________
Mail and other Conversation
We love getting mail, email, or texts, including links.

Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
text to 617.852.7192

This reminder from Kaye Huiyuan Hu (she/they), Public Relations Director & Secretary, **Vermilion Theater**

For those who have not signed up, yet, don’t miss this fun flight of theatrical events.
Free RSVP link is here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vermilion-five-night-flight-tickets-629512437647
Editor’s Note: The last Vermilion event I attended was stunning. I wouldn’t consider not going to one or two or more of the events. Check it out.

_____________________________________________________________
This from friend James P, re: the May 7 issue.

Dom,

Lovely cover and very interesting issue.

Two thoughts:

Watch out for what Harari is saying here as there might be some subterfuge. AI right now is regulated by its programing. It says what it has been programed to say. The question is: who programs the AI. Harari wants to put it in the hands of certain government agencies. What they will regulate is what the AI says. That means the government will get to control what counts as information. That does not seem like a good idea to me.
The only answer we should have gotten from ChatGBT and Bingbot when you asked if they should be regulated is this one: “That is totally up to you, Master.”

Love,

Jim

Femmes hararies vêtues de la tenue traditionnelle "Atlas", à Harar, en Éthiopie
Harari Culture - @harari_culture

_________________________________
Short Essay: La Pyramide
Dom Capossela, Editor

Fernand Point is widely regarded as one of the most influential chefs of the 20th century.
Point was known for his use of fresh, seasonal ingredients, and for his innovative approach to cuisine.
He was also famous for his insistence on high standards of quality and service.
His high standards helped to establish La Pyramide as one of the top restaurants in France.
Even today, La Pyramide is known for its elegant and refined cuisine, as well as its extensive wine cellar and beautiful garden.
Point was a pioneer of French nouvelle cuisine and trained many famous chefs, such as Paul Bocuse.
He ran the restaurant until his death. (1897–1955).

Point was strict and unforgiving in the kitchen, but he was known to play pranks on his patrons and visitors (often with Paul Bocuse as his apprentice and wing-man).
Parisian high society visitors would find themselves ushered into the kitchen, pushed into a corner, and fed one of Point's dishes under the pretense of being asked to evaluate the readiness of the offering while Bocuse, hidden underneath a prep table, whitewashed the heels of their shoes.
Postmen and visiting locals fared not much better; in one famous stunt Point ordered Bocuse to paint the bicycle of a visiting gendarme pink while Point distracted his visitor.

After Point's death, his widow, Mado, carried on and maintained the restaurant's 3-star rating until 1986. The Point’s son-in-law, Jean Bonno, in the kitchen, upheld the restaurant's reputation for excellence.
He was responsible for introducing a new generation of chefs to the restaurant, including Paul Bocuse, who went on to become one of the most famous chefs in the world.
Under Bonno's guidance, La Pyramide regained its three Michelin stars in 1960.

The restaurant changed hands several times and lost its stars.
Current chef, Patrick Henriroux, has been in charge since 1989 and has regained two Michelin stars.
Henriroux, trained under both Fernand Point and Paul Bocuse.
Henriroux has continued to build on the restaurant's legacy of excellence, while also bringing his own creative vision and culinary style to the table.

Today, La Pyramide remains one of the most celebrated restaurants in France, and a destination for food lovers from around the world.
Its rich history and tradition of innovation continue to inspire new generations of chefs and diners, and it is considered a true gem of French gastronomy.

The chefs at work producing extraordinary cuisine.

*The Blog Meister selects the topics for the Lead Picture and the Short Essay and then leans heavily on Wikipedia, Bing ai, and ChatGPT to provide the content. The Blog Meister usually edits the entries.

**Community Pictures with Captions are sent in by our followers. Feel free to send in yours to domcapossela@hotmail.com

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May 10 May 14 2023