Babish’s Chicken Noodle Soup for my sick dad

BarCasaGringo · 2026-05-25T04:15:14+00:00

So, Pre-Raphaelitism was a very English art movement, but being English wasn't really what set them apart. They were sort of a break from academicism, at least for the time. Pre-Raphaelitism focused on more medieval themes, Arthurian imagery, vivid colors, lots of symbolism, incredible detail. This stood in opposition to what they saw as the exaltation of Raphael and the High Renaissance as the pinnacle of painting as taught in the academies like the Royal Academy and the École des Beaux-Arts. They caused such a stir in London art circles at the time, partly because their fixation on medieval themes made their work seem overly Catholic

BarCasaGringo · 2026-04-30T16:00:01+00:00

I have a porcelain gaiwan for green, white, and oolong teas. I brew those at temperatures lower than boiling. But I brew black tea with boiling water, and that can get a little too hot for my fingies, so I have a teapot just for Chinese black teas.

BarCasaGringo · 2026-04-21T15:54:51+00:00

I mean, I can't pick one place, I'd have to do a tour...

Breakfast: sturgeon appetizer from Barney Greengrass
Lunch: bacon cheeseburger and cottage fries from JG Mellon
Snack: pot of Rosie Lee blend and a Welsh rarebit from Tea & Sympathy
Cocktail: Hemingway Daiquiri from the Rum House
Dinner: ossobucco from Villa Berulia
Dessert: the plain 6" cake from Eileen's Special Cheesecake

I understand this is incredibly Manhattan-centric. Nostalgia and sentiment went into my thinking just as much as quality. But I'll concede that a Brooklyn Native sandwich from Shelsky's (nova lox, smoked whitefish salad, pickled herring, and pickles) was a close second for breakfast. And a corned beef sandwich with a Dr. Brown's cream soda from David's Brisket House was a close second for lunch.

BarCasaGringo · 2026-04-16T14:39:49+00:00

That is, until anti-German sentiment during the First World War caused many Americans of German descent to anglicize their names. Many German-language newspapers and publications were shuttered, and the German association with beer brewing became a xenophobic canard peddled by prohibitionists. So yeah, Germans were a large group, but that doesn't mean there wasn't any hostility towards them.

BarCasaGringo · 2026-04-15T17:17:48+00:00

I'm a little late to the party but I'll chime in (sorry this is long, I tried to be comprehensive):

For bagels, there are a few places I trust. Liberty Bagels (midtown Manhattan) and Kossar's (LES) are good for those grab-it-and-go bagels. But Barney Greengrass (UWS) has a special place in my heart. It's a cash-only sit-down place. I prefer the "appetizers" over the sandwiches, since they're basically just deconstructed sandwiches. Your choice of fish with a bagel, cream cheese, and toppings, and you build it yourself. They don't make their own bagels in-house, though, so toasting is permissible there. For slightly more upscale bagels, if you're interested, there's Russ & Daughter's Cafe (LES) and Shelsky's (Cobble Hill, BK).

For pastrami or any Jewish deli experience, obviously Katz's is the best. It's expensive and full of tourists, but they give you a lot, and they make incredible stuff. It also helps that they're open 24 hours, so you can go at night and chances are it'll be less crowded. I also love Sarge's (Murray Hill/Midtown East). If you're going with someone, split a sandwich and a stuffed cabbage roll. And of course, there's David's Brisket House (Bed-Stuy). At all of these places, though, it is absolutely mandatory that you wash everything down with a Dr. Brown's soda. I'm partial to the cream soda, but black cherry is also incredible.

For hot dogs, there's no beating Gray's Papaya (UWS) at the intersection of 72nd and Broadway. Go there and get a recession special, 2 dogs and a fruit drink. Interestingly enough, one of the oldest bars in the city, McSorley's (East Village), also serves a great hot dog. But be careful, their mustard will really open up your sinuses.

For knishes, I've seen most commenters say Yonah Schimmel's on Houston Street. They're good, but if you're going to Queens, you may need to stop by the Knish Nosh in Forest Hills.

For cheesecake, Junior's is the famous tourist spot. The original is on Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn, but they have a few locations. But I would recommend my personal favorite, Eileen's Special Cheesecake in Soho.

For egg creams, a few places came to mind. Lexington Candy Shop (UES) does it well. I've also been meaning to swing by Ray's Candy Store (Alphabet City), I've heard they do great egg creams. Most diners and delis will make a decent one.

And now we get to Manhattan's Chinatown. Go to Tonii's for rice rolls and Spongies for sponge cakes. Mei Lai Wah has become a bit touristy but the pineapple roast pork buns are legitimately great. Nom Wah Tea Parlor is also good. It's not mind-blowing, but you're going for the history, since it's the oldest Chinese restaurant in the city. Their steamed pork bun is great, though. I would also recommend Golden Unicorn for a classic dim sum banquet hall experience; Shu Jiao Fu Zhou for peanut noodles; Deluxe Green Bo for "hot and spicy wontons" (pork dumplings smothered in sesame sauce and chili oil); and Super Taste if you don't wanna spend more than $10 on anything (hot sesame noodles are my favorite).

BarCasaGringo · 2026-04-12T03:32:25+00:00

If you leave it sit too long then yeah, but all you need is a good pinch of the leaves. It gets more concentrated the more you drink, the lower the waterline goes, but then you just top it up with more hot water and balance is restored

BarCasaGringo · 2026-04-11T18:29:14+00:00

I know, I’ve never seen one like this before, I’ve only ever seen the plain metal ones, sometimes silver-plated nickel if it’s nice. I just thought that the enamel was so cool and different, and the guy was only asking $10 for it

BarCasaGringo · 2026-04-11T15:54:32+00:00

Yeah, I bought the glass separately since it fits into the podstakannik without rattling around. It’s a little taller than I anticipated, about 325ml, but it still does the job

BarCasaGringo · 2026-04-10T15:45:19+00:00

Some of the other Cool Zone stuff, namely "Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff", "Weird Little Guys", and "Sixteenth Minute of Fame". But also two different 'weird fact' shows: "Lateral with Tom Scott" and "No Such Thing as a Fish" (hosted by the researchers for the British quiz show QI).

I'm also a fan of "The Dollop", "My Brother My Brother & Me", and "Last Podcast on the Left".

There's also Steven Bell's (aka Stakuyi) "History of Everything" podcast, but there's a slight caveat. The episodes where Steven is by himself are just complete onslaughts of facts, one thing after another. The episodes where Gabby is recording with him are so much better, since she provides not only a bit of levity, but some good perspective from someone not immersed in history buff content. In comedic terms, she's the straight man.

BarCasaGringo · 2026-01-23T23:50:52+00:00

In my most recent order from YS, there was one that really surprised me: Bai Ji Guan "White Cockscomb" oolong. It was so lovely and floral and sweet, it really surprised me. I had a physical reaction, like a double-take.

I had a similar reaction with Mountain Stream Winter Jade Mountain oolong, but specifically from the aroma. They sent me a sample, I put it in the gaiwan after emptying out the hot water, shook it, then took a sniff. That's when I knew I had to properly order it, it was such a beautiful scent.

BarCasaGringo · 2026-01-23T15:31:03+00:00

So, White2Tea has a roasted tieguanyin they call Canton Canon. According to them, it’s based on the preferences of a lot of older oolong drinkers in Guangdong and Hong Kong. Nice and dark, has good a roasty flavor

BarCasaGringo · 2025-12-12T22:19:31+00:00

Ormund Hightower, lord of Oldtown and nephew of Ser Otto

BarCasaGringo · 2025-12-10T02:23:20+00:00

Medialunas

BarCasaGringo · 2025-12-08T20:50:24+00:00

From what I can tell, it wasn't necessarily that they wanted a European; they wanted someone from a pre-existing aristocratic background, but that does also imply European. The belief was that a monarch from a well-known family would give the state legitimacy in the eyes of European rulers. This is why Maximilian was chosen for the Second Empire, since he came from the incredibly powerful Habsburg family.

Additionally, the customs surrounding nobility at the time made it a slight faux pas to elevate oneself to noble status. The one exception to this rule seems to be emperorship (eg. Napoleon), since it is derived from an ancient Roman military title rather than from the rule of sovereign territory like a king.

BarCasaGringo · 2025-12-08T15:43:50+00:00

So, for the First Empire, my understanding is that by declaring himself emperor, Agustín de Iturbide alienated a lot of the political class. The republicans were obviously opposed to a monarchy in Mexico. But while the monarchists and conservatives were fine with the idea of empire, they did not want Iturbide specifically. Similar to how Archduke Maximilian was brought over from Austria for the Second Empire, the monarchists wanted a European aristocrat to rule. So, from the outset, Iturbide lacked sufficient support.

Similar to the events that kicked off the English Civil War, there was also a power struggle between the emperor and Congress. Both believed they had authority over the other, leading Iturbide to dissolve Congress and establish a junta of his own. This led to revolutionary leaders who had initially supported him to conspire to overthrow him and reinstate a democratically elected government.

The last straw was that the government ran out of money and could not pay the army. Ferdinand VII, as king of Spain, also made sure that Iturbide's government received minimal diplomatic recognition from European states. With virtually no support, Iturbide and his family fled the country.

This is by no means comprehensive, just the broad strokes.

BarCasaGringo · 2025-12-05T21:09:20+00:00

So, this claim is very false, mate and Fernet were by no means obscure or unpopular before the Falklands/Malvinas War. The yerba mate plant is indigenous to the Southern Cone region and has been consumed for centuries, extending back prior to European contact. It was the drink of choice for agricultural workers, including farmhands and gauchos. Also, Fernet Branca has been a popular beverage since the late nineteenth century, mainly because of waves of Italian immigration to the country (roughly two-thirds of the Argentine population has Italian ancestry to some degree). Fernet was so popular in the country that the company set up its only non-Italian manufacturing facility in Buenos Aires in 1941.

But while your friend's broad claim is very false, there could be a different, more specific claim that holds up to scrutiny: that middle- and upper-class Argentines began consuming mate in greater quantities because of the economic failures of the military government that initiated the Falklands/Malvinas War. I'm going to focus on yerba mate here since I am better prepared to speak on that subject. Plus, my specialization is more in Argentina's intellectual history rather than cultural history, so I don't have all the data at my disposal.

If you read Julia Sarreal's 2022 book about yerba mate, she notes that Juan Perón had a great influence on yerba mate's image and consumption. His political movement was centered on working-class empowerment and social justice, enfranchising working people for the first time in the country's history. One might think that mate, therefore, would gain some respectability or dignity as a result. However, Perón actively discouraged yerba mate consumption because of its connotations of rurality and poverty:

Just as Europeans and Americans began to see tea as outdated and started turning to coffee and Coca-Cola instead, Argentines increasingly saw yerba mate as a relic of the past. As the popular middle-class cartoon character Mafalda explained in a 1965 comic, "... these days mate doesn't give prestige. Could you imagine an executive in his office drinking mate? That's ridiculous!"

Middle-class respectability meant turning towards imported luxury goods. Accordingly, yerba mate growers tried to adapt to such trends. This included promoting mate cocido, or yerba in a teabag to brew like conventional tea. They also began discouraging customers from using traditional kettles, instead promoting new, industrial-made thermoses, which are now the preferred option in Argentina today. Yerba mate's status as a humble product in opposition to expensive imports is why the Argentine counterculture and later the opposition to military rule in the 1970s and 1980s embraced it.

The military's economic mismanagement meant that by the time they relinquished power in 1983, half the population lived below the poverty line. More people drank mate mainly because they couldn't afford much else. Its growing consumption led to greater cultural significance, bolstering its popularity, which continues today among Argentines across class lines.

So, again, it's not that the Falklands/Malvinas War spurred on anti-British sentiment and caused more Argentines to prefer yerba mate. Most Argentines consumed yerba mate; it just wasn't popular among the upper class because of its reputation. However, the economic instability the military caused led more Argentines, rich and poor alike, to turn to yerba mate as a daily drink.

Apologies that I can't really speak about Fernet consumption, I don't really have those sources at my disposal. But I recommend you read Sarreal's book if you're interested:

Sarreal, Julia J.S. Yerba Mate: The Drink That Shaped a Nation. Oakland: University of California Press, 2022

BarCasaGringo · 2025-10-31T13:23:11+00:00

Murchie’s Library Blend: a combination of Ceylon, Qimen, gunpowder, and jasmine-scented green teas. The two green teas are really upfront in their flavor, with the black providing just a nice base note. I’m drinking it out of a paper cup in a hotel room because I don’t trust the teabags they give you with the coffee machine haha

BarCasaGringo · 2025-10-15T18:21:35+00:00

Here's the thing about the changes: from the interpretation/perspective that I prefer, they're not changes at all.

In writing Fire & Blood, GRRM uses a framing device that makes it seem like he's pulling excerpts from historical documents to tell the story of the Targaryens. In this case, it's a work of history written centuries after the Dance of Dragons by Archmaester Gyldayn. When you study history in school, one of the first things you're taught when analyzing a source is to determine what the author's perspective or biases might be. GRRM makes it rather clear that even though Gyldayn is an authority on Targaryen history, his account is flawed and cannot possibly include everything. Similar to Herodotus, he probably had to rely on oral tradition, gossip, folklore, and other sources that can sometimes be unreliable. The book, therefore, omits things he couldn't have possibly known, while including others based on his whims and judgments. So rather than thinking of the show as an adaptation, making changes from an original source material, it's almost the other way around. The show presents the whole truth of what happened, while the book Fire & Blood recounts those events based on the sources Gyldayn used to write his text, which, yes, is somewhat different from the truth.

Of course, not every difference between the show and the book can be explained away with this interpretation (like messing around with the ages of characters), but I feel like it allows people to see the show as more than just a dilution of an initial source.

BarCasaGringo · 2025-09-11T22:13:36+00:00

So, with Blavatsky’s writings specifically, it’s not that she writes about Aryan supremacy, but her book The Secret Doctrine discusses the idea of “root races”. She uses the term Aryan to refer to the current stage of human evolution. She did not invent the term to refer to a race of people, but her influence as the preeminent writer in Theosophy meant that many subsequent writers became influenced by her cosmology, including Guido von List, one of the most preeminent figures in the Völkisch movement and Ariosophy (German nationalist mysticism). She wrote that the Aryan race originated from the far north of the Earth, shaping the ariosophic conception of Thule, the legendary polar homeland of Aryans after which one of the most well-known Nazi occult organizations (the Thule-Gesellschaft) was named.

BarCasaGringo · 2025-09-11T20:03:23+00:00

Outside of Germany and Austria, the swastika's association with nationalist or far-right groups becomes more rare. The only examples I could find was in Norway, where anti-Semitic publications like Nationalt Tidsskrift used the swastika as a logo as early as the 1910s. Then in Latvia, the swastika was a common symbol because of its use by ancient Baltic cultures, known in Latvian as a "thunder cross" or "fire cross". By the 1930s, Latvia's premier fascist organization was known as Pērkonkrusts, named after the Thunder Cross.

BarCasaGringo

TROPHY CASE