Ramping Up to Pollen Season
Spring veggies, theater takes, upcoming film events, and drinking diaries. Kernels, March 21-April 30, 2025.
Is it just me or was April an exceptionally busy month? Everyone wants to socialize1, the weather is finally warmer2, hockey playoffs are on TV3... it’s a very full calendar! And thanks to pollen allergies, I just want to rip out my sinuses; I’m typing this through swollen eyes.
In this edition:
Exciting spring produce (including ramps!)
Takes on recent movies & upcoming film events
Nine On/Off Broadway shows that I saw in April
March and April Grog Logs
Before diving in, a quick music recommendation.
The Dare, that sunglassed doyen of Dimes Square4, has started to crossover into mainstream success. His production work with Charli XCX and PinkPantheress has been really good, but I find his solo work incredibly grating. (I can’t stand LCD Soundsystem either, whom he shamelessly rips off.) For those seeking out a contemporary spin on mid-aughts dance punk that’s equally tongue in cheek but with far less tryhard, might I suggest listening to the Swedish band Viagra Boys, whose latest album “Viagr Aboys” was released last weekend.
Spring at the Farmer’s Market
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… (This is an especially New York-specific section but maybe it’ll partially apply for other readers.)
Ramps! Ramps! Ramps!
Ramps are peaking RIGHT NOW and you’ve probably got two more weeks before they’re done for the year. The going rate is $5 a bunch at the farmer’s market, and you can also get them delivered through Freshdirect or Monday For Wednesday. The alliums remain a mystery to many, owing to the short season and limited availability in grocery stores. Similar to scallions and green garlic, I find that the greens last about a week in the fridge, the bulbs for a bit longer than that.
There are plenty of ramps roundups floating around for inspiration. Swiftly grilled or sautéed are an easy way to experience them; serve them with roasted anything or within an omelette. To incorporate them into a main, I’ve got these pearl barley with orange-glazed carrots and asparagus-ramp frittata recipes bookmarked, both of which make use of other prime spring veggies.
My friend Shruti added ramps to steamed clams which sounds PERFECT.
But to keep the party going all year long, I’ll be preserving the ramps. I just got a 5 lb block of butter and 3 lbs of ramps, which I’ll be turning into ramp butter, to be stashed in the freezer and thawed as needed. That recipe just uses the leaves, so I’ll pickle the remaining bulbs. Maybe I’ll make a pesto with any excess bunches.
More Spring Things
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the sign: $5 for a dozen eggs! At the farmer’s market! I’m not sure if they still have ‘em, but Central Valley Farm (at the Union Square Far Mar) was selling pullet eggs, which are laid by young chickens. They’re extra-small and have a larger yolk-to-white ratio, giving my omelettes and scrambles a richer texture.
Also exciting and fleeting, in equal measures: nettles, lettuce, asparagus, new potatoes, baby kale, green garlic.
Seasonal Asian Veggies
One of the downsides of cooking seasonally is the heavy skew towards Western cuisines; someone recently described my cooking habits as “refined European peasant food.” (Guilty!) That’s why I’m very excited about the Choy Commons Asian Vegetable Club, a CSA (farm share) focused on, well, Asian vegetables. It’ll be fun to explore seasonal Asian produce, and I’ll be sharing my experience in these columns.
What I’m Looking Forward To, Movie-Wise
After years of attending as a member of the public, I was able to cover New Directors/New Films as a critic! (My capsule reviews can be found here, here, and here.) At the end of the fest, I saw Lurker, which is about an up-and-coming pop singer whose inner circle is infiltrated by one of his fans. It’ll be out in August and I’ll have more to say then, but it’s a very fun movie that plays out as a scrappy, cerebral riff on Saltburn (both films share Archie Madekwe in key roles). It was of particular interest because of my fascination for fake pop bands. The songs by “Oliver,” which were produced by Kenny Beats, are believably middling. (This is a compliment!)
The Tribeca Film Festival takes over downtown Manhattan in early June, and yours truly has been granted a press badge! The lineup boasts 118 feature films, which is too many to comprehend, so my current idea is to focus the food-related films. But let me know if there’s any titles that catch your eye. (Also! If any editors are reading this and would like for me to contribute to your pub’s coverage, shoot me an email lol, looking to write advance previews and reviews.)
Speaking of food movies, this weekend the Paris Theater kicks off The Ingredients of Life: NONNAS and Other Appetizing Tales at the Paris to whet your appetite for their Vince Vaughn-leading film about famed Staten Island restaurant Enoteca Maria. Personal faves in the series: Tampopo, Goodfellas, Ratatouille, Eat Drink Man Woman, and Babette’s Feast. Need to see: Big Night, The Cook The Thief….
Cinephiles and casuals alike are buzzing about Sinners. Some proclaim it to be one of the best of the year, which it won’t be, but I had a great time at the Lincoln Square IMAX theater and am heartened by its cultural and financial success. The world does not need another review of this movie so I will direct you instead to two excellent pieces of criticism, both of which are essential reading after you’ve seen the movie: Kelli Weston in Reverse Shot and Angelica Jade Bastién in Vulture.
There’s another fun movie from an Oakland-born director that’s flying way too under the radar: Freaky Tales, from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (directors of Half-Nelson and Captain Marvel). Oakland has forever existed in the shadow of its splashier sibling from across the Bay, so it’s fitting that this love letter to the Town is also an underdog. It’s not a perfect movie by any means, but the chaotic, vibrant, and violent tribute to 80’s movies, Tarantino, and the Warriors has so much passion and heart that I can't help but root for it. (My unpolished thoughts are on Letterboxd.)
The Museum of the Moving Image recently unveiled MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—Story and Spectacle, a special exhibition showcasing artifacts and behind the scenes material from the Tom Cruise spy series, with a particular focus on the stunts. Prospective visitors may want to hold off until the latest (last?) movie is released at the end of May, as a section relating to The Final Reckoning is literally under wraps right now. That tip comes from Allison Picurro, who gave a rundown of the exhibit on her perfectly-titled newsletter Boy Movies:
In conjunction with this exhibit, which runs through December, the museum programmed a comprehensive repertory series devoted to cinematic stunts, spanning from Steamboat Bill to The Raid: Redemption. The absence of any Mission: Impossible titles seems glaring, but it doesn’t take an IMF agent to notice a lot of vacant spots in the calendar… 👀
April Madness on Broadway
Along with ramps and pollen, theater season is also peaking. In the past six weeks, I’ve seen nine shows On or Off Broadway, and tonight I’m finally catching Titanique before it closes in June. (Also: Tony nominations were announced!) A quick rundown of what I saw this month:
Fun and fluffy, don’t think hard and you’ll have a great time:
Oh, Mary: saw with Titus Burgess, what a delight!
Smash: gets a lot of hate on Reddit but I laughed so much and sometimes you just wanna fade in on a girl with a hunger for fame.
Old Friends: it’s a fancy revue of Sondheim’s greatest hits, nothing more, but what a treat to hear Lea Salonga once again.
Pirates! The Penzance Musical: the fourth wall break at the very beginning signals that this is a very unserious show, propelled by David Hyde Pierce’s impeccable comic timing and fantastic vocals from Ramin Karimloo and Jinkx Monsoon; the New Orleans infusion isn’t too jarring. Loved the washboard “tap” choreo!
Postmodern fiction, meta- & auto-:
Liberation: a woman imagines a mother’s participation in the women’s liberation movement of the 1970s)
I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan: in fact I did not know him, and the play sort of assumes you do, but it was a fine introduction to this stalwart of downtown theatre. The actor and playwright performs every single role of Mona Pirnot’s treatise on the precarity of artistic careers. Took awhile for me to get the hang of things, but I was drawn in by the end, largely thanks to Greenspan’s gusto.
Also a one-man show:
The Andrew Scott Vanya: those unfamiliar with the play will be very very lost, so if you’ve never seen or read the Chekhov classic, definitely watch Vanya on 42nd Street beforehand. Not fully convinced of a dramaturgical reason to have one man inhabit every single character, but it’s a remarkable feat of endurance, both on the part of Scott and the audience: there’s no intermission, and no one else on stage besides the one actor. But it’s always clear which character he is at any given moment.
More interesting than it’s given credit:
Love Life: ran at New York City Center Encores! for a spell; the 1948 concept musical was the first of its kind, exploring the evolution of American capitalism and consumerism through the tale of a marriage that remains ageless throughout the centuries. Like most musicals of this era, the songs are too long, but it’s always a treat to hear the Encores! orchestra and seeing kids tap dance brought so much joy.
Theatre for a new audience:
All Nighter: the cast of buzzy it-girls like Kristine Frøseth and Havana Rose Liu has attracted an atypical crowd: the night I attended, 90% of my fellow patrons were hip, young women, none of whom looked like the usual theater geek. Will make my generational cohort wistful for our own college days, late night study sessions fueled by Adderall, Sauv Blanc, and Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball.” But if there was a deeper meaning beneath the busy plot, I couldn’t find it.
The 50 Best Bars (For Tourists)
The shadowy, San Pellegrino-sponsored group has unveiled their ranking of the top bars in North America. I’m a known hater of the 50 Best lists but have come to accept that they’re oriented towards tourists, not locals. Overwhelmed with transient visitors, basically impossible to become a regular at the eleven New York bars on this list5. One of these days I’ll make my own shortlist of the 50 Best Bars in New York, a more expansive one that includes wine bars and dives. Sadly, one of my new fave bars, 53AD, won’t be on that list: Empirical’s cocktail bar has converted to private events and tastings only, likely due to slow foot traffic. Huge bummer.
Grog Logs
The first alcoholic drink I consumed each day, and where.
March
Drink experiments at Davids
Delacroix, Brut Blanc des Blancs at home
Pinot Grigio, Vezzo - 2023 at home
Escoda-Sanahuja Les Paradetes 2022 at Place des Fêtes
Nothing
Whiskey banana shot at Society billiards
Over the volcano at Sugar Monk
Niepoort "Nat Cool" Bairrada 2022 at Dan's
Brooklyn Cider House "Three of Life" hard cider at Olivia's
COS Frapatto at home
Nothing
Sauv Blanc at Museum of the Moving Image (reception)
Sauv blanc at Museum of the Moving Image (reception)
Pinot grigio at Museum of the Moving Image (reception)
Nothing
Modelo at Medieval Times
Nothing
Cuba Libre at Due West
New Buddy at Rockwell
Polvanera Calx Primitivo 2021 at Olivia's
Brooklyn Kura Byx Yamahai at Olivia's
Moretti beer at home
Mimosas at David's
Nothing
Nothing
Mescal negroni at home
Other Half IPA at Sharlene's
Nothing
Moretti beer at home
Nothing
Sicilian red at home
April
“My Tie” at Stickett Inn
Negroni at Porter House
Vacqueyras, Dom. le Sang des Cailloux 2022 at home
Lawson Little Sip IPA at Walker's
Nothing
Roots beer at Elle
Nothing
Nothing
Smoky Mountain at Bohemien
Bia Hoi at La Dong
Brooklyn brown ale at home
Tiger Margarita at 11 Tigers
Voyageur Passione Cocktail Pitcher at Fandi Mata
Nothing
Drood "Irdabama" Samarghandi 2021 at Eyval
Nothing
Cosmopolitan at Amy's sublet
"Pad Thai" cocktail at Amanda's (cocktail coalition)
Nothing
Hosmer Dry Riesling 2022 at home
Boulevardier at home
Nothing
Suigei Junmai Ginjo at Rosella
Kai Tak Aviation at Ye's Apothecary
Côtes de Provence Rosé "MiP," Dom. des Diables - 2024 at Parth's
Iron Lady at Wandering Barman
Hanging Vine Merlot - 2023 at Dan's
Nothing
Nothing
Fallen Angel at Ye’s Apothecary
I’ve been averaging 1-2 birthday parties a week.
That cold snap was ROUGH.
I’m a Sharks fan but my bandwagon team for the postseason is the Dallas Stars. I think Caps win the Cup.
Dimes Square, of course, is the blight of Chinatown. Subject for another day.
NYC bars that are among the alleged Best 50 in North America. Dante, Angel’s Share, Katana Kitten, Maison Premiere, Double Chicken Please, Employees Only, Martiny’s, Clemente Bar, Overstory, Sip & Guzzle, Superbueno