It’s brief, always brief, and we’re talking Alimentari il Buco, Estela, Rubirosa, Gabriel Kreuther (bar seating), and Second Avenue Deli.  I’d not been to Estela before, and it was wonderful, just wonderful: Small plates of deeply flavorful food, a great wine list that had bottles that weren’t pricey, a pleasant vibe, perfect lighting, and caring staff.  Ignacio Mattos, who was at Alimentari, is in charge here.  Can’t wait to go back.

While living on 79th cuts us off from downtown, the trains run regularly and as Bellow said when he was lonely, “riding the subway is like taking a human bath.”  What a great species to belong to!

Speaking of humans, “The Cherry Orchard,” looms big, and it’s been “reinvented” by the author of…”The Humans.”