The only way to improve one of the most perfect foods

Greetings my beloved Groven (reminder: that's pronounced like "coven," and it's what our readers are called, you guys voted on it), we're back with another Members March post celebrating all of you whose contributions keep our lights on and keep Dave covered in increasingly esoteric tattoos.

In this members-only newsletter!

☞ A life hack that is the only way to improve one of the simplest, cheapest foods you can find in the city.
☞ Last call to nominate songs for our Greatest New York City Song of The 21st Century bracket.
☞ The winner of this week's Members March raffle prize: a free pass to a banya!

First, for the life hack, we must go back to December 2020. As you have surely been reminded, this week marks five years since the start of the pandemic era in the city, a time of grim loneliness but also one of great innovation and creativity as we all devised safe ways to stay sane.

That summer and fall were full of optimism that maybe we had beaten back this hated virus a little, but by time winter hurried everyone back inside, cases began spiking again and the grim prospect of horrifying Zoom happy hours became a reality again. Out of this terror, huddled around a backyard fire for warmth, a true moment of takeout food creativity was born.