We’re not sure how we missed this "Talk of the Town" piece in last week’s New Yorker — obviously we were distracted by “A Man of Taste,” D.T. Max’s fascinating profile of Grant Achatz and his fight against tongue cancer — but it’s worth a read: General manager Christopher Russell is apparently the John Keating of Union Square Cafe, since he convinced his staff members to begin every day in April by sharing a favorite poem. Last year a waiter composed a rap about calamari and Billecart that eventually became the company’s video holiday card. Trust us, we’re trying to get a copy.

Word Feast [NYer]
A Man of Taste [NYer]