The wintry skies of today in New York City reminded me of where I was last week. I went for a snack in the East Village at Archie & Sons (23 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10003). I was reading a short story: The Blizzard by Alexander Pushkin. On the first page, he begins with the ballad: Svetlana (1813) by Vasily A. Zhukovsky.

Trampling the snow in drifts so deep,

The horses race in headlong flight,

And as across the slopes they sweep

A lonely church comes into sight

A great blizzard suddenly flings

Tufted flakes along the way;

A black raven with whistling wings

Hovers over the sleigh.

Its woeful cry forebodes but doom;

With manes upraised the steeds make haste

Peering into the distant gloom,

As they cross the snowy waste…

—Zhukovsky

Archie & Sons is a home-style diner with reminiscence of the past—its décor; its menu, and its ʼ70s Music. Last week, I ordered a tasty “Yogurt & Granola”; however, next time, I will have an Archie’s Classic: “Mozzarella & Tomato Pita”.

Catch it if you can at www.archieandsons.com.