so you never had it, and still offer expert opinion based on Wikipedia. Ok.

You never had the real thing. Also, keeping up with current Western trends in whole foods/natural etc. eating - fermented foods are tremendously good for you! One can declare kvas tastes like piss and yet consume kombucha and chai tea and matcha and such by buckets between your gym runs :)
Kvas is a very healthy…

Kvas??? even Alexei misses it!

I like Nehi. After years of doing NYT crossword puzzles I got it down! Also Orr, ARod, Mel (Ott) and a few others I never knew existed before 2003 at least (when I got serious with NYT puzzles :)

yes definitely. They were around in the USSR in 1985/87 IIRC. Or the trend itself. Of course our jeans were lousy fakes, like "coffee" drink made of chicory.

What about the overall color scheme of the Burovs' apartment? All wallpaper so dark, and overall impression is that it is always dark in the apartment no matter what the time of day? Mother reading poetry in such darkness on the couch?
I am not from Moscow (nor from Russia), our apartment was always awash in sunlight…

Thanks!!

:) I am sure Brighton Beach has everything. It is pretty much canned and preserved USSR. I am not going there, that is one place in the US I would not want to go :)
We went once to a concert, years ago, and I was truly horrified walking around, all these scary looking Russian mafia types. I thought we won't get back…

So it's food.Now I get it - OMG, and kvas! my daughter, we moved when she was 8. Misses kvas :) I kid you not. Luckily, plenty of "Russian food" stores in Northern NJ, they sell canned and bottled "kvas". Not the same, but she loves it. Misses kvas the most, so Alexei's remark - right on the money!

Sorry, maybe was covered/answered already -
why such dark/gloomy tones for the Burovs' apartment??
the wallpaper in every room so dark, and overall impression like it's a prison cell. I guess, it's symbolism?
Otherwise, nothing like that, at least apartments we grew up in. Ours was very sunny, airy, windows had these…

"we have a big dinner scene at the Burovs that is authentic and mouth-wateringly Russian"

Yeah, had those too :)
and there was a little fountain to the side where the glass could be rinsed. at least, customers did the rinsing themselves, so they could give the glass not one feeble swirl but more.
crazy times…

Thank you! I was trying to bring same point across. And, incidentally, even Alexei misses something from back home (kvas). :)
BTW, it was inaccurate that next person in line was served kvas in the same glass as previous customer.
There was a tray full of large and medium glasses next to the salesperson. She (it was…

how did Misha get through the US customs??? yes, he had money, foreign currency and passports, but did he have a VISA to get into the US??? how did he?

Because the Queen said so.

and she thought it would only take a minute :) why is she so stupid all of a sudden?

oh thank you! that "asa-iiii'" got me so many times

yes, this!!! keep it up, SG!

hypothetically could be, but I think you are giving the show too much credit. Good theory thou

have you been watching the show?