Episode 046: "The Reward is Transcendence"

6:56Jacqueline Novak:I wish I didn't have to. I wish I could just drink on an empty stomach, but I'll just get an instant migraine. Just feels great to me. Oh, well, no. The two sips again. I mean, I'm not actually drunk, but it's amazing that it hits the bloodstream. Does it enter your blood, alcohol? Is that what it's doing? It's in your blood? It hits the digestion? You know what I mean? No, no, huge question. What is getting drunk? No one knows.

7:16Kate Berlant:Yeah, yeah, yeah.

7:16Jacqueline Novak:It hits your blood. I mean, I know it's a neurotoxin.

7:18Kate Berlant:No, I'm wondering if it's broken down into anything, and if so, what? Sugar. Some. People aren't. Huh? Protein alcohol as an industry. Protein alcohol. This is huge. Protein alcohol. Okay, bring it down, bring it down. No, wait, wait, hold on, hold on. Let me understand what you're saying.

7:34Jacqueline Novak:Imagine this cocktail, 15 grams of protein.

7:38Kate Berlant:Oh, my God. Protein alcohol. Wait, so where does that exist? Nowhere. No, I mean, like, in a pre-made cocktail. Like, wait, what are sources of protein really quick?

7:46Jacqueline Novak:Okay, what's collagen? Collagen, collagen. You do a flavorless collagen that's shaken into a cocktail. It sounds disgusting. You'd have to get it really right. It'd have to be a new product that isn't launched yet. Protein alcohol.

7:56Kate Berlant:Oh, no, I don't think you're mixing it. I think this is... You're not shaking it up? Well, I think that's happening out there. I mean, I see talk of like, I put whatever, you know, this thing in my cocktail to, yeah, I mean, I've thrown a colostrum in a half. I've tried things. I've tried things. Make a whatever spritz, you know?

8:18Jacqueline Novak:Oh, my God. Colostrum spritz? Jesus Christ. I know you like to take mother's milk down one nipple at a time.

8:23Kate Berlant:Guess what? I fell off colostrum.

8:25Jacqueline Novak:Yeah? Back in yesterday. Dry scoops in the mouth.

8:28Kate Berlant:No. Three times a day. Got to get back. Sublingual?

8:31Jacqueline Novak:I do think. I considered restarting tomorrow. Be honest. How's my skin look?

8:35Kate Berlant:Same as it ever has. Fantastic. Bitch. Okay.

8:40Jacqueline Novak:I mean, truly. No, but I have to say, I think the facials are doing something, but I swear to God. Furious.

8:45Kate Berlant:The way you get your ass out there. What do you mean? You book the appointments. By the way, we've been like. You have to book them. Listen. Wait, wait, wait. We need to decide because like he's definitely. Here's what you have to do. Here's what you have to do. He's actually betrayed us.

8:55Jacqueline Novak:Facials booked months out, Jacqueline.

8:57Kate Berlant:I know, but. I have facials booked till June. Wait, wait. Will you remember to talk about this? because I'm going to signal him because I feel we may have lost him forever, but I actually want to lock in on the menu. Okay. So I'm just going to say I need one more minute. Okay, hold on. I thought obviously... So hold on. Okay. Sorry. No. I've seen them split the wedge. I've experienced them splitting the wedge. I mean, but I've seen them split it. Oh, I know. Okay. Although one time they said, I think there was a confusion. It doesn't matter. The point is, obviously half a wedge is enough for you is enough for me.

9:27Kate Berlant:I think we do. All right, it's fine.

9:29Jacqueline Novak:Okay. All right, one wedge. Here's where I start to spiral because I came in thinking filet, of course. Ribet for me as usual, yeah. Ribet as usual for you. I never get the filet. You've gotten skirt steak. Oh, no, I get skirt steak probably most times, yeah. I think, okay, here's what's absolutely shocking, and I'm starting to feel this.

9:47Kate Berlant:Pot roast. You know, you're hysterical because you act like this is your mind. You mentioned possibly getting the pot roast. I know. I think earlier, and maybe even last week. You needed it to spontaneously emerge. I know, I know.

10:00Jacqueline Novak:Because I came in going, I'm not going to get the pot roast. I'm not crazy. Or like not, you know, a jar, I want a filet, I want a filet, I want a filet. But then now that I'm sitting here, I go, I think I want the pot roast. Like a classic jar signature pot roast. You know? I do.

10:16Kate Berlant:I'm just scared. I'm scared. Imagine it's tender meat. But then I just go like, somebody in me goes, chicken schnitzel. I've never had the courage. You know it's good. I love schnitzel. I'm not doing that.

10:24Jacqueline Novak:I know I'm not doing that. I just think sometimes chicken, when you're ordering chicken out, it's always something about is a little sad.

10:30Kate Berlant:I've heard that, like, you're going to the restaurant to get chicken? And I'm like, actually, yeah, yeah.

10:35Jacqueline Novak:By the way, a beautifully roasted chicken is one of the most masterful things that we have.

10:41Kate Berlant:I think I, if you follow through on the pot roast, I have no option, and I don't mean that negatively, but to get it myself. You know I'd love to have the same thing. Sisters. Matching. Matching. Okay. I much prefer that to me getting something you having a bite, obviously. I won't take the bite. No, I know. And then... We'll get their recommendation on the side. Okay, I love that. And then that will be the gods will influence. Okay, he sees us. Thank God. Okay, you gave us way too much time. Ladies and gentlemen, sorry. Okay, but maybe you saw. Maybe you're better than I know because you knew what we needed.

11:19Jacqueline Novak:Yeah, we needed a minute to actually sort it out among ourselves. We sorted it out. It's going to be very simple. We're going to get the wedge split.

11:24Kate Berlant:Okay.

11:25Jacqueline Novak:Wait, wait. What?

11:26Kate Berlant:Oh, yeah. Okay. Sorry. All right, just a little me presumptuous.

11:30Jacqueline Novak:Yeah, you can split it. We've had it before, yeah, yeah. You sure?

11:32Kate Berlant:Oh yeah.

11:33Jacqueline Novak:Two plates coming. I don't want to hold you to a previous principle. We're gonna get the wedge, and then this is shocking. You can say it. We're gonna both get the pot roast. As in two, obviously. I've spent a long time since I had it. I want a classic.

11:45Kate Berlant:Okay.

11:45Jacqueline Novak:And then for a side, can you recommend a side that you think would be?

11:48Kate Berlant:I mean mashed potatoes are a go-to for that. Classic, yeah. Creamed spinach looks nice. I have to say. Final, locked. Creamed spinach. Maybe some Brussels sprouts and kimchi. Wait, wait. I don't know. Do you think it would be too much to have both? I think two sides would probably be enough. Two sides? But three, why not? No. No, no, no. I mean, not the night. Mashed potatoes, cream spinach. Time to tap. Wait, wait, wait. No, no, no. I think it's brussel or pea tendril. No. Cream, spinach. Cream, spinach, and brussel. Okay. I love that. You understand. You know why, right? Thank you so much. You putting the napkin in.

12:26Kate Berlant:I sometimes do it premature, and I actually prefer not to. Yeah, yeah. I don't love it when the cocktail hasn't appeared, because then it's like, you know. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I'm waiting for it. Hold on. This is huge. Let me just settle into our order. Okay. I think our order was perfect, and I think it's important to say, it's not that that has to be order every time. Of course not. It's just today. Sing one song at a time.

12:53Jacqueline Novak:I think it's really cool that we're both getting the pot roast so we can experience it together.

12:56Kate Berlant:You look stunning, I gotta say. You look beautiful. Really? Yeah. I wonder if it's important now that sort of, we're kind of these jar characters. Oh no, we have to dress up for jar. That's okay, we can't. I put on Gautier. I put on, you know, Rive Gauche, you know. What's that? Rive Gauche. Is that a phrase? It's a French thing? Well, yeah, but it's um.

13:16Jacqueline Novak:Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, Saint Laurent. I saw the most devastating thing I've ever seen. Oh no.

13:22Kate Berlant:Is it gonna ruin Laurent?

13:24Jacqueline Novak:Is it gonna ruin Laurent? No, no. You know the straps and dresses where you hang the hanger on? No, okay. No, no, no, it's worse than you thought.

13:31Kate Berlant:It's worse than you think. They're wearing it like that. Okay, listen, no. She's wearing it. You know what I mean, right? Got confused and wrapped it around. No, that's not it. No, no, no, literally, was it wearing them?

13:41Jacqueline Novak:That's the most devastating thing I've ever heard. Because it could almost, wait, does mine have that? No, no, no, no, yours has that, that's why I just noticed. The little, I was at a wedding. They're hanging out? No, the bride. The brides? Here's his moment. Oh, God, I feel so bad. Wait, hold on, hold on. Okay. Wait, wait, wait. By the way, I want to say something. I want to say something. I'm screaming. Okay, but. At a wedding.

14:01Kate Berlant:Yeah.

14:02Jacqueline Novak:And I could see myself having a wedding. I don't want the first dance. First dance. What? We talked about first dance with the father. Or just first dance. No, first dance with the partner. Oh. The first dance that everyone watching. Oh, the first dance as a virgin. Being like, I wonder how they fuck. Well, now we get to see. Not well. Like, that whole thing is weird.

14:20Kate Berlant:But then, but I saw. You know, my least favorite thing. What? Little girl standing on dad's feet. Oh, God. You know, I'm talking about that dancing move.

14:28Jacqueline Novak:Well, you know what's even sadder. Face to cock.

14:34Jacqueline Novak:You're not having to do this. It's a joke. No, no, no, I know. Oh. Dancing with daughter. No, daddy's a little girl. Disgusting. But she had. I never danced with my father and I never will. I've never danced with my father. But her wedding, first dance, visible, the straps. Straps are visible. No one on the team. tucked. Imagine this. You're planning your wedding for a year. Everything's in it. And all your photos strings out. That's hard. What are you going to do? Photoshop them out? I'm not kidding. What do you do? I mean, you do nothing. Yeah.

15:03Kate Berlant:You just want you, you beg for it to be photoshopped out or, you know, you write a one woman show about it. I mean, you know, like take the pain.

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17:25Kate Berlant:I'm just thinking about how this is going to pace out. Okay, we have a lot to accomplish during this dinner. I gotta admit, this is my favorite part i remember my dad said this thing about some people perk up when the food comes some people perk up when the cocktail comes like at a dinner party or at a dinner with people like some people or that like they relax almost like yeah yeah the order's in the cocktails on the way i relax some do not relax until the food is on the way okay okay by the way thank god we got the pot roast it was huge i know and it's because of you because i came in in fear yeah i came in in a spirit of like i'm afraid not to get the steak i'm afraid you know what i mean yeah i was i was terrified I don't have to get the steak.

18:01Kate Berlant:Are you kidding me? I meant to ask about those candied whatever.

18:04Jacqueline Novak:Candied garlic on the fries. What could that... Candied garlic on the fries. I mean... What is that? I mean, is that just caramelized? I think it's... I think it... Pretty. Oh, thank you.

18:14Kate Berlant:My mother's ring. I know. Sapphire, my birthstone.

18:17Jacqueline Novak:So pretty. Sapphire.

18:19Kate Berlant:Yeah, that's me. What are you?

18:20Jacqueline Novak:Ruby. Garnet. Oh. Ruby or emerald? I think I have two. Really? They both got it? But then they told me, wear opal. My numerologist said wear opal at all times. Wait, that's very interesting because...

18:30Kate Berlant:You know, one of those things, and I thought it was opal. It's cursed if it's not your...

18:33Jacqueline Novak:Yes. Yeah. If it's not what? Your birthstone. Something like that. Yeah, it's like opal you can only wear if it's your birthstone. But my numerologist said that I should always have opal on me.

18:41Kate Berlant:What else did your numerologist... Is your numerologist the one who told you that you're not coming back? Yep. You're on your last...

18:47Jacqueline Novak:If I integrate in this life, I'm not coming back.

18:51Kate Berlant:It's just weird that the reward is transcendence when I get down here.

18:54Jacqueline Novak:The reward is to become an angel or a guide. Wait, it is? That's what she said, that I'll become a guide or an angel.

19:02Kate Berlant:Oh, I mean, you know I... What? No, it's just, I mean, I'd love it if we could be them together. Angels together? Okay. More guides.

19:11Jacqueline Novak:Guide versus angel. Oh, no. Is that gendered?

19:13Kate Berlant:No.

19:14Jacqueline Novak:No, no, no, no. No, they're male angels.

19:15Kate Berlant:Oh, absolutely.

19:16Jacqueline Novak:Of course. Michael.

19:17Kate Berlant:Well, I got to go ahead and Rafael.

19:19Jacqueline Novak:You know I watch Michael constantly as a child. Oh, you mean Travolta? Haven't we? Yeah, Travolta. I was obsessed with Michael.

19:26Kate Berlant:Well, that was when you're doing your Christian mysticism.

19:30Jacqueline Novak:Yeah.

19:30Kate Berlant:You know, your period of praying at a Christian camp or whatever. I know. Yeah. But wait, wait, wait, Michael. No, but you know what I heard about angels? What? Okay, because I've gone through periods where I read these sort of new age, modern books about connect your angels, whatever. Genderless. Really? Yeah, even Michael.

19:45Jacqueline Novak:I had a girl doll.

19:47Kate Berlant:I had a long-haired girl doll named Michael when I was a child. Exactly. Isn't that weird? It's like to Michaelina it or Michaela is almost building the lily. Yeah, yeah, totally. Dare I say? Angels are genderless. Supposedly, no, supposedly they appear in a form that, you know, makes you most comfortable. So that could be all sorts of things. And guides? Guides can be anything. Guides can have lived before. Yeah, but I think those are often brought in almost by, like, I feel like they don't just, Maybe they must roam in on their own, but I feel like, I don't know. I feel like in situations where I've talked to, you know, someone who's tuned in, it'll be like almost like your guide is bringing in or bringing forward elephant energy.

20:35Okay.

20:36Kate Berlant:And it's not like some elephant that's been tagging along the whole time. It's a little more like calling in an energy. That's cool. I think if you have a loved animal that passed. Yeah. Okay. They definitely, I mean, PETA has a thing, you know, like, they were upset with a dog's purpose, I think, because they're like, a dog doesn't live for you. Wait, what was a dog's purpose? I don't actually remember, but this idea that, you know, we like to tell these stories of the dog saved me, and then they're like, they have their own lives. Like, dogs aren't here as angels to save human beings. Oh, sure, yeah, totally.

21:10Kate Berlant:Which is what people say. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I'm, as usual, dominating. I didn't rescue her, so you rescued me. Yeah. I'm just wondering if, like, there's a way that I protect my single lychee because I don't want to be drinking it with that gone. I always want to have it visual.

21:27Jacqueline Novak:At the very end, you pop the lychee. But then I'm suffering the whole way. To eat the anticipation of the lychee. Which is why, technically, I should probably get two. Oh, absolutely. I should probably become a two girl. Because at that point, you know what's interesting? Yeah. One lychee, because what's the thing with olives? You know this, with an olive and a martini? Yeah. Two means is bad luck. Three is good luck. Oh, really? So a serious cocktail place. They're going to give you three olives. Or one. Two. Wait, wait, wait. I'm remembering this now.

21:54Kate Berlant:Someone's coming to me. This is like their cigarette first because the second person is the one who gets shot by the sniper.

21:59Jacqueline Novak:See, this is something about that. I love this. It's like a mob thing with like when you have like your, what's that fucking called? The Sambuca. Yeah. It's supposed to have three coffee beans in it. And if you have two, like they would send out to the guy like, here's your Sambuca at the end of the meal. If there were two beans, it meant you were about to get killed. It was a ride. And it was enjoy your last drink. And if you had three, you could live again. You're going to die. And three? So this is your last drink. Three means you live again. But two means it's your last. Live again? Three means that you're not going to be murdered.

22:27Jacqueline Novak:But imagine this. You're a mobster. You get the Sambuca with two beans. I'm about to. And then at the end of the. So you drink it knowing it's your last drink. It's considered like a mercy thing. At the end of the meal, they come and kill you. And if you have three beans, then it means that you're not going to get murdered.

22:38Kate Berlant:Now, are the restauranteurs in this? Are they? In bed with the mobsters? with the ones who want to kill you? Or are they just reporting on what they've seen? You see what I'm saying?

22:50Jacqueline Novak:Are they on your side or are they literally? The guy who's going to kill you goes, give him two beans. No. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like a mercy thing. It's like we do it right here. Oh, so that you have dignity. So you can enjoy your last drink.

23:01Kate Berlant:This obsession with enjoying your last drink versus like how are you enjoying it more knowing you're dying? I mean, yes, of course, in an obvious way, but my true mercy would be three beans. Oh, my God. Oh my God.

23:13Jacqueline Novak:I'm thinking maybe if I do the next one. I'm gripped. We have to do this dinner constantly. I know. It's unbelievable. We should be recording.

23:20Kate Berlant:I feel restored. Yeah. Thank God our relationship with Jars seems to be building. Absolutely. I'm feeling ready. Like I'm excited for the salad. I'm so excited for pot roast. But I'm afraid that like. What? I'm afraid that then like the main's going to come and it's going to be over. I'm scared.

23:37Jacqueline Novak:I know. And the sides. I'm scared. It won't be over. We have plenty of time. We haven't, look, the FUZA hasn't even dropped yet. I know. I know what you mean, though. It's always over too soon. But if we commit to weekly. This is where I get scared. Committing to weekly is always hard. I have an idea. Unstainable? I think committing to weekly is the dream, but ultimately I think it's, oh my God, it's here. Okay, this is huge. Thank you. Beautiful. Beautiful.

23:59Kate Berlant:Classic. Thank you.

24:02Jacqueline Novak:I have to be careful with pepper.

24:03Kate Berlant:Always. Yes. Mmm. Sorry, I always, mmm, allowed. I love it. A cute thing about me. I've picked that up from you. Yeah. Enjoy it. Thank you. Thank you. Look at that. I want to say, I want to take a moment to alert that in some restaurants, this would be the full-size wedge. You are completely correct. So the fact that this is a split, I don't know, maybe that's, are they doing that for us? No, this is a split. They secretly gave us a. Oh, it gave us extra because of poog? I don't think so. I think this is. That scares me though then, because what if next time we order the split again and it's. Oh, it's tiny.

24:36Kate Berlant:It's truly half. But it's not Kevin. This is what you can't, this is what you got to know. So, you know what's an interesting technique? Feel bad about ruining the napkin?

24:43Jacqueline Novak:Steal the napkin. Don't you compulsively steal napkins from restaurants? Or not steal, but you put them in your bag? I have a tendency to absentmindedly grab things around me

24:53Kate Berlant:because I'm used to forgetting things and leaving me behind. So I go into an auto mode of just putting things. Yeah. And then I come home with napkins. Or sometimes I was just gripped in the hand.

25:03Jacqueline Novak:Yeah, on the way out.

25:04Kate Berlant:Yeah, like it's still there. Yeah. I love a wedge. You know my story about a good wedge? No. It's not a story, but you know. My friend was late to dinner. It was a different restaurant. I won't name it. She's like, give me a wedge. To you? She was that like, where I had to start ordering. And like, what do you want, a wedge? I was like, you want a wedge? I'm getting a wedge. And she was like, is it a good wedge? Yeah. And I was like, I don't know what that means to you. By the way, I'm ordering it. Like, it's good enough for me, I guess. You know what I mean? Like, even a bad wedge. Even a bad wedge.

25:39Kate Berlant:I think the reason a wedge is always good. Yeah. Is because the flavor combination of blue cheese.

25:45Jacqueline Novak:Yeah. And iceberg.

25:47Kate Berlant:Yeah. Is so profound.

25:50Jacqueline Novak:Yeah. Totally. That the effect is there. Red onion, the confidence of the red onion on top. Red onion, as you know, my favorite onion. Me too.

26:00Kate Berlant:And raw, I'll say it.

26:02Jacqueline Novak:Oh, absolutely. I mean, it's one of the only things that... You can have almonds, you can have peanuts. Yeah. And you can't have anything else. They're a damn bean. You gotta think of it that way. Peanuts, toxic, right?

26:13Kate Berlant:Well, I don't know. A little can, right? You know better than me. Why? Because you, you know things about... Nuts? No, about like... Poison? Which, you know, you know things about like protein. I'm coming to know more, as we know. You were the one that knows stuff about protein. I got confused.

26:29Jacqueline Novak:You thought I was the one that knew about protein, but it was actually you the one who knows about protein? Yeah, I got distracted or something.

26:34Kate Berlant:This is like my theory that if you ask people, I'll have to trust it'll come back.

26:38Jacqueline Novak:It'll come back. Can you trust? Never. Isn't that scary? You think, oh, I'll remember it. Yeah. You know, penis, allergies, protein, me identifying toxins in foods.

26:52Kate Berlant:I don't know. It's gone.

26:53Jacqueline Novak:Yeah. It's gone.

26:54Kate Berlant:Maybe it needed to go. One of my, well, my energy healer, you know.

26:59Jacqueline Novak:Oh, I know.

27:01Kate Berlant:She's like, oh, they took it away. What? Like, when there's a piece of information that they're, like, showing her and then, like, it's kind of like, no, they took it away. Like, it's gone. Like, it's not like, oh, I lost it. You know what I mean? And they're withholding.

27:20Kate Berlant:I am absolutely desperate to get my hands on some refills of my OneSkin products. There's something about OneSkin. And, look, I know they did the research and there are reasons. Point is, you use it and you go, something's up with my skin. I have used the body products. I've used the face products. The face product I've completely run out of. I am desperate for more.

27:43Jacqueline Novak:A current item that I'm particularly obsessed with is their Body Sunscreen. It's so luxurious and creamy and feels hydrating, but of course offers so much SPF protection and peptides. So it feels like medicine for your skin while also offering incredible skin care and sun care.

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29:15Kate Berlant:Your future self will thank you.

29:25Kate Berlant:Can you believe I saw a ghost? I've already somehow forgotten where it happened. Oh, I remember. Grand Canyon. Yeah. Motel. Yeah. Oh, right. Wait.

29:35Jacqueline Novak:Saw her, saw her, woman. Oh, right. A woman, classic. Feet kind of blurred out, right?

29:39Kate Berlant:No, bust only. Oh, right. I saw bust only ghost. Like a Grecian. Now, what? Now, did it move or could it have been a manifestation of an actual, like, Grecian bust or something? No. It wasn't a woman. Object. She was a woman. Early 50s, blonde.

29:51Jacqueline Novak:I have to remember, I can order another. Of course. So why am I savoring this? Exactly. Have it. Enjoy it. This jar. Enjoy it. Oh, that's an interesting technique. Lychee and then the last sip with the lychee. Strained through the lychee.

30:06Kate Berlant:It'll be really fun.

30:07Jacqueline Novak:Why? Kind of a nod to us. They brought out our lychee chinis with two lychees. I plan on asking for two on my next one. Ooh.

30:14Kate Berlant:Wait, you seemed really shocked.

30:16Jacqueline Novak:Does that seem extravagant? No, I think it's cool. I guess I would be too ashamed to ask for two.

30:20Kate Berlant:Because it's like I want another sweet treat? Yeah, or just like, well, okay. I don't have to force that. You know what I've been thinking about? I'm looking at jewelry. I've been thinking we might want to do a jewelry line. Maybe not a line. An item. A single item. Friendship bracelet. That's it. Friendship necklace. No, we had this idea and forgot. We did have this idea. We've had this idea and forgot. Who friendship necklaces? Yeah, that's got to be the right. That's nice. That's really good. Because that's a nice gift. It has to be quality. I mean, obviously. But the price has to be right.

30:45Kate Berlant:Yeah, the right spot. Maybe you do a friendship.

30:48Jacqueline Novak:I'm going to finish this off. Friendship bracelet and a friendship necklace or just a friendship bracelet? Or just a friendship necklace? The charm, what would the charm be? Aren't friendship, friendship necklace is the heart that's broken, right?

30:58Kate Berlant:Yes. Or, you know, well, yeah, I mean, it's kind of a problem. Right? I mean, it's not. It's 80s and it's, it's like I have a heart and I cut it in two. We each have a half of it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And together we make a whole heart. Yeah. And I like the classic. I don't look now, but I think we might be getting a visit. Suzanne? I think so. I don't even dare ask. I mean, if she's here at this point, she might say hi. Do you think it's obvious when I talk through my taste? Yes. I should just go for it instead. Yeah. Talkin' like this? I don't know, but I get a little nervous when a chef appears.

31:35Jacqueline Novak:I know. Well, chef appearing, first of all, are they judging the order? Have they seen the order? Oh, they've seen the order. I picked up a to-go order recently. Chef came out, looked at my ticket, Really looked at it. No. And I go, is she checking if I tipped? Of course I tipped on a pickup order. Of course you tipped. But did I tip enough? Yeah. Thank you, Kristen. Beautiful, thank you. You're welcome. Look, it has its own little plate, so cute. Thank you.

32:01Kate Berlant:Oh, I love that.

32:01Jacqueline Novak:Gotta hydrate. In theory, I've heard that, yeah. I've been dehydrated for probably four days. I've been dehydrated for 19 years. Waking up in the night, choking. Waking up in the night, I woke up like this. Oh my God, I just remembered two days ago. Like this, middle of the night.

32:14Kate Berlant:No. Like. Oh, I've had that happen. Choking on the spit. The true tickle. The true tickle. Yeah, yeah. Oh, it's cold. I mean, of course it is, but you know what I mean? The first moment of, God, the bowl is so beautiful. I mean, I know. That's beautiful. I know we originated. The coop fits in the hand. Yeah, the coop fits in the hand, but I know we originated with the triangle, but I have to say. It's elegant. I'm not losing any to the cuff. Oh. Still's a risk. Do you think. Oh, yours is cold, damn. We should like talk to Suzanne about, I don't know, like. opportunities. Partnering in the rest of the room.

32:46Kate Berlant:She's coming. Suzanne, we're literally talking about you. Nice to see you. Nice to see you. How's everything? Fantastic. We're starstruck. We can do it, honey. Yeah, we really are. Yeah. How's business? Good, not bad. Yeah. Thank you to you both. Are you serious? Oh, please. Everybody listens to you. Oh, my God. You're walking away. You know why we're here.

33:05Jacqueline Novak:No. What? I can't believe it. And you said they're good customers. They're good people, right?

33:11Kate Berlant:They're very good people. Yeah. You know, when you did the show in Pasadena, people actually, customers actually got off the plane LAX and came right here. That is so beautiful. Because they were going to your show in Pasadena. That is so... You should be proud. To not be crying. To make it so proud. It makes me so proud. Other cities, this is what we need. We need you in a restaurant in every city. Yeah, there you go. Because that would just, I don't know. Spread the love. Then everyone, every place we go. But you've got to be your neighborhood joint. You're an LA institution. No, right. I know.

33:37Kate Berlant:That's a horrible idea. I don't mean chain, obviously. Yeah. I just mean, I don't know what I want.

33:43Jacqueline Novak:You know what I want to know? Where do you like to eat? Oh, wow.

33:46Kate Berlant:That's scary. I eat a lot when I am traveling. Yeah. Yeah, that's great. You talk about a New York restaurant or something. What's like a New York spot you're loving? I haven't been to New York in so long. Oh, yeah. But I've been, you know, to Italy and Rome. What? Okay, tell us. New York is great. Actually, the new hotel that just opened up, Fifth Avenue Hotel. Oh, okay. I ate there. That bar? What's the bar called? Oh, sure. Oh, wait, there's a bar and there's a big restaurant. You know what's a big restaurant? I actually had a spontaneity in that hotel. They just opened the Fifth Avenue Hotel.

34:19Kate Berlant:Yes, because I tried to go to the more bar one, the more, like, loungy one. My son is the bartender. So cool. I couldn't get in. I couldn't get in. They were packed. And so then I went downstairs to the big restaurant, underdressed, got a table all to myself. Oh, heaven. I was a working woman on tour, you know. Nice. And I ordered an extravagant meal alone. Heaven. the ultimate luxury. Well, you know what to do now. Now we have an inn. That's fabulous. Bespoke cocktails.

34:47Jacqueline Novak:I'm so glad the listeners have been good. And the customers, you know.

34:51Kate Berlant:And you're in town for a while?

34:53Jacqueline Novak:Yeah, in here. So you're going to be seeing a lot of us.

34:55Kate Berlant:Oh, yeah, we're thinking monthly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And we're thinking monthly. Monthly dinner, a jar. Do you have any monthly regulars? Like people who have it on the books? We have daily, can you mean regulars? Oh, hardcore regulars, yeah. Okay, so, and some of them are just, some of them. You see them all the time, but it's like. Yeah, rolling, but are any like Tuesday nights? Yeah, like every Wednesday, that guy's here. Yeah, you know what? After the pandemic, we closed Monday and Tuesday. Yeah. But we always had our Tuesday nights. Now we have our Wednesday night. But the bar would be so packed, and people would walk in and say, who's in my seat?

35:34Jacqueline Novak:Oh, I love that. I love that. Who's in my seat? Who's in my goddamn booth.

35:39Kate Berlant:They take ownership.

35:40Jacqueline Novak:Territorial.

35:41Kate Berlant:Yeah. They take ownership, which I like, and maybe the front of the house doesn't like it so much. I like it.

35:46Jacqueline Novak:Where was I recently, and some kind of hip person was like, well, I love jar. And I was like, I love jar. You know, I felt the possession. Yeah, I had a similar thing. I was like, you don't know? I was like, who do you think you're talking to? You love jar. I love jar.

35:57Kate Berlant:Yeah, you love jar. It's special, and people have been coming for years. They sit at the bar. They have full meals at the bar, not just a cocktail. Love that. But the hardest part is if somebody has moved away or people have passed on. And that's the hardest thing for myself and my staff, too. You get so close to people.

36:19Jacqueline Novak:No, no, no. But that's the dream. I mean, that's all restaurants and theater.

36:23Kate Berlant:And we know they're still here. Yes. Of course. Families still come in. So, jar. It's a legacy. Is there any? Many find this question crass, but building. Any hauntings? And I mean that positively, of course. Oh, yeah. Have you, has there been any, really, any experiences? I just mean the old clanging in the kitchen that's... Yeah, you know what? I've had, I had someone I worked with, three restaurants, didn't speak a bit of English, Eduardo, and he was my monos. Like, he, we could look, he understood exactly what I was saying, and he passed about eight, nine years ago. But sometimes you hear something just drop in the kitchen.

37:05Kate Berlant:Hell yeah. Or you're going to the bathroom and there's a reflection in the glass over here. So it's, you know, we know he's here. Yeah. We know he's still here. And you or others have felt it too? Yes. That's incredible. But also this is a very historical space. It was in the 60s, late 60s. It was a place called the carriage trade. and the gentleman who owned it, it was one of the first where it was a gay restaurant. At night, they would come. Yes. And there was a secret door. Okay. I can't believe we've never thought to ask the history of the living room. I know. I can't disclose. He's passed on.

37:44Kate Berlant:The carriage room. The carriage trade. The people that he would tell me would come in here. There was a bathhouse. There's a secret door in the wine room. If you take off the paneling, there is a door. How cool. To go in and out. What an incredible jar. Rich history. Oh, rich. All of them, they came here. So cool. Oh, wow. So cool. A few of them. There's layers. Yeah. I can't wait to come with my mom.

38:09Jacqueline Novak:I got it. She's insane, Monica. Incredible. I can't wait for summer when the heirloom tomatoes are here. I know.

38:14Kate Berlant:A few more weeks. It takes a little while. When officially, when is ramp season?

38:18Jacqueline Novak:I thought it was June. Yeah, we wonder about that. But then I went somewhere the other day, there's certain ramps.

38:21Kate Berlant:So Brent Simpson is right this minute, and I have some ramps.

38:24Jacqueline Novak:I'm going to give you some. God damn, I love a good ramp.

38:27Kate Berlant:They are gorgeous. Blister a ramp. Because it's pretty brief, right? The ramp, like two weeks. One of the fewest. And is it because they're uncurling? It's a fern uncurling? Yeah, I'll show you. Is that what a ramp is? No, it's more like a baby onion. It's in the garlic family as well. Oh, wait, I'm thinking of the duck egg. It's so, like, that is my favorite. When I get those ramps, the first ramps. And then I get the Columbia River salmon, you know, it's springtime. Oh, my God. Oh, I'm thinking of fiddlehead ferns. Yes, you are. Also an interesting item. Are they short-term or are they always there?

39:00Kate Berlant:They are, too. They're more in the winter. Okay, maybe that's why. Moist months. But these are really special. And they're usually from, like, Minnesota, like, way up there. Like, Canada. Where are you from originally? I've been here for almost 40 years originally. I'm from Arizona. Oh, my God.

39:16Jacqueline Novak:Cool. You're an L.A. woman.

39:19Kate Berlant:Yeah. I am.

39:20Jacqueline Novak:Yeah. I am. the best kind. God.

39:23Kate Berlant:Well, enjoy the rest of your evening. Thank you. Thank you. It's heaven. As always. We love you. Thank you for saying hello. I'm so proud of you. We want to. Thank you. Everybody here is so proud of you. That's so kind. We love you. We love you. We couldn't be more thrilled to represent our... And I'm getting you some ramps to take home.

39:36Jacqueline Novak:Oh, thank you.

39:37Kate Berlant:They're good for you.

39:38Jacqueline Novak:Oh, I love ramps.

39:39Kate Berlant:Even if you get them wrong, just, you know... Thank you. I can take that. I hope my enthusiasm for ramps was included in hers, and that was clear that I'll be taking that home half of her portion. I have some pickled rams, too. I'm going to give you a take on that.

39:52Jacqueline Novak:What? I would die. I'll eat them instantly. Okay. Oh, my God. That's so special.

39:56Kate Berlant:Is there salad dressings or if you're making fish or anything? Yum. Are you serious?

40:01Jacqueline Novak:I mean, thank you so much. That's very special. Thank you.

40:04Kate Berlant:Enjoy. Thank you so much. Bye. Thank you for saying hi. Oh, my God. Are you kidding? I can't believe that.

40:09Jacqueline Novak:I can't believe that. Do you think she understood that I also want the rams?

40:12Kate Berlant:Yes. I'm scared. And look, if I didn't make that clear enough, then you deserve to take home the full portion. You think I'm not going to split the ramps with you?

40:19Jacqueline Novak:Of course I'm splitting the ramps with you. I'm scared. But I have to just... Can you absolutely just take a second to really feel the fact that we're in. That we're in HR. We're in with Suzanne. We are in here. She's here. I'm proud of you. You heard her say that, right? Yes. I'm proud of you. We're proud of you. The restaurant's proud of us. Do you think the restaurant's proud of us? The restaurant's proud of us? She gestures. She goes, we're proud of you. The restaurant's proud of you. Oh, my God. We have to come back in three weeks. Maximum. Can't let time pass. Max. This is what you do, but this is it.

40:45Jacqueline Novak:You seal it in. I wouldn't let 10 days pass before we're back. You seal it in off the high of this, and then you're back, and then you're in for life.

40:52Kate Berlant:But how do you, if it's not, okay, every 10 days is not a unit that I can process.

40:57Jacqueline Novak:No, no, no, I don't mean we always come in every 10 days. I just mean we have to come in within two weeks to seal the connection.

41:03Kate Berlant:Oh, okay. You know what I mean? Well, did your heart in a way sink at the fact that there are daily customers? Daily. Well, that's the dream. Yeah. Yeah. I guess, though, yeah, we'll ride. We'll get there. Us, 20 years from now.

41:18Jacqueline Novak:Yeah. Every other day. Chins on the table, just posture-wise.

41:22Kate Berlant:Yeah. Our chin is across the table.

41:24Jacqueline Novak:I wonder if anyone's had their last meal at JAR. Someone must have. If you're in a restaurant, you must acknowledge some people are serving people their last meal. Well, that's what I would tell my staff. Oh, my God. Right? You get them pumped up for dinner service. You go, some of these people, you're about to serve them their last meal on earth. Okay, this is actually huge. Oh my God.

41:43Kate Berlant:By the way, we opening, that's too much. We're not opening a business. I mean, we're not opening that kind of business. No, I just went down the path. Oh God, it's happening. Oh my God. It's happening. Oh, pretty. So excited. Mmm. Is the bowl bigger? Oh no, no. I thought the bowl was - Sloped? Yes. Yeah, I think it's slightly sloped down. But I think it might just be the table. Yeah, the bowl's not sloped. It's the table. By the way, I'm going to write it. No, it is. Forgot about the size. Oh, my God. I forgot about the size also. Look, I can't even wait. I can't even wait. And I forgot to say that I have not an allergy.

42:18Kate Berlant:Did I even say it? You did. But I'm fine on all this, right? You'll do a double check? Or you know.

42:23Jacqueline Novak:What's the allergy?

42:23Kate Berlant:Oh, right. Good. Interesting. Yeah. Tree nuts. You're fine. No nuts are made. All right. Thank you. Oh, my God. I'm a huge fan. Thank you. Enjoy this. Oh, my God. Incredible. Okay, wait. You started out on me. I'm moaning and humming. If I may. As you know. Fuck. Mm. Makes you taste it more? Yeah, you're vibrating it against the...

42:44Jacqueline Novak:Mm. Oh, my God. By the way, truly, I love you. Puga's huge. Puga's huge. Puga's huge. Puga's absolutely huge. We're in at jar. We're in. I mean, we're in. You know. I know that we're in. Yeah. But also, taking Puga to the next level. Yeah. Launching. Business. The hags are ready.

43:00Kate Berlant:Cheers again. I love you. To us. Prosperity. To us. Prosperity. Sipping the divine fruit. Last meal. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Magnet for divine prosperity. Might not be coming back. It could be the last meal. Yeah.