How to get ready for ‘Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life’

We’re down to three weeks and two days away from the “Gilmore Girls” revival and the frenzy keeps building. In the weeks leading up to Netflix’s four-part ‘A Year in the Life’ on Nov. 25, we’ve seenLuke’s Diner takeovers across the country, “Gilmore Girls”-themed contestsandgimmicks galore. Since thetrailerwas released last week, the Internet is teeming with theories on what the heck’s going on, with varying degrees of plausibility (we really doubt Kirk’s at Friday Night Dinner because he’s dating one of the Gilmore ladies, as David Stanleysuggestedover at Gilmorenews.com). And yes, in case you didn’t know, there really is aGilmoreNews.com.

Besides bingeing on all seven seasons available on Netflix, setting up a Google alert for “Gilmore Girls” (which we may or may not have done) so as not to miss one iota of Internet chatter, and having over-caffeinated arguments with your friends about #TeamJess vs #TeamLogan vs #TeamDean, etc., (#TeamNoneofThem is the winner), there are plenty of fun ways to immerse yourself in the land of Stars Hollow ahead of the comeback. Here are a few ideas we came up.

Listen to the Gilmore Guys podcast

If you’re out on the road (or riding the train) feeling lonely in your love for “Gilmore Girls,” all you have to do is put on an episode of theGilmore Guysand…you’ll find instant companionship. Gilmore Guys consists of two dudes, longtime GG fan Kevin T. Porter and relative newcomer Demi Adejuyigbe, who are both comedians and writers, discussing each episode in length, plus recurring segments such as “Pop, goes the culture” where they play back a supercut of each pop culture reference in the episode, or their “Fa fa fa fa” fashion report where they dish on what everybody was wearing. Pick a favorite episode to rehash through their voices, or tune in for one of their “Gilmore Gabs” where they talk with cast members and writers of the show, such asScott PattersonandKelly Bishop(!). Oh, and there’s plenty of singing, of the theme song “Where You Lead” and random tunes (R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly,” for example) that somehow doesn’t get annoying.

Eat like a Gilmore
Whether you’re hosting a watch party or your own bespoke version of a Luke’s Diner takeover, let this new cookbook be your guide. Writer and chef Kristi Carlson’s“Eat like a Gilmore”is a Kickstarter success story that includes 100 recipes either eaten, served, or mentioned on the show. As she writes in the intro, “To eat the way Lorelai and Rory eat at home, all you need is a drawer full of takeout menus, a magnet on the fridge with the number for the pizza place and a convenience store down the street.” True. But if you want to throw your own Friday Night Dinner, you’ll find a recipe for Emily’s tried and true salmon puffs, or a meal of roasted squab, written to seem as benign as sauteing a chicken breast. Shout-outs to Sookie St. James include her iconic risotto and to-die-for peach sauce that she literally bled over in the pilot.

Make your own pilgrimage to real-life Stars Hollow
Ok, so you probably missed thatGilmore Girls fan fest weekend, aka, the stuff that Gilmore fans’ dreams are made of. (Anyway, we hear itrained). You still have three weekends ahead of you until the revival, and then, really, your whole lifetime, to curate your own Stars Hollow getaway!Priceline.comis offering deals on car rentals and hotels in Washington Depot, Conn. and neighboring towns of Guilford, New Milford and Litchfield. Understandably, a night atThe Mayflower Grace,on which show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino based the Independence Inn, is a bit steep (from $675/night) but you can find charming, affordable alternatives like theLitchfield Inn(from $109). Once you’re there, you can plan a whole itinerary of stop-offs at local haunts that evoke the show, such asTheo’s Downtown Diner(Luke’s Diner vibes) in New Milford, andBradford House Antiques(Mrs. Kim’s Antiques vibes) in Litchfield.

Read like Rory
Rory devours books like Lorelai downs cups of coffee. What better way to get hyped for GG than to coax out your inner book-worm? TheGilmore Girls Book Clubmeets each month at Word Bookstore in Greenpoint and Jersey City to discuss one of the339 books referenced in the show, (past picks include Zadie Smith’s “On Beauty” and “Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk” by Gillian McCain and Legs McNeil) with the exception of their next meeting, Dec. 4 at Word Greenpoint, which is more revival-focused. They will discuss Elena Ferrante’s “My Brilliant Friend” because, in a recentpromo video, Rory tells Michelle Obama she’s hyped about reading the “Neapolitan novels.” If you can’t make it to Jersey City or Brooklyn, you can always start your own book club, using the aforementionedlist of all 339 books referenced.

Nerd out to “Gilmore Girls” trivia

If you’re in New York, pop culture-focusedTrivia, AD,known for “Friends” and “Stranger Things” trivia nights, has severalupcoming “Gilmore Girls”-themed trivia nightsthis November devoted to testing your knowledge of all things Stars Hollow—including onetonight at the Stone Creek Bar and Grill.