Maris's failure to show up for dinner is perhaps the first hint of her status as a permanently off-screen character. Her perpetual absence would become a running joke in the series. (The idea of a never-seen wife is a tip of the hat to Cheers, in which Norm's wife Vera is often mentioned but never seen.)
This episode marks the first mention of Le Cigare Volante, an upscale restaurant that becomes one of Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Niles's (David Hyde Pierce) regular haunts.
Niles (David Hyde Pierce) refers to his housekeeper "Mary." In later episodes she becomes Marta and an actual character.
First instance of the oft-repeated line "Sherry, Niles?"