Tony Shalhoub was originally asked to appear in the show's first season as his Wings (1990) character Antonio Scarpacci. Shalhoub turned the offer down, telling the producers that he was not interested in appearing just to promote that show, but would be willing to someday appear on this show as a different character.
First instance of Niles' fetish of argumentative fits with Daphne.
Seattle didn't have a Ritz Carlton in the 90's, but the Fairmont Olympic would have been the Seattle version of one. This hotel sits at 4th and University, and given the approximations laid out by Martin and Niles while in the car, it's most likely this news stand incident would have taken place on 1st, around University or Union.
Although Tony Shalhoub and Dan Butler don't interact in this one, they will play others characters who do, in Monk.
John Mahoney and Tony Shalhoub both starred in Barton Fink (1991) five years before this episode aired, although in that film they shared no scenes together.