The role of Mason Verger was previously played by Michael Pitt in season 2. Pitt was unavailable to reprise the role, so beginning with this episode, he was replaced by Joe Anderson.
Dr. Chilton's (Raúl Esparza) disfigured appearance was inspired by two different screen villains; John Fogarty (Ed Harris) from A History of Violence (2005) and Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) from Skyfall (2012). The latter character sharing the same first name as Chilton's portrayer, Raúl Esparza.
The poem Hannibal writes on his card to Jack Crawford is "A Fever" by John Donne. Specifically the verse; "O wrangling schools, that search what fire Shall burn this world, had none the wit Unto this knowledge to aspire, That this her feaver might be it?"
Following the pattern used in the previous seasons (to use as episode title terms relatives to a dish or a dish preparation - French cuisine in the first season and Japanese cuisine in the second) the third season use Italian nomenclature. An aperitivo (apéritif is a French word derived from the Latin verb aperire, which means "to open") is a pre-meal drink specifically meant to whet your appetite.