🤫🍹 A secret *margarita* garden

It’s Thursday, Boston.

🚨 New month, new B-Side membership perks! On the docket: $50 off apartment cleaning, $5 off dog entry at Park-9 and Boston Hot Sauce Fest, discounts at a local thrift store, and WAY more. Become a member here!

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Banner 19, incoming!

• A HUGE BlueBikes freebie

• Market Basket’s greatest hits

Up first…

FOOD AND DRINK

That’s that me *al fresco*

Grab your spritzes and espadrilles! Patio season is HERE! As of April 28, 106 Boston restaurants have been approved for outdoor dining, including four newbies. 

Here’s what to know about this year’s new patios:

🍹 Taco Azul’s patio … isn’t a patio. It’s a *margarita garden*. As a place that prides itself on having Boston’s best margs (Emily agrees), launching an outdoor dining space where folks could enjoy them was always in the cards, said founder and CEO Dan Leyva. The new, 32-seat outdoor space has “tropical oasis” vibes, with tons of greenery (even a few palm trees!). Plus: It’s dog-friendly! But the best part? To celebrate the opening, it’s launching a special $9 frozen mini-marg deal on Mondays. And keep your eyes peeled for a new drink special dropping this week. It’s open now!

🥙 The Hummus Shop’s patio is taking up (more) space. This fast-casual vegetarian spot’s new outdoor dining space will expand its footprint from a tiny-but-mighty eight seats to around 20 — and beef up Beacon Hill’s limited list of outdoor dining options. You can munch on a hummus bowl or salad on what founder Colin Daly called “sauna”-style seating. Need an excuse to go? They’ll be celebrating International Hummus Day with free hummus bowls and pitas on May 17. It’s opening today.

🌮 El Jefe’s Taqueria’s patio is the first of its kind. Out of the beloved Mexican chain’s five Greater Boston locations, its new Kenmore Square spot will be the only one with outdoor seating (open now!). The new patio will seat 14 people at umbrella-covered tables in front of the restaurant. El Jefe’s Mass. regional manager Monica Vicente imagines it as the perfect place to grab a bite before a Sox game.

🐟 Zurito’s patio is going to feel like Spain. Considering the menu is inspired by Spain’s Basque region, it makes sense that its new outdoor space leans “into that kind of European feel,” said Jamie Bissonnette, one of its chef/partners. Picture this: 26 seats plus standing room, interspersed with tons of flowers and lights on the street in front of the restaurant. Be on the lookout for outdoor events on the patio (oyster shucking, anyone?). It’s opening today!

🤔 Still want more? Here’s a guide to some of the best tried-and-true patios in Greater Boston.

TOGETHER WITH MFA BOSTON

Still life? We prefer fresh cut 

🌸 🖼️ Imagine if your favorite painting had a floral doppelgänger. The MFA’s “Art in Bloom” is back May 2 to 4, pairing iconic pieces from the museum’s collection with floral arrangements by local designers and garden clubs. Think: Monet-inspired pastels and bouquets that scream O’Keeffe. There will be tours, shopping, food, and plenty of photo ops. Grab your tickets now and treat your senses (and camera roll) to a spring refresh.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🏀 We’re one step closer to Banner 19. The Celtics have officially put the kibosh on the Orlando Magic and moved to round two of the playoffs. The series ended 4-1, but Orlando’s tough-as-nails physical playstyle made for a few nail-biters, and more than a few bumps and bruises for the C’s. Thankfully, on Tuesday night, they rallied at home for a decisive 120-89 W to seal the deal. Next on the docket: Either the New York Knicks, or the Detroit Pistons, depending on how their series shakes out. LET’S GO CELTICS!

🎓 What do Jennifer Coolidge, André 3000, and Hank Green have in common? They’re all speaking at local college graduations this month! Boston.com just dropped a list of this year’s commencement speakers to watch, and, as you can probably already tell, it’s STACKED. Besides Coolidge (Emerson), André 3000 (Berklee) and Green (MIT), keep your eyes peeled for biopic subject Sully Sullenberger at Endicott, CEO of the Obama foundation Valerie Jarrett at Williams, NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at Harvard, and “Brave” singer Sara Bareilles, also at Berklee. Those are some lucky grads.

🚲 BlueBikes just dropped its biggest freebie EVER. No joke! In honor of National Bike Month, Blue Cross Blue Shield is offering a huge $50 credit for free BlueBike rides while supplies last. Here’s the deal: Just open the app and use the code “BLUECROSSMABIKE” to redeem it. Once the code is active, it’ll apply to your rides through the end of the year — that equals out to hours biking totally free. Happy biking!

☀️ Boston’s spring event lineup is looking JUICED. At the plate: The Rooftop at Revere, one of Boston’s best (read: only) rooftop lounges, opens for the season today ($10 rooftop yoga, anyone?). On deck: The Lawn on D, Southie’s iconic outdoor gathering space, will follow tomorrow, with pickleball, lawn games, concessions, and events. And in the hole: One of Boston’s most iconic springtime events, the Arnold Arboretum’s annual Lilac Sunday, is officially slotted for May 11. Here’s a (stunning) peek.

QUICK QUESTION!

💼 Do you have a lot of friends at work?

ONE LAST THING

Market Basket’s greatest hits

Market Basket is known for a lot of things: “More for your dollar,” protests, the tile floors. But for Market Basket superfan (and former employee) Bob Hoyt, it's the store’s playlist that stands out. 

Which is why he’s dedicated years of his life to curating a nearly 25-hour playlist called “Market Basket Classics,” which currently has 363 songs and over 3,000 saves. 

On it? “One hit wonders,” “clunky 80s hits,” and songs that “you’d never pick to listen to,” but once they’re on, you gotta sing along. Think: “Gypsy” by Fleetwood Mac, “Africa” by Toto, and “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. Check it out here.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🛒 Thanks for reading! After listening for about 25 minutes, Gia is happy to report that it totally rocks. 

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, MFA Boston, for supporting local journalism and bringing culturally rich experiences to our city. 

🌡️ The results are in: 60% of readers say that May is Spring, despite the occasional 80-degree days. One reader said: “If it's still oscillating between 40-50 degrees and 80, it's still spring...” Fair enough!

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].