🍔🎄 A very merry Boston food crawl

🤝💜 Winter is officially in that “must leave the house or lose my mind” phase — and we have just the solution.

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

🎄✨ December is usually a jumble of office parties, gift swaps, friends in town, friends leaving town, and the annual “we should really catch up before January” lie we all tell. So to make at least one night easy — and actually fun — we teamed up with DoorDash to map out a perfect winter night around the city.

🛋️ Follow it step-by-step, remix it, or order the whole thing from your couch in flannel pajamas while watching “Love Actually” for the 11th time. No wrong answers here.

🌮 The best nights out start slow, which is why this lively, music-filled spot is perfect for warming up without committing too hard too early. Located in the heart of Back Bay, El Barco’s DJs, festive lighting, and casual-yet-fun energy make it the ideal first stop to sip and snack with menu items like a customizable mega margarita and Smashburger taco (aka: a burger in taco form).

Pre-gaming at home instead? Get El Barco delivered straight to your door and save $8 on orders $30 or more using code BARCOBG.

Things to try:

🍽️ Back Bay Social is exactly the vibe you want in December: warm lighting, plush booths, and the kind of cozy, bustling soundtrack that makes the whole place feel like a movie scene. It’s upscale enough for your “nice night out” sweater, yet approachable enough that you won’t feel judged for ordering fries for the table. Plus: if you want to scrap plans and enjoy a steak from the comfort of your couch, you can do that too. 

Order Back Bay Social on DoorDash and get $8 off orders of $30 or more with code BBS25.  

Things to try:

🍩 As soon as you feel the night starting to wind down, that’s your cue to head straight to Fenway for a sugar-filled pick-me-up. Open until 2 a.m., the Back Door Donuts walk-up window delivers warm, perfectly fried pastries that make staying out just a little longer completely worth it. (Pro tip: order a box with one of everything. It’s the best way to fuel your second wind.)

Want midnight donuts, minus the cold fingers? Skip the Fenway walk and order Back Door Donuts on DoorDash with code BDD25 for $8 off orders of $30 or more.

Things to try:

🍸 If there’s one thing every Bostonian, Seaport girlie, and Southie guy-who-knows-a-guy can agree on, it’s that all nights out eventually lead to Lucky’s Lounge. With Sinatra-esque mood lighting, a menu full of savory snacks, and a kitchen open until 1:30 a.m., it’s the perfect spot to grab a late night bite over drinks and yap sessions with the friend who swears they’re “not tired at all” (but will be asleep 5 min into the Uber home).

Calling it an early night? Order Lucky’s Lounge on DoorDash and save $8 on orders of $30 or more with code LUCKYBG.

Things to try:

⭐️ Looking for more DoorDash deals? Even if you’re not hitting these four spots tonight, you can still save $8 on orders of $30 or more from other restaurants in the city with these promo codes:

The route from Back Bay Social → El Barco → Back Door Donuts → Lucky’s Lounge clocks in at just under three miles.

(Which means you can technically call this a “holiday walk” when explaining it to your doctor in January.)

-- Written by Tori Waltz, Studio/B, Boston Globe Media’s branded content studio (The editorial team was not involved in the creation of this B-Side Extra Edition)

🌮 Thanks for reading! Here’s to over-ordering, over-dressing, and overestimating our ability to stay out past midnight.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsors, DoorDash, Back Bay Social, El Barco, Back Door Donuts, and Lucky’s Lounge, for sponsoring this extra B-Side send and fueling our festive, late-night cravings.