🏆🤩 And Boston’s BEST restaurant is ...

🚨🌯 Last call for this EPIC lunch deal: Anna’s Taqueria is celebrating its new DTX location with a $3.50 deal on its “super” burritos today ONLY at its Summer Street location (which is what they charged back in 1995).

🍔 Speaking of foodie deals … This Sunday, Oct. 26, B-Side Members get a FREE housemade soft serve from The Block at Woods Hill with the purchase of a Block Burger. You’re welcome. <3

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

It’s Oscars day for Boston’s foodie scene! Boston magazine just dropped its annual best restaurants issue, which ranks Greater Boston’s top 50 restaurants.

Here’s a snapshot of this year’s winners:

🏆 In a surprise to literally no one, Sarma earned the top spot. IYKYK. This is just more proof that, despite the long lines and impossible reservations, a seat at this Somerville Mediterranean spot is worth the wait. Coming in at No. 2 is Uni, Back Bay’s v pricey, innovative omakase restaurant (think: $20+ for nigiri). Mooncusser, also in Back Bay, pulled the No. 3 spot with its seasonal five-course seafood menus, followed by Brookline’s Greek restaurant Bar Vlaha at No. 4 (last year’s winner, BTW), and Dorchester’s Comfort Kitchen at No. 5. 

🏅 Kaia took home the gold for best new restaurant. This swanky Greek spot in the South End has been turning heads all year — the Globe’s food critic gave it a coveted five-star review. Also on the list: Darling, Cambridge’s intimate cocktail bar-slash-dim sum spot (which is B-Side Certified, BTW); North End Italian spot Little Sage, the modern revival of ‘90’s fav Sage; and Thaiger Den, Malden’s new upscale Thai restaurant. Check out the full list here.

💸 Wanna eat your way through the top 50 without breaking the bank? It’s possible, we swear! Start with a $17 plate of pad thai at No. 13 Mahaniyom in Brookline (just make sure to snag a res). Then, head to lunch at No. 23 Lê Madeline in Quincy for $15 sticky chicken wings and $20 pho with filet mignon. Cap off your crawl with a massive plate of spicy, hand-pulled Uyghur noodles for $17 at Jahunger in Cambridge (also B-Side Certified).

📅 Good news: You don’t have to give up your first born for a res. Boston mag’s own Rachel Leah Blumenthal told us that if you want a table at a top spot, No. 2 Uni is your best bet. And thanks to a recent expansion, No. 10 Brassica Kitchen + Cafe in JP has much more availability (not to mention … pizza!). Other spots with easier res access include: No. 33 Bab Al-Yemen, No. 46 Gustazo Cuban Kitchen & Bar, and No. 48 Pagu.

🥐 The picks don’t stop with the top 50. Boston also dropped a few extra *treats* in the form of its fave bakeries and brunch spots. Think: Gochujang sticky buns and weekend doughnuts from Cambridge’s Nine Winters, and over-the-top Southie brunch with fried chicken and jell-o shots(!?) at Moonshine 152. Check them all out here.

🤤 Need more than just a taste? You can check out the entire list from Boston magazine here.

🎬 Globe Docs Film Festival is THIS WEEK, and Thursday Oct. 23 is B-Side Night! Globe Events is teaming up with Alamo Drafthouse Cinema for a screening of A24’s film “André is an Idiot” 7 p.m., with a special B-Side pre-party at 5:30. Get excited for a cozy fall evening of Sundance Award-winning cinema, snacks and drinks – oh, and did we mention tickets are just $15? B-Side members, you get $5 off. We’ll see you there!

💼 Mass.’ federal workers are going through it. We’re three weeks into the federal government shutdown, and over half of Mass.’ ~46,000 federal workers are either furloughed or working without pay. And as sticker shock starts to set in for these workers, President Trump’s claims about withholding back pay or cutting more federal jobs are only adding to the confusion and chaos. “Nobody is talking to anybody, nobody is smiling, nobody is even looking up,” one claims representative told the Globe about her office. “The fear level is growing exponentially.” 

📉 Job hunt been rough lately? It’s not you, it’s *the market*. As the economy cools down, so has the local job market, according to WBUR. With folks unsure about the future, data shows that Mass. employers are hiring less than last year, while employees are less likely to leave their jobs. One recruiter’s advice for job-seekers: Fine-tune your specialized skills to beef up your resume, and when you get a good offer, pounce. In the meantime, you can manifest an offer with this list of six-figure job postings in Mass. 

❄️ Boston’s new winter weather predictions are looking … chaotic. Shout out to our girl, La Niña! ICYMI: La Niña is a climate pattern that cools ocean surface temps, shifts the jet stream, and generally shakes up the weather. Currently, it’s in full swing and expected to stick around through the end of February. So what does this mean for our winter weather? It’ll be more erratic, with frequent storms, cooler-than-average temps, and the chance for a touch more snow, according to the Globe. *Cries in New England.*

🪔 Celebrate the festival of light in style. Diwali, an ancient festival of lights, might have been on Oct. 20. But you can keep the party going on Oct. 23 at the MFA’s ultimate Diwali celebration. And thanks to its new third Thursday initiative, you can go for just $5. There will be drop-in tile painting, henna, traditional music and dancing, museum tours, and more. Grab your $5 ticket day-of, IRL at the museum after 5 p.m. 

Enter to win a complimentary visit, including 90 minutes on our golf simulator for you and up to five friends, plus a $200 food & beverage credit. To enter, just refer a friend and have them accept your invite by the end of the day on 10/22/2025. If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

18+. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one entry per person. See Official Rules & an additional entry option here.

Forget the witch hats and wizardry — Salem’s most famous face has *whiskers*. Meet Lucipurr, a 14-pound black cat with over 11,000 Facebook followers who’s become the city’s unofficial spooky season mascot.

Lucipurr is just one of a handful of Salem felines to rise to kitty stardom over the last few years, becoming magnets for head scratches from tourists and locals alike (Meiko is equally adorable in her purple leash). And let’s just say, the people are obsessed. Lucipurr literally served as ringbearer in a local wedding!

And yes, this spooky season kitty lovin’ is great news for black cats’ PR team — after all, they’ve been associated with bad luck for hundreds of years. But it’s also great news for local shelters: Instead of tipping for photos, Lucipurr’s owner directs fans to donate to shelters, including the foster agency that rescued Lucipurr (they’ve raised over $3,000!). 

So really, the only cursed thing this season is missing the chance to pet him.

— Written by Gia Orsino, Emily Schario, and Claire Nicholas

🐈‍⬛ Thanks for reading! But let’s be real: Binx walked so Lucipurr could run.

🎃 The results are in: 42% of B-Siders say they’re not dressing up for Halloween, but one reader who IS dressing up said: “storrow drive and a uhaul <3.” Be honest, is that because of us? ;) 

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