🔥 The Best of Boston list just dropped

It’s Wednesday, Boston.

🐶 Got puppy fever? The Dakin Humane Society in Springfield is taking 50% adoption fees for all animals on July 1. You can see who’s available here. I’m partial to Clifford, who while a dog, is neither big nor red.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• NAACP convention

• A big Logan headache

• MBTA Geoguessr

Up first...

FOOD

The best of Boston

Boston magazine just released its 2023 ‘Best of Boston’ issue, doling out accolades you’ve likely seen touted in sticker-form on local storefronts. The magazine’s staffers spent a year revisiting old reliables and seeking out promising newcomers to see what’s the best of the best in the city, with this year’s list recognizing 256 of Boston’s best restaurants, art, personalities, and more.

Here are some highlights you can add to your own Boston checklist:

🥞 Lincoln Tavern in Southie is home to the best brunch. And thankfully, it’s not just on the weekends. Boston was quick to call out favorites like the “chronic bacon” dish (maple-cider braised bacon, cornflake-crusted French toast bites) and an eye-popping stack of Fruity Pebble pancakes drizzled with cereal milk anglaise. But even if you’re not into sweet stuff, the breakfast pizzas and omelets are also a hit. Here’s the full brunch menu.

🥘 Comfort Kitchen was crowned best new restaurant. This cozy spot in Upham’s Corner is dishing up global comfort food, pulling in flavors and ingredients from the African Diaspora (you can see the full menu here). Crowd favorites include the jerk jackfruit sliders (can confirm), okra, and duck. We ate dinner there earlier this year and agree that it is EXQUISITE. You can see everything we tried in this video.

☕ Madhouse Café in Roxbury was named best new cafe. People come to see the cafe’s massive window that looks into a next-door motorcycle shop (Madhouse Motors), but they stay for the iced tahini Lebanese meat pies and cozy, WFH atmosphere. Boston said the space is “Dripping with greenery and intricately patterned tables and pillows,” and both the space and staff are lovely.

🍕 Cambridge’s Source is home to the best pizza. Which may be a little controversial given da LaPosta’s recent People’s Choice win at the Pizza Festival, but I digress … Boston’s staff can’t decide if it’s the crispy pepperoni cups or the “just-kissed-by-char” dough made with yeast from local beer. But they simply can’t get enough of Source’s ‘za. And if there were an award for Brussels sprouts, their miso-chili caramel ones would win by a landslide IMO.

📝 But wait … there are still 200+ more places to see! Want to know who was crowned the best bar, burger, workout class, and media personality? You can view the whole list here.

QUICK QUESTION!

😋 Out of the four places we listed, which one do you want to try the most?

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

Together with BARRE GROOVE

💃 We’re giving away a $100 gift card to Barre Groove! To be eligible, refer a friend below and have them accept your invite between June 26 and 29. If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

✊🏿 The NAACP Convention is shipping up to Boston next month. The national convention convening Black thought-leaders and change-makers is slated to make its first, in-person appearance in Boston in over 40 years. And despite the city’s history of racial inequity and segregation, local leaders see the convention as a way to hit refresh on Boston’s reputation. The convention kicks off July 26 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. You can register for talks and seminars here, plus, the city is putting on several free programs to build community and support local Black-led businesses during the convention.

🛫 Thunderstorms + holiday travel = a big headache at Logan. It’s been a rough week for air travel, and it doesn’t look like it’s getting any better. On Monday, more than 450 flights at Logan were delayed, with nearly 200 cancellations. On Tuesday, there were nearly 300 delays and 110 cancellations. And given the thunderous forecast, more are expected. AAA predicts Thursday and Friday will be the busiest airport days, so brace for a hectic travel weekend. And be sure to keep a close eye on your flights for any changes.

🏳️‍🌈 You can’t spell Massachusetts without “us.” That’s essentially the state tourism board’s new campaign to lure in more folks to Mass. They just launched a series of billboards in conservative-leaning states like Texas and Florida with the phrase “Massachusetts For Us All,” featuring photos of LGBTQ couples (quite the juxtaposition to recent legislation passed in Florida and Texas). And Gov. Healey’s message is crystal clear: “To anyone considering where they want to live, raise a family, visit, or build a business — we want you to join us here in Mass.”

🍦 Good news for the Seaport’s lactose-free community! FoMu, the Boston-based small batch ice creamery known for dairy-free scoops has settled into a new temporary locale on Seaport Boulevard. All of their ice cream treats are made with coconut milk, so no need to pop a Lactaid. Plus, their baked goods and toppings are made with plant-based ingredients. The new spot is open seven days a week from noon to 10 p.m. (and they have plans for another pop-up in Quincy Market for the tourists to enjoy).

ONE LAST THING

MBTA Geoguessr

Think you know the MBTA? Pop quiz!

There’s a new MBTAGuessr game (inspired by the viral GeoGuessr) that tests how well you know T station locations. And it’s much harder than you think.

The game generates five random T stops, and players have to drop a pinpoint on a map of Boston where they think the station is located. You’re scored on how close you get to said station, and can earn up to 5,000 per round or 25,000 total.

Ben Muschol, the software engineer who literally made the game, has only scored around 19,000 (much lower than he hoped).

The stops that tend to trip people up the most are on the outskirts of the map, as Braintree, Riverside, and Oak Grove all fall in the bottom 10 stations for average guess score. They’re farther away than you think!

You can take a crack at it here. Let us know how you do!

😮‍💨 Thanks for reading! That game humbled me pretty quickly.

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