⭐🤤 Boston got its Michelin star!

🖼️  Franklin Park has a new official poster! Tons of local artists submitted designs honoring the park’s legacy and culture, and we now have our winner(s)! You can check out the stunning designs here. Brb, hanging this one in the Louvre.

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

Boston is officially a Michelin-star city. 26 local restaurants earned a spot on the city’s new Michelin Guide on Tuesday … and yes, we got a star! 

Here’s what to know:

🙋 This is Boston’s first-ever Michelin Guide. Back in May, the city’s tourism board announced it was bringing the swanky guide to Greater Boston — and likely dropped some serious cash to do it. Since then, reviewers have been going incognito to potential restaurants, judging the food on quality, flavor, technique, consistency, and how the chef’s personality shines through the menu. The very best get one, two, or three stars (here’s what they mean), or a “bib gourmand,” which usually goes to more casual (read: cheaper) spots.

⭐ The lone star went to 311 Omakase. This new-ish omakase spot in the South End dishes out a “thoughtfully crafted” 18-course omakase … starting at $250 a pop. Chef Wei Fa Chen is no stranger to the Michelin Guide, having worked at NYC’s Masa when it earned three stars.

🏅 Six spots nabbed a bib gourmand. Nods for Cambridge’s Pagu and Brookline’s Mahaniyom (which also earned a special “exceptional cocktails award”) came as no surprise. It was also a huge night for chef Karen Akunowicz, whose Southie Italian spots — Fox & The Knife and Bar Volpe — were both honored. Rounding out the list were wins for dark horses Jahunger (which is also B-Side Certified, NBD) and Sumiao Hunan Kitchen, two Cambridge spots serving regional Chinese cuisine. 

👏 And 19 more got a “recommendation.” A.k.a. not quite bib gourmand-level, but still v good. Winners included: Neptune Oyster, Nightshade Noodle Bar, Mooncusser, La Padrona, Wa Shin, Pammy’s, Somaek, and more. Here’s the full list.

📝 Also noteworthy: Who didn’t make the list. Some of the biggest snubs included beloved local faves Sarma, Tonino, Celeste, and Comfort Kitchen, and notable newcomers like Little Sage and Kaia. But the biggest surprise of the night? Diddly squat for O Ya, which was thought to have star potential. The message: In the Michelin world, nobody gets to rest on their laurels … or 1,500-person waitlists. 

🤔  So … what does it all mean? According to the Globe’s Devra First, we can interpret this list as Michelin basically throwing down the gauntlet for Boston chefs, recognizing the city’s often underappreciated food scene while challenging them to come back better next year. And in some cases, it already appears to be working. As for the winners, they can (hopefully) expect a hefty bump in business. 

🤤 Ready to start making reservations? You can peruse all the winners here.

🏛️🖼️ You know that first cold gust of November Boston wind? That’s your cue to head straight to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Explore Allan Rohan Crite: Urban Glory, sit with Visions of Black Madonnas, and catch Robert T. Freeman: Allan Crite - American Griot, 2025 on the Façade, a citywide celebration of Crite’s legacy. Then on Dec. 11, experience The History of the Black Madonna: Spirituals Made Visual, an evening of music + conversation. And don’t forget: your Gardner ticket unlocks free admission to the Boston Athenaeum through Jan. 24.

🏘️ Waiting for Boston rent prices to drop? Don’t hold your breath. ‘Cause according to the experts, it’s literally never gonna happen … no joke. Basically, the city’s lack of new housing construction and growing population keeps driving prices up, and thanks to all of Boston’s high-paying jobs (think: biotech, higher ed), many renters can actually afford them. The result: Even if the rest of the country’s rents are going down — as they have for the past two years — ours continues to climb. *Cries in three roommates*

🔍 Karen Read is back for another round. Five months after the Karen Read retrial finally came to an end, Read has filed a new lawsuit against members of the Mass. State Police and other prominent figures in her trial. ICYMI: In June, after an explosive, yearslong legal saga, Read was acquitted of a second-degree murder charge in the death of her cop boyfriend, John O’Keefe. (Living under a rock? Here’s a recap.) Now, she’s turning the tables, accusing them of framing her for O’Keefe’s death and covering up the real killer, which, FWIW, they deny. 

🥶 It’s not just you: It’s been COLD outside. In fact, so far, November has been colder than average by a full degree here in Boston. The good news: It looks like our cold snap should be ending just in time for Thanksgiving (see: 52 degrees on Monday!). The bad news: After that, we’re REALLY in for it, with a rare polar vortex projected to move in the following week that could bring us the coldest December we’ve seen in years. Keep up with the latest here.

✈️ JetBlue is coming for Delta’s bag. Translation: The airline is adding daily nonstop flights from Boston to both Milan and Barcelona starting in the summer, and tickets are on sale TODAY. Apparently, the move is part of JetBlue’s push to become a “leisure” airline, offering flights primarily for East Coast vacationers, and will help it “[challenge] Delta Air Lines … for supremacy at Logan,” per the Globe. Tea! The Barcelona route will kick off April 16, and Milan will follow May 11. Grab tickets here.

Enter to win Two (2) tickets to All Time Low’s “EVERYONE’S TALKING! TOUR” at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston, MA on Sunday Nov. 23. To enter, just refer a friend and have them accept your invite by the end of the day on 11/20/2025. 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.

Dunkin’s new menu is wicked good. No, seriously, it’s a collab with “Wicked: For Good.” And yes, there’s a silly ad to go along with it. 

On the menu: A Wicked Green Matcha with notes of almond, a strawberry-dragonfruit Wicked Pink Refresher, and Wicked Munchkins with green and pink sprinkles in a novelty box. The reviews appear to be mixed, with some praise for the matcha’s subtle nutty flavors, but a near-universal “meh” for the refresher. 

But as we well know by now, Dunkin’s social strategy is often just as good (dare we say … better?) than its drinks, and this “Wicked” commercial with Cynthia Erivo and sexiest man alive Jonathan Bailey is no exception. It includes the iconic line: “Everyone thought I was wicked, but I’m actually just … hungry.”

You can watch it for yourself here.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🍩 Thanks for reading! Man, those two could have chemistry with a ROCK. 

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, for supporting local journalism and bringing culturally rich experiences to our city. 

😋 The results are in: 67% of B-Siders say they’re down to share a meal at a restaurant. One reader said: “Unless it's soup. You really can't share soup before marriage.” That’s a take we can get behind. 

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