😉🥩 Boston’s hottest club? Steakhouses

🌅⛴️ We’ve been waiting to reveal this … We’re taking you on one of our favorite summer outings ever: the Spectacle Summer Nights cruise. Join us on July 18 for a night of live music, s'mores on the beach, sunset skyline views, and after-hours island access. Members save $15! Grab tickets here. 

🥳 And everyone say HBD to B-Side Member (and Boston mag food editor) Rachel Blumenthal! We expect a full s’mores review after the cruise ;) 

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

“We have the meats.” — probably Boston steakhouses. Fun fact: There are over 30 steakhouses around Boston. So the Globe food team dug deep into what makes them good, what makes them money, and which ones are a cut above.

Here’s what they said:

🫶 TLDR: Steakhouses in Boston are boomin’. They’re a classic staple that everyone still loves. “We’re Applebee’s to the rich,” said Abe & Louie’s server Tim Rakarich (but hopefully with better food lol). In a world flooded with new restaurants and concepts, some people are looking for comfort and consistency. And a good steakhouse makes the same thing, the same way, every time.

🧳 The clientele is no longer just Mr. Bigs. Steakhouses used to be filled with older businessmen with big expense accounts. Now, they’re more of a social hang, where families take their kids, or 20-to-30-somethings go on a night out.

💸 Diners are shelling out for more than just a good steak. These days, people either want a cheap dive or a swanky night out. Think: Complimentary crudite platters, stark white linens, and tuxedoed staff — a full VIP service that comes with the price of your steak. 

💰 The bottom line: Investors want IN. Boston has so many steakhouses, and they’re seen as a stable business because of their broad appeal and strong average check size. So they believe there’s a higher guarantee of success, more so than the trendy, experimental spots.

🍸 OH, and don’t forget: Boston <3 martinis. So much so that it’s what’s getting people through the door. For steakhouses, a crisp, icy martini is nearly as important as the steak itself. Globe food critic Devra First’s faves? Mooo…. Beacon Hill for its blue cheese-stuffed olives or Grill 23 & Bar, where ice is literally hanging off the glass.

🏆 Boston’s best steakhouse? To no one’s surprise, also Grill 23. Devra swears that the 100-day aged prime ribeye ($98) + the coldest martini in town + the finest wines = an experience that’s unmatched, even against hot newbies like Maple & Ash and The Zebra Room. And it seems that Globe readers agree.

🤑 But not every steak night = a $200 bill. In fact, there are plenty of spots where a steak will cost you less than a pasta dish in the North End. $32 can buy you super tender petite tenderloins (plus potatoes and asparagus) at The Stockyard in Brighton. Just $26 covers an 18-ouncer AND two sides at Galway House in JP. See this steakhouse matrix to compare vibes vs. cost.

🥩 Have more meaty questions? Check out their full steakhouse guide.

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🚇 Now arriving: The Orange Line extension?!  At least, we’re praying. Two Boston city councilors just proposed a plan to add eight (!) stops on the Orange Line, branching off from Ruggles and into Mattapan. This all came about following pushback from the MBTA’s plan to create a dedicated center bus lane to improve congestion on Blue Hill Avenue. The councilors already took the proposal to Train Daddy Eng, who apparently seemed receptive (even if the convo did get a lil’ spicy). At the very least, Eng agreed to submit their proposal to the state.

🚕 Your next Uber home could be a taxi. The city of Boston just launched a new pilot program allowing taxi drivers to accept Uber and Lyft requests. The goal is two-fold: 1. Give passengers more options; and 2. Have taxi drivers get in on their share of the rideshare biz. If a taxi picks you up, the cost will still be upfront as it is on Uber and Lyft (unless you hail a cab on the street or book one through e-hailing taxi apps). Just remember: Trips to and from Logan are NOT part of this program.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Raise your hand if you want to see Drake Maye in a kilt! After being under the Tartan Army’s spell, Robert Kraft planted the seed with the NFL commissioner that he’d loooove to have the Pats play in Scotland. ICYMI: The NFL hosts games abroad every season to try to make football a *global* thing. There have already been games in England and Ireland, and there’s reason to believe Bostonians would travel to Scotland for one after this month’s shenanigans. I mean, we’re already sisters anyway, right? 

🖼️ Boston’s hottest new museum freebie just dropped. Good news: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum expanded its Free First Thursdays program to *every* Thursday. Yup, that’s right — you can visit the ISGM on Thursdays fo’ free between 5 and 9 p.m. every week starting July 1, all year long. Pro tip: Register in advance two days before for a timed entry slot to guarantee a ticket!

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The Dubliner really said, “No Scotland, no party.”

After being slammed by the Tartan Army for two weeks straight, The Dubliner Irish Pub decided to give its staff a break for a day and closed on Tuesday, a.k.a. the day of the England v. Ghana match. But in their closing announcement on Instagram, the pub didn’t hesitate to throw England some shade. 

“Thankfully there’s nothing happening in Boston today so we will be back tomorrow,” the Dubliner wrote on Instagram. 

And let’s just say, the comments were definitely giving … MA250. One user wrote, “No need to serve the English a lick of beer here. They can swim in the harbor for their tea.”

Dubliner’s GM Brian McDonnell said the English are still welcome … but the pub probably won’t put up an English flag. 

— Written by Kelly Chan and Emily Schario

🌧️ Thanks for reading! Maybe the comments would be nicer if English didn’t bring the rain with them … 

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, The Network/La Red, for supporting local journalism and making sure no one has to navigate difficult situations alone.

🍩 The results are in: 37% of you are STOKED to see Blackbird Doughnuts on the menu for Best Day Ever (same). Their animal cracker bismark has us in a chokehold.

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