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šŸ½ļøšŸŒ·Bostonā€™s BEST patio dining

Plus: šŸš‡ One line down, three to go

Happy Friday, Boston!

āœˆļø  Want a free trip to Nantucket? You literally have nothing to lose by entering this sweepstakes from Cisco Brewers to win a free trip in August. Seriously, you donā€™t even have to sign up for marketing emails.

šŸšƒ Friendly reminder: Tomorrow, trains will bypass the Magoun Square stop on the GLX, which, if you ask us, is a great excuse to put your free Bluebike unlocks to work. 

šŸ‘€ Whatā€™s on tap today:

  • Progress on the T

  • Asian Restaurant Week

  • To live like a Patriot

Up firstā€¦

TELEPHONE TAG

Your favorite patioā€™s favorite patio

Image: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe. Illustration: Gia Orsino.

If thereā€™s one thing better than a fabulous meal out at a restaurant ā€¦ Itā€™s a fabulous meal on a restaurant patio. 

Itā€™s officially outdoor dining season, so for this monthā€™s edition of small biz telephone tag, we asked five spots with enviable outdoor dining to name another patio they love. Hereā€™s what they said:

šŸ½ļø Alcove loves Taberna de Haro. For Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli, the owner of Alcove, a good patio is one that seamlessly blends the restaurantā€™s vibes with the surrounding city. Thatā€™s why he loves Brooklineā€™s Taberna de Haro. ā€œYou feel just like you're walking a neighborhood street and you're stopping at a cafe. It feels very European,ā€ he said. And if you see him there, donā€™t be surprised if heā€™s sipping some rosĆ© or eating their matrimĆ³nio, a tapas dish with anchovies and olives.

šŸ˜‹ Taberna de Haro loves Dovetail. Christy Weiss, Taberna de Haroā€™s owner, enjoys a patio that has a distinctly curated vibe. A good patio is one where you can tell the restaurant didnā€™t ā€œjust put tables out,ā€ but intentionally created a cozy atmosphere, according to Weiss. For that energy, she loves Dovetail in Charlestown, where her go-to is a glass of wine and a seafood special. ā€œItā€™s a nice little haven off of the Freedom Trail,ā€ she said, with ā€œa seafood-meets-neighborhood-bistro kind of vibe.ā€ 

šŸ‡«šŸ‡· Dovetail loves La Voile. If Kari Cooney, co-owner of Dovetail, is dining on a patio, she likes to be in a ā€œwarm, comfortable space.ā€ For her, that feeling comes from the atmosphere (good music is a must), the setup (something closed-off and relaxed), and the furniture (comfort is ā€œreally importantā€). And La Voileā€™s ā€œhidden gemā€ of a patio on Newbury Street has it all. Itā€™s tucked back from the hustle and bustle but still a great place to people-watch, especially with their fabulous smoked salmon plate, Cooney said.

šŸ La Voile loves Faccia a Faccia. For Alexandre Sojfer, the sommelier at La Voile, a perfect outdoor dining experience needs two things: Nice weather and good service ā€” ā€œitā€™s as simple as that,ā€ he said. He finds he can get both at Faccia a Faccia, also on Newbury Street. ā€œItā€™s just a very neat, professional place. You know, every time you go, you're going to get something very consistent,ā€ he said. And for him, the great ambiance just adds to the enjoyment, especially if you grab a crudo board. 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

Image: Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe

šŸš‡ One MBTA line down, three to go. The Blue Line is officially slow-zone free after successfully eliminating 19 during April's two-week shutdown, which also brought the total number of slow zones on the T under 100. And although there were some snafus with the signal system upon the Blue Lineā€™s initial return, weā€™re still chalking this news up as a big W for the MBTA, which had nearly 180 speed restrictions as of November. Red liners, keep this news close to your heart as you brave the shuttles this week.

šŸ•Šļø City Council joined the calls for a cease-fire. The council passed a resolution Wednesday calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, plus the freeing of all hostages and detainees in Gaza and Israel. The measure was approved by an 11-2 vote, with only councilors Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy opposing the measure. This was the councilā€™s third attempt to pass a cease-fire resolution, following councils in Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford.

šŸ›©ļø Your summer vacay just got way cheaper ā€¦ thanks to this Southwest sale thatā€™s offering a major deal on summer flights (with some as low as $49) booked by May 9. The deal applies to Tuesday and Wednesday continental flights between May 21 and Nov. 20 and international flights (plus Hawaii and San Juan) between Aug. 20 and Nov. 20. Some of the deals out of Boston include one-ways to Chicago, Baltimore, and Charlotte for under $105, and to Miami and Orlando for under $140. 

šŸ„Ÿ Hereā€™s an excuse to try some of Bostonā€™s best Asian cuisine. Today marks the start of Bostonā€™s first-ever Asian Restaurant Week. In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, the National Association of Asian American Professionals is putting on the weeklong event to showcase the cityā€™s Asian restaurants and dishes. How it works: You check out one of the participating spots, buy one of their signature dishes using the eventā€™s designated app, and get one entry into a raffle for swag, gift cards, and more. Happy eating!

THINGS TO DO

Weekend plans

Image: Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe

šŸ¤ø Hit the streets on your feets. Open Streets are coming to Dorchester this Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with music, food trucks, and most importantly, no cars!

šŸ‡²šŸ‡½ Immerse yourself in Mexican culture. Downtown Crossing is helping Boston celebrate Cinco de Mayo with traditional Mexican music, dance, and an artisan showcase this afternoon until 3:30 p.m.

šŸ‡ Get ā€œDown and Derby.ā€ Where to be on Saturday: High Street Placeā€™s Down and Derby Party (with best dressed competition!) and Bannersā€™ A Day at the Derby party (with a red carpet and floral wall!).

šŸ‘Ÿ Share your passion for foot fashion. For the 15th year, Sneaker Con is coming to Boston on Saturday. Gather inspo, buy, sell, trade, and share your love for cool kicks with other sneakerheads. 

šŸ¦® Watch tiny, fluffy dogs run their hearts out. Dogs are like tiny horses, right? On Saturday at Park 9 Dog Bar, they can be. Register your corgi, dachshund, or other small dog for their Derby-style race here.

ā€” Written by Claire Nicholas

šŸŽ‰ Want more things to do recommendations? Refer five friends to unlock two bonus items. For those who already have, enjoy below.

šŸŒ® Beat the Sunday scaries with a fiesta. City Tapā€™s Cinco de Mayo party, complete with specials like lobster guac, steak tacos, and Senoritaā€™s Sangria is your one way ticket out of the Sunday blues. 

šŸŽ¶ Enjoy some infectious melodies. This Sunday, Sofar Sounds is hosting three R&B artists (with a bring-a-friend-for-free deal). Head to Union Square ā€” the address will be revealed 36 hours before the event.

QUICK QUESTION

šŸ˜ļø Read below and then tell us: If you could, would you rather live in:

Let us know below!

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ONE LAST THING

Live like a Patriot

Image: Jack Vatcher Photography. Illustration: Gia Orsino.

Real estate isnā€™t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Tom Brady or Steve Belichick ā€¦ but it sure is interesting to look inside their (former) houses.

Both Brady and Belichickā€™s former homes have gone up for sale in the past month, so we took a peek at both to compare, contrast, and do a little daydreaming.

Bradyā€™s place (where he lived from 2004 to 2008) is a giant Back Bay condo thatā€™ll cost you $8.4 million dollars for just 3 beds, 3.5 baths, and some seriously gorgeous (though a little stuffy for our tastes) marble flooring and details. But you canā€™t beat that location.

Meanwhile, Steve Beliechick, son of Bill Belichick and a former Pats assistant, has listed his mansion in Dover for $4.19 million. Out of the city, thatā€™ll get you 6 beds, 8 baths, a nice yard with a very green lawn, all in a minimalist modern farmhouse style that would make any millennial swoon. 

ā€” Written by Gia Orsino

šŸ˜ļø Thanks for reading! As much of a Boston girl as I am, Iā€™d go with Belichickā€™s house. Value, baby, value!

šŸš‡ The results are in: 40% of readers say that they walk, bike, or find another way into work during T shutdowns, and a surprising number vouched for our bus system. One reader has a particularly interesting method: ā€œBorrowed the car from my ex-husband. That's a fun conversation.ā€

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