Itās Wednesday, Boston.
š Want a sick view of Mondayās solar eclipse? View Boston is offering a $10 eclipse deal from 1 to 5 p.m. on April 8 where you can watch it all go down from the top of the Pru (special eclipse glasses will be provided). Grab tickets here!
š Whatās on tap today:
Itās norāeaster oāclock
Greater Bostonās rent report
āStick Seasonā meets Sesame Street
Up firstā¦
RESTAURANTS
Aprilās best bites

Image courtesy of Seamark Seafood & Cocktails. Illustration by Gia Orsino.
Springtime is all about bringing in the new, and that includes new restaurants. Boston.comās list of April restaurant openings theyāre excited about just dropped.Ā
Hereās whatās reservation worthy:Ā
šØ Van Leeuwen, Chestnut Hill. The French-style New York ice cream famous for its creamy texture and funky collabs is opening its first three brick-and-mortar locations around Boston this spring, starting with Chestnut Hill. Their menu will feature a sampling of their 30 or so signature flavors (including vegan options!), plus chocolate chip cookies, cookie sandwiches, sundaes, and milkshakes. And as an opening gift, the new location will be offering $1 scoops from 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday, April 12. Their menu hasnāt dropped yet, but you can check out some of their NYC offerings here.
Flavors to try:
HoneycombĀ
Brown sugar cookie dough chunk
Toffee brown sugar bar
šø F1 Arcade, Seaport. While food and drinks may not be the main attraction at Americaās first ever F1 arcade, weāre here to assure you itās nothing to sniff at. The menu mostly consists of elevated bar food, like tacos, flatbreads, burgers, and chicken, but also includes a raw bar (with a whopping $180 caviar service, if youāre feeling irresponsible). Plus a full drinks bar, with signature cocktails, mocktails, craft beers, and more. The arcade is set to open April 22, and you can check out the menu here.
Things to try:
Wagyu beef sliders
F1Ā® Arcade classic burger
Foraged mushroom and fresh truffle flatbread
š Seamark Seafood & Cocktails, Everett. Seafood and slots just sound right together, and thatās exactly whatās happening at Encore Casinoās newest culinary addition, helmed by James Beard-awarded chef Michael Schlow. The menu seeks to highlight New Englandās seafood bounty while avoiding the typical clichĆ©s, but does have a classic raw bar. Bonus: This opening is a two-for-one, with Old Wives Tale, a nautical-themed swanky speakeasy, hidden inside the restaurant. But, as youād expect from a swanky spot, the offerings aināt cheap (think: $30+ for an entrĆ©e). Check out the menu here.
Things to try:
Spaghetti fra diavoloĀ
Lobster fritesĀ
Spicy seafood stew
š„© Matria, Seaport. The InterContinental hotelās newest addition is an Italian steakhouse, as part of a rebrand from their previous in-house French spot, Miel. The new concept will serve up the best of Italyās Piedmont region, which translates on the menu to housemade pasta, prime cuts of steak, and an extensive selection of wine to compliment it all. The majority of the menu is still under wraps, but expect upscale, Italian bites. Bonus: Theyāve also fully renovated their patio just in time for outdoor dining season.Ā
Things to try:
New York rib eye
Seared wild shrimp and balloon mozzarella
QUICK QUESTION
š Which of these new spots would you like our two cents on?
Let us know below!
CITY
Quick & dirty headlines

Image: Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff
š§ļø Brace yourself for some wet and windy days. It is officially day one of this weekās norāeaster, which, between now and Friday morning in Boston, could bring us about three inches of rain, 50 mph winds, a high possibility of flooding and power outages. And for our northern neighbors, a boatload of heavy, wet snow. We can expect the worst of the storm tonight into Thursday morning, so keep that in mind for your commutes later this afternoon and tomorrow morning. In the meantime, hunker down, get ready, and keep up with the latest here.
ā½ Everett may get one step closer to a new soccer stadium. Long story short: The Kraft Group wants to put a professional soccer stadium for the New England Revs near Encore Casino (here are some initial renderings of what it would look like), but thereās a zoning issue bogging things down. In a hearing on Tuesday, legislators heard arguments for and against removing a designation of a āport areaā from the planned building zone (currently a defunct power plant), which would bring the long permitting process one step closer to breaking ground. Some speakers expressed concerns ā mainly with traffic the project would generate.
ā Mass. doesnāt know how many migrants have arrived. According to a Globe report, Mass. doesnāt have an accurate count of how many migrants have arrived in recent years, a key metric in considering how to fund and manage our emergency shelter crisis. Why? The state only officially counts migrants who receive federal services, which excludes migrants who donāt qualify for certain legal statuses. By the numbers: Gov. Maura Healeyās admin has logged more than 11,000 migrants from October 2022 through September 2023 (the federal fiscal year), an increase of more than a 152% increase over the previous fiscal year. And thatās still not a comprehensive count.
šļø Greater Bostonās rent report just dropped. And surprise! Itās not great. Zumper, a rental-finding platform, just released some truly tragic new data on one-bedroom apartments across Mass, with the median one-bed rental prices in Cambridge, Boston, and Brookline all averaging over $2,700 a month (Cambridge beat Boston at $3,000!). Worcester and Gloucester had some of the fastest growing rents, too, both up 20% year-over-year. But if youāre looking for a deal, head to Brockton, Manchester, and Haverhill, whose average monthly rents sit between $1,500 and $1,700.
ONE LAST THING
Stick seasonĀ š¤ Sesame Street

Image: Jordan Strauss/Invision APĀ
Our favorite Watertown resident just paid a visit to Sesame Street. Noah Kahan, āStick Seasonā singer and general New England treasure, stopped by the show recently, which he described as being āone of the best days of [his] life.ā
During his time on set, Kahan met and chatted with classic characters like Elmo and Cookie Monster, but he also made a friend in a new character, a stick (aptly named ⦠Stick), who thanked Kahan for ushering in a new era for their kind: āEveryone is always talking about leaves, leaves, leaves,ā it said, āBut now, sticks have finally made it.āĀ
Kahan recapped the day with an adorable instagram post, which you can see here.Ā
ā Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario
š Thanks for reading! I wonder when weāll have to stop referring to him as a āWatertown residentā? Hopefully never.
šŗ The results are in: Club Cafe and Lansdowne Pub took out Scholars and The Sil to make their way into our nightlife madness final four. And, to the reader who wrote in and asked what The Sil is, all we have to say is, youāre missing out!
š Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].