🍂😋 This fall is for the foodies

It’s Wednesday, Boston.

🇺🇸 It’s also the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. If you’re looking for a memorial event to attend, Greater Boston has a lot of options. Or if you can’t make it out, consider donating to the 9/11 memorial. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Late night T service?!

• Boston’s good weather streak

• A 70k engagement ring gone wrong

Up first…

RESTAURANTS

New season, new eats

Fall is right around the corner, and with it comes a new season in Boston’s foodie scene. Boston.com is getting the party started with the September edition of its monthly restaurant openings list.

Here’s what’s worth a try:

🌮 Taco Azul, Beacon Hill. Taco Azul’s mission is simple: Make the best guac, the best tacos, and the best margs Boston has to offer. And while we can’t say that that’s the case for sure until it opens, the fact that Taco Azul makes all of its dishes daily in-house, down to their tortilla chips, is convincing evidence. The vibes are meant to give “refreshing beach oasis,” and the menu is refreshingly slim: Their offerings include just a few starters, tacos, and quesadillas — that’s it. It’s set to open mid-month.

🍽️ Things to try:

• Mexican corn

• Smiling taco (rotating seasonal taco with 10% of proceeds donated to charity)

• Frozen margarita

🍔 155 On Portland, Downtown. Even if it’s in an old hotel, a new restaurant is a new restaurant. You can find 155 On Portland, a new American bar and restaurant, in the lobby of the Pennyweight Hotel. This spot will transform from an espresso bar by day to a cocktail bar by night with different menus for all-day dining — think: coffee and breakfast sammys in the a.m., followed by cocktails, pasta, and burgers in the evening. Bonus: It’s right by TD Garden, making it a great spot for a pre-concert or game bite. It’s expected to open mid-month.

🍽️ Things to try:

• Warm crab dip

• The 155 burger

• Lobster pasta alla vodka

☕ Black Rose European Bakery, Back Bay. If you think Newbury Street couldn’t possibly need another café, think again. That’s where the Westborough bakery has officially opened its second location, with indoor and outdoor dining spaces. Black Rose’s menu is full of traditional European treats, from custom cakes, to cannoli, macaroons, and an entire menu of gluten-free goodies. But be on the lookout for a slew of new location-specific offerings to join its fan faves. 

🍽️ Things to try:

• Bologna with sliced mortadella sandwich 

• Italian cookie selection

• Macaroons 

🔍 Spy Bar, Downtown. Hi-Fi listening bars are having a moment in Boston, and this month, Spy Bar will join the growing lineup. The subterranean bar promises to offer a classic Hi-Fi experience, with designated music curators and a rotating selection of DJs picking tunes that range from downtempo electronica, to indie vocals, Afrobeats, and ’70s French disco, depending on the night. The menu is still under wraps, but expect cocktails and bites that “match the auditory experience.”

QUICK QUESTION

😋 Which restaurant would you want our two cents on?

TOGETHER WITH MFA BOSTON

Visit the MFA for Free This Saturday 

⛩️ 🎨 Now’s your chance to explore Boston’s famous art museum—without spending a dime! The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is teaming up with UNIQLO to offer free admission for everyone on Sept. 14 in celebration of the newly reopened Arts of Japan galleries. Explore a thematic installation of Japanese prints, the Japanese Buddhist Temple Room, and more while enjoying hands-on sculpture making and guided tours. Whether you're an art lover or just in it for the vibes, this is your moment to experience it all—no ticket required. 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🗳️ Annnnd election season is officially in full swing. Congrats! You survived the first (and quite spicy) presidential debate between VP Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump. The candidates sparred over abortion, the economy, foreign policy, and more (God bless ABC for muting their mics when it wasn’t their turn). Some Mass. politicians took to social media, suggesting Harris won the debate, however, the Globe gave her performance a C and Trump’s a C-. You can read the false and misleading claims made during the debate here. Oh, and following the debate, Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris. 

🚇 Stop the presses: The MBTA is considering late-night T service. MBTA GM Phillip Eng said in a GBH interview he’s been “talking” with his operations folks about the potential for late-night subway service. Believe it or not, Boston’s subway system used to have 24-hour service until the MBTA took it over in the 1960s, with our most recent stab at it being a 2014 pilot that ended after ridership wasn’t high enough to justify expenses. And while Eng acknowledged cost concerns, he suggested more late-night options may still be worth it. 

💰 Can’t decide how to vote on the ballot Qs? Follow the money. Committees for and against the five ballot Qs you’ll see in November recently submitted financial reports, revealing just how much money is being spent on the “Yes” and “No” side of each question. Ex: the Mass. Restaurant Association, contributed over $500,000 of in-kind contributions to fight Question 5, which would raise the tipped minimum hourly wage to $15. You can see which groups are dropping big $$$ on the five questions here. 

☀️ Is it just us, or has the weather been really nice lately? Spoiler: It’s not just us. In fact, Boston is currently experiencing its longest dry stretch in 25 years — Wednesday marks 22 days without measurable rain and overall mild temperatures and humidity to boot. Even better news: It’s not expected to end anytime soon. So what’s to blame for Mother Nature’s generosity? Consistent high pressure systems from Canada, which are responsible for our good temps and sunny skies. Thanks, Canada!

GIVEAWAY

Tickets to BOTH of Sam Adams’ Boston Octoberfests! 

Our friends at Sam Adams are giving away free entry for BOTH of their Octoberfest celebrations! Two winners will receive a joint ticket to the Downtown Taproom Octoberfest on Sept. 21 (plus a 1L stein to drink out of) and two tickets to the Boston Brewery Octoberfest Sept. 28 (plus a Taste of Germany add-on)! AND MERCH! All in, it’s a $60 value per winner! To be eligible, just join the B-Side mailing list and refer a friend to sign up for The B-Side daily newsletter.

21+. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one entry per person. See Official Rules & an additional entry option here.

MEDIA SPONSORSHIP

Your dream vintage thrift market? It’s popping up in Roxbury.

B-Side is a proud sponsor of Select Markets, the local vintage clothing pop-up team who’s bringing us their biggest event yet, MASSive Thrift Market, on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 1350 Tremont Street in Roxbury Crossing with @thrift2death. Expect a MASSive amount of fun: $10 piles, food trucks, temporary tattoos, tooth gems, free drinks, and live DJs. Grab your tickets fast!

ONE LAST THING

Ring ring!

In a broken-off engagement, who gets the ring? That’s the question du jour for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, which is currently hearing a juicy case regarding a $70,000 Tiffany engagement ring bought in 2017.

Long story short, the proposal was accepted, but after the proposer went through his partner’s phone and decided she was allegedly cheating (she disagrees), he wanted the ring back, and she wouldn’t budge. The tiff turned into a years-long legal case over the precedent surrounding engagement rings and longstanding gender norms that’s worked itself to Mass.’ highest court.

We don’t have the word count to get into all the tea, but let’s just say it’s worth a read.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

💍 Thanks for reading! I’m inclined to say that he should get the ring back … but that’s coming from someone who will probably never be on either end of this story.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, MFA Boston, for supporting local journalism and bringing culturally rich experiences to our city. 

🎓 The results are in: The (polled) B-siders have spoken, and 25% of them say that Northeastern has the best vibes of Boston’s top schools — ever so slightly edging out Boston College. One reader said: “And all it takes is one trip to Felipe’s in September to know who has the worst vibes…”

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