😋 A foodie’s guide to the Snowport ​​

Happy Friday, Boston.

😅 It’s official. We’ve reached the point of the year when doing anything above the bare minimum feels like a big ask.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• The Green Line is coming to Medford

• City Hall Plaza gets a facelift

• Dog bars > cat cafes

Up first…

OUT & ABOUT

A foodie’s guide to the Snowport

The B-Side team took a field trip to The Snowport this week to cover the most pressing story of our times: food.

With over 120 vendors and 19 food and beverage options, it can feel a little overwhelming. So if you’re a foodie on a mission, these are our can’t-miss Snowport spots.

🍫 For the chocolate lovers, try Chequessett Chocolate. This Truro-based shop is run by husband and wife Katherine and Josiah Mayo (yes, the guy who saved his buddy from being swallowed by a whale). Food & Wine named it some of the best chocolate in America, and after trying a few free samples, I can confirm.

🍄 For the truffle lovers, visit The Truffleist. The New York-based shop sources all of their truffles from Tuscany, offering samples of their small-batch truffle oil, honey, charcuterie, and more (all 10 out of 10 and make exceptional stocking stuffers).

🥞 If you’re a true New Englander, you must visit Crystal Rock Maple, a stall selling fresh maple syrup out of Livermore, Maine. Their syrup is less expensive than some grocery store’s and twice as good. And if you’re traveling, they sell carry-on approved bottles.

🍪 If you’re plant-based, you can’t miss Clarke’s Cakes and Cookies. The Dorchester-based bakery is 100% vegan and is currently based out of Commonwealth Kitchen, a non-profit food business incubator. Def try the lemon blueberry cake, and don’t sleep on their oat milk hot cocoa.

😋 And if you need more than just free samples, get the jerk chicken bowl at the ZAZ Restaurant food truck, a Hyde Park favorite. The chicken with Thai basil rice was incredibly juicy, flavorful, and filling. And don’t forget a fresh crepe from The Frenchman’s Crepes. The classic Nutella and raspberry ricotta crepes are divine.

CITY

Quick & Dirty Headlines

🚃 The Green Line Extension to Medford will open on Monday, Dec. 12. FINALLY. The Medford branch was originally slated to open in 2021, but in true MBTA fashion, there were several delays. So starting on Dec. 12, you’ll be able to take the E train from Medford/Tufts all the way to Heath Street and the D train from Union Square to Riverside. But given how many times the T has done us dirty, I’ll believe it when I see it.

🌳 Boston City Hall Plaza reopens today after major renovations (and it looks awesome). It's equipped with public art, 100 new trees, more communal spaces, and an exceptionally long slide (that isn’t just for kids). For arguably one of the most ugly city halls in the country (hot take!), this new outdoor space kind of makes up for it. The renovation also made the plaza way more accessible by eliminating uneven bricks and stairs, and replacing them with smooth unit pavers and sloped walkways.

❌ “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it's me.” — Ticketmaster. Okay, they technically didn’t say that, but that’s how some Swifties are feeling after the ticketing company canceled the general sale for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour due to “insufficient remaining ticket inventory.” The platform noted that Swift “would need to perform over 900 stadium shows” to meet the demand during the pre-sale. Given the astronomical ticket resale prices, local fans looking to go to her Gillette Stadium performances in May will either need a wealthy relative or to sell their first-born child.

THINGS TO DO

Stay in and stream

🎄 Get in the Christmas spirit with ‘Spirited’, the new Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell comedy Christmas musical. See if you can spot the Boston filming locations. | Now streaming on Apple TV+

💋 Dive back into season two of ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ written by Mass. native Mindy Kaling. The show follows four roommates at a fictitious prestigious New England college. | Now streaming on HBO Max

🪖 Watch the new adaptation of ‘All Quiet on the Western Front.’ The film tells the gripping story of a young German soldier and his comrades fighting on the Western Front of World War I. | Now streaming on Netflix

💔 Try the new miniseries ‘Fleishman Is in Trouble’. The show takes a look at post-divorce life and is based on the New York Times bestseller. | Now streaming on Hulu

✊🏿 If you love a documentary, try ‘Is That Black Enough For You?!?’, a film that examines the power of Black cinema in the 70s. | Now streaming on Netflix

ONE LAST THING

Dog bars > cat cafes

Step aside, cat cafes. It’s dog bars’ time to shine. Park 9, an indoor/outdoor dog park and bar combo, is coming to Everett.

Owners Emily Gusse and Tess Kohanski felt uninspired by dog parks and dog-friendly bars that didn’t give adequate space for their pooch, so they took matters into their own hands and opened the first pub/pup-playspace in New England.

In order to get past the bouncer, your pup needs to be registered, show proof that they’re up to date on vaccinations, and be either spayed or neutered. Plus, if there’s any problematic behavior between dogs, a team of trained “park rangers” will step in and break it up.

I’m not sure what’s worse: me getting tossed out of a bar or my dog getting tossed out of a bar.

🛋️ Thanks for reading! You can spot me on the couch this weekend taking my own suggestion of watching season two of ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls.’

💃 Keep up with other B-Side tomfoolery on IG, TikTok, and Twitter @BostonBSide. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].