🏓 This game is *literally* popping off

🍦 New Englanders know how to make a mean vanilla scoop. The Washington Post taste-tested 13 grocery store vanilla ice creams, and this local favorite took home the top spot. Take that, Häagen-Dazs.

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first...

Pickleball is on the brain. At least it is for nearly 20% of Americans who picked up a paddle in the last year.

But if you’re the other 80% who doesn’t know a dill ball from a dink (or you’re a Wellesley resident who’s had a change of heart), here’s a quick guide to pickballing around the city this summer:

🏓 First things first: The basics. You can read the full rule book here, but these are the key nuggets:

This two-minute YouTube how-to goes a little deeper and is a great watch for visual learners.

🏓 Differentiate your dillballs from your dinks. Pickleball is chock full of tennis-y slang like “ace,” “serve,” and “let,” but we start departing from the Williams sisters’ game with words like “dillball” (a ball in play) and “dink” (a soft shot that falls in the section closest to the net, affectionately called “the kitchen”). Here’s a comprehensive list of pickleball terms. Was not expecting “falafel” to be in the pickleball vernacular.

🏓 Boston has plenty of low-key court options for beginners. Since it takes at least two to tango, joining a weekly league will guarantee you some play time. Volo Sports has a party pickleball league that’s super social, and Hub Sports Boston has a rec league at Harpoon Brewery for casual players looking to stay active and meet new friends. And if you’re looking to smash, both leagues offer more competitive matches and tourneys, too. Hub Sports Boston calls theirs the “Juicer League.”

🏓 But there’s still plenty of courts to practice on your own time. If you’re just looking to dink around, your first pickle session at PKL Boston, a new-ish pickleball bar, is free; Lawn on D has brand new courts open every day (as long as there’s not a private event); and Pickleheads has a full list of all pickleball courts in Mass., so you can find one near you.

🏓 Want to watch the pros? Yes, there are pickleball pros. Fenway Park will be hosting a pro showcase and amateur tournament July 12 through 16, and admission is only $10. And although a splurge at $200, you can rent a court for two to four people to play a few matches.

🐳 If you’re down on Martha’s Vineyard this summer, if you’re lucky, you may spot a critically endangered (and majestic) North Atlantic right whale on its migratory path. The bad news: the species is on the brink of extinction, and there are only 340 left in our oceans due to vessel strikes and entanglements in fishing gear. But it’s not too late to turn the tides — the International Fund for Animal Welfare, better known as IFAW, is working hard to ensure the species’ survival, with dedicated experts, resources, and programs to help these creatures thrive again in our oceans. If you feel like lending a helping hand this summer and making a positive impact, get involved.

🔥 The Orange Line caught on fire (again). The Tufts Medical Center stop was evacuated on Wednesday after an electrical issue sparked a fire on the third rail, filling the station with smoke (you can see what it looked like here). Service was suspended for a few hours between North Station and Back Bay while the fire department scoped out the situation. Thankfully, no one was hurt. But this isn’t the first smoky situ-station of the month: Just a few weeks ago, a mechanical problem caused a Red Line train to break down and send smoke into Central Square station.

😅 If you’re flying out for the long weekend today, buckle up. Holiday travel is expected to peak today, with more than 52,500 total flights. This weekend is shaping up to be a big test for airlines that are struggling to keep up with surging numbers of passengers (revenge travel is in full swing, baby). But luckily, it looks like there won’t be any thunderstorms to slow things down. But regardless, make sure you’re signed up for alerts from your airline and read up on your traveler rights in case your flight gets canceled or delayed.

🍒 It’s slim pickins this U-pick season. Remember that -14 degree weather we had back in February? We’re paying for it now. The deep freeze did a number on this year’s U-pick summer crops, particularly cherries, peaches, and plums. Parlee Farms in Tyngsboro lost their entire cherry crop, Brooksby Farm in Peabody lost their peaches, and Carver Hill Orchard in Stow lost its plums. Carver Hill also noted that “apple picking will certainly look a little different this year.” Thankfully, on the cherry front, Parlee Farms’ trees weren’t damaged, so we should get another go in 2024.

🥯 Cambridge has some of the best bagels in the U.S. At least when you take New York out of the competition. Bon Appétit magazine compiled a list of two dozen places that make the best bagels outside of the Big Apple, and Bagelsaurus in Cambridge made the cut. Bon Appétit was particularly taken with their hot-smoked salmon bagel featuring a heaping schmear, pickled cabbage, smoky, buttery salmon, and “a garnish of pungent red onion and dill for good measure.” Unsurprisingly, Boston.com readers had this scoop long ago, as they ranked the Bagelsaurus fifth among a reader-recommended guide of 45 best places to get a bagel around Boston.

🎤 We’re giving away two, 3-day VIP passes to Levitate Music Festival on July 7-9. To be eligible, refer a friend below and have them accept your invite between June 16, 2023-Jun 29, 2023. If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

This year’s Thanksgiving dinner might be a little tense for the Sidell siblings.

Robin Sidell, chef and owner of iconic North End restaurant North Street Grille, won Good Morning America’s “United States of Breakfast” competition on Wednesday. The loser? Her brother Solomon, the owner of South Street Diner.

According to the judges (Patriots player David Andrews, Food Network TV personality Rocco DiSpirito, and WCVB co-anchor Antoinette Antonio), Robin’s famous banana bourbon French toast was “just the right balance of sweet and a little bit fruity,” eeking her a victory over Sol’s Boston cream pancakes.

Robin now heads to NYC this Friday where she’ll compete against other first-round winners from each competing city for a chance to win $10,000 in the finale showdown. And a chance to make Boston the best city for sports AND breakfast.

🍳 Thanks for reading! Yeah, Thanksgiving may be tense, but you know their Thanksgiving is delicious, so I’ll take it.

😋 The results are in: 33% of respondents from yesterday’s poll were itching to try Comfort Kitchen after it was lauded as the best new restaurant by Boston magazine. You have my endorsement.

🙏 Thanks to today's sponsor International Fund for Animal Welfare for supporting community journalism and protecting wildlife through sustainable programs.

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