💖 Your guide to V-Day

It's Friday, Boston.

🍣 No more gatekeeping: Lola42 in the Seaport is offering BOGO sushi on Sundays from now through April. I saw it first on TikTok and called to confirm just for you. <3

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Alewife is (kinda) back

• Healey’s approval #s

• Puppy Bowl roster

Up first…

THINGS TO DO

Love is in the air

Valentines. Galentines. Palentines. Whether you’re loving on your sweet, your sidekick, or just yourself this V-Day, here’s a roundup of heart-shaped plans that will get you out of the house:

💏 For the cuffed. Think you know your partner well? What about their cheese plate personality? Brookline’s curds&co is hosting a cheese and wine event where they’ll explain what your cheese tastes say about you. So, if they’re a five, but their cheese plate personality is a 10 … they’re a 10.

🤝 For the pals. What better way to show your love for your buds than with a friendship bracelet? Distraction Brewing Company and Boston Beaded are hosting a bracelet-making party this Saturday. Every ticket includes supplies to make three bracelets, a bead demo, and some brewery surprises. See what your bracelets could look like on Boston Beaded’s IG.

💋 For the singles ready to mingle. Thirsty Scholar Pub in Somerville is hosting a night of speed dating for 26- to 38-year-olds on Valentine’s Day proper. You’ll get a free drink, up to 15 first dates, and the chance to meet the LOYL. If you and a suitor both check each other’s boxes — yes, with real pen and paper — you’ll be notified the next day. At the bare minimum, it’s a good story.

👯 For the ones who have been wronged. Why not try ax throwing? Axe Boston is hosting Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day bookings this weekend and next week. You can get a drink with your ax-throwing lesson for groups up to six. Just imagine your ex as the bullseye, and you’ll be fine.

📚 For the ones riding solo. How about a blind date with a book? Just visit the New & Novel section of the Central Library of the BPL anytime this month to pick up an anonymously wrapped book, and voila, you have plans. A little description of the book will be on the outside of the wrapping to make sure it’s your taste, so it’s just blind enough.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚇 Alewife station is back! Kind of. Red Line service at Alewife Station is back starting today, but the station’s main lobby will still be closed for repairs. This means riders will have to enter through the Russell Field headhouse, which is a two-minute walk from the garage. The MBTA said that riders should also consider purchasing fares before arriving at the Russell Field headhouse to avoid lines at the fare kiosks.

🤑 Mobile betting ready for March Madness? It looks like it. The Mass. Gaming Commission just proposed launching mobile sports betting on March 10, just days before March Madness starts. The commission said that launching it a few days prior will give them a little extra padding in case issues arise. This proposed date now gives the mobile betting companies a clear timeline of when their acts need to be together, too.

🤔 Governor WHO? Maura Healey has been governor for over a month, and yet a whopping 15% of respondents in a recent MassInc poll have never heard of her. And 22% have yet to form an opinion. That means a third of respondents basically said “meh.” While 42% of respondents have a favorable view of her first few weeks in office, remember, Gov. Charlie Baker was consistently ranked one of the most popular Govs in the country (we’re talking like 70+ approval ratings).

🦪 More oysters in Inman Square. Puritan Oyster Bar, the sister restaurant and next-door neighbor to Puritan & Co., officially opened this week in Cambridge. It’s a super cozy space with only 30 seats, and they don’t take reservations. The menu highlights chef Will Gilson’s love for fresh and locally sourced ingredients (obviously oysters and seafood), but it also features fun dishes like hot buttered lobster toasts, beef and oyster tartare, and some favorite menu items from Puritan & Co.

ONE LAST THING

Puppy Bowl roster

The only thing better than the Super Bowl is the Puppy Bowl. Or, at least cuter.

And this year’s battle of Team Fluff and Team Ruff is highlighting 67 shelters and rescues from 34 states, for a total of 122 baby dogs all looking for a home. You can take a peek at the pupperoni roster here. And while there will be no Rihanna halftime snow, there will be lots of tugging, chasing, possibly public urination, and, of course, the Lombarky Trophy.

Puppy Bowl XIX will be held Sunday, Feb. 12, with the pre-game show kicking off at 1 p.m. and the big game starting at 2 p.m. You can watch on Animal Planet or stream on Discovery+.

🐶 Thanks for reading! Are you allowed to adopt all of the Puppy Bowl dogs? Asking for a friend …

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