🍕 Guy Fieri LOVES this local pizza spot

It’s Wednesday, Boston.

👭 We don’t have to tell you that making pals in Boston ain’t easy … So we’re here to help! B-Side is co-hosting a speed-friending event at Aeronaut Brewery with American Repertory Theater that’ll set you up for fun conversation with new folks. And best of all, it’s FREE. Grab tickets here!

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Winter is coming (eventually) 

• The Celtics’ new owner?

• B-Side: Roasted

Up first…

GOOD NEWS

This news is good news

Hitting a hump day slump? We know the feeling. But we also know the cure: Some really good news. 

Here are the feel-good local stories you might’ve missed this month:

✊🏿 Jaylen Brown is giving back to the local Black community. Along with his NBA MVP brawns and MIT brains, C’s star Brown has proven his heart of gold. Brown officially launched Boston XChange, a nonprofit org dedicated to generating $5 billion in generational wealth for communities of color. His first project is a collab with fellow Celtic Jrue Holiday, a “part incubator, part maker space” that’ll help creative startups find their footing. 

🦈 Beachgoers saved a stranded great white. If given the chance, not just anyone would find it in their hearts to help a potentially deadly apex predator. But when two Nantucket beachgoers saw a beached great white shark in Sconset, they immediately jumped in to help, approaching and pushing the shark back into the water, allowing it to swim another day … and yes, it’s on video. And while the move was dangerous, the pair involved said that seeing the shark “so helpless” gave them the courage to dive in — literally.

🍕 A local pizza shop took a trip to Flavortown. Beloved Cambridge restaurant Source was featured on an episode of Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” this month, meaning that Fieri himself stopped in to taste a few of Source’s dishes. And according to Source’s owner Daniel Roughan, he “couldn't get enough” of its French Toast Baba or famous pepperoni pizza (the B-Side team can’t get enough of the miso chili caramel Brussels sprouts). But the biggest surprise of the experience? How friendly Fieri was, Roughan said. You can watch the episode on a bunch of streaming platforms.

📸 A Mainer had the “best seat in the house” to the Northern Lights. When boat captain Amanda Bracy heard the Northern Lights would be making an appearance in Maine this month, she decided to pull an all-nighter to try and capture the sight. And the result might just be the prettiest local pics of the phenomenon we’ve ever seen: Just look at them, the sky is practically neon. But we’re not the only ones ogling at the pics, they also went viral on a Maine Facebook group.

⚖️ There was a lot that didn’t make it through Beacon Hill this month … But a couple of key bills that did will surely pack a punch. First, a sweeping maternal health bill will establish a grant program to address maternal mental health and mandate that insurers provide coverage for postpartum depression. And second, a bill expanding the definition of a parent will remove barriers from LGBTQ families and other families using alternative reproductive methods from establishing legal parenthood.

TOGETHER WITH DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE AND THE JIMMY FUND 

Close your rings while supporting a good cause 

👟 Why just track your steps when you can make each one count? Join the 2024 Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai on Oct. 6 to support groundbreaking cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Choose from a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon distance along the iconic Boston Marathon^® course, or join virtually from anywhere. Your steps make a difference, so register now or sign up as a volunteer to help bring Dana-Farber closer to the ultimate finish line: a world without cancer.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

❄️ Winter is coming (eventually). As Dunkin’ preps its pumpkin spice menu, the Farmer’s Almanac is one step ahead, sharing its winter weather predictions. TL;DR: Expect a “wet, winter whirlwind.” The Maine-based publication predicts New England and the Northeast will experience a winter that’s “stormy with above-normal amounts of winter precipitation and near-to above-normal temperatures.” But don’t take it as gospel: Local meteorologists say you shouldn’t put too much stock in the Almanac’s predictions, as accurate seasonal outlooks require more research and a basis in climatology.

🏀 Word on the street: This billionaire wants a piece of the C’s. According to hoops writer Bill Simmons, there’s “legitimate buzz” that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos wants to put in a bid to buy the Celtics franchise. Ever since team ownership announced plans to sell, the rumor mill has been churning. But with a multi-billion dollar valuation, not just anyone can afford the championship team. And while Bezos’ deep pockets might be a boon for the franchise, some have voiced concerns about the possibility of non-local ownership.

😂 Boston’s newest comedy venue is already iconic. Lil Chuck, a soon-to-be comedy club in the basement of the Charles Playhouse, was recently announced as the latest venture in John Tobin and Norm Laviolette’s Boston comedy empire (they’re the guys behind Improv Asylum, Laugh Boston, and SoBar). Slated to open in October, Lil Chuck will fill a marked gap in the iconic venue — which once held Boston’s first full time comedy club and “Shear Madness.” Expect standup, improv, touring shows, and other silly ventures.

✈️ New Englanders have another chance to see the Northern Lights. Just not in New England ... Low-budget airline PLAY just launched a sweet $99 one-way deal from Boston to Iceland this fall (September is one of best times for aurora borealis viewing in Iceland!). But if you’d prefer to stare at European architecture instead, there are also $129 one-way deals from Boston to Amsterdam, Dublin, London, Paris, Copenhagen, and Berlin throughout the fall. The deal is live now through Aug. 28. You can check all the eligible dates here. 

QUICK QUESTION

💰 Should Jeff Bezos buy the Celtics?

GIVEAWAY

Together with the LPGA

Enter to win two complimentary tickets to the 2024 FM Championship at TPC Boston. To enter, just refer a friend and have them accept your invite by the end of the day on Aug. 23. If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Click here to enter the giveaway and for full details.

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

ONE LAST THING

ChatGPT roasted us

Here at The B-Side, we’re always open to constructive criticism … and a spot-on roast. So when we saw that the internet was asking ChatGPT to roast their IG feeds, we jumped on the bandwagon. And let’s just say, our fears were warranted. 

First, the robot told us that our feed looks “like a unicorn exploded in a Boston souvenir shop.” Which, ouch, but is that not kind of a vibe?

Then, it came for our captions AND the MBTA: “I bet your hashtag list is longer than the Green Line on a bad day. #BostonProblems, am I right?” Which, again, true. But is it not a little disrespectful for a robot (who doesn’t even live here!) to hate on the T?

And it ended things off with this zinger: “Loving those reels,” it said, “but are you sure the world needs another person awkwardly eating pizza on camera?” To which we’d say … it’s harder than it looks!

 You can be the judge of how our feed looks here.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

😢 Thanks for reading! If you want to be roasted, send a pic of your feed here … but don’t say we didn’t warn you.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, for supporting local journalism and their commitment to defying cancer.

🏘️ The results are in: 37% of B-Siders say that the max roommates they’ve had at once is three. And one reader gave us a snippet of what sounds like the gossip of the century: “My roommate, his two ‘brothers’ and ‘boyfriend.’ Long story short, never doing roommates again...”

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