🤯 Hot take: Go to Tatte for dinner

It’s Tuesday, Boston.

🏘️ It’s no secret Greater Boston rent is out-of-this-world pricey. So whether you’re planning a move or just nosy (like us), the Globe’s new rent tracking tool shows the latest rent estimates across Eastern Mass. $1,600 for a two-bed in Worcester? We’ll take it.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• One step closer to demo day

• A topless protest

• ISO: The Sil’s “Left Guy”

Up first…

B-SIDE CERTIFIED

Tatte after hours

When we say “Tatte,” you probably think: “overpriced coffee.” Or, “pastries,” or even “BLAT.” But you probably don’t think “dinner.” Until now. 

The beloved local café chain is trying something new and has launched dinner service — aptly named “Tatte at night” — exclusively at its Seaport location from 5 to 8 p.m. (or 7 p.m. on Sundays). So for this month’s edition of B-Side Certified, we gave it a go.

Here’s what we thought:

FIRST IMPRESSION

🤩 The Seaport location is a showstopper. On the list of the most aesthetic Tatte’s, this one is near the top. The chic, clean decor glowed in the early evening sun. And between the slowed foot traffic and restaurant touches like a host stand and table settings, the usual frenetic fast-casual vibes were MIA. It truly felt like a typical sit-down experience with table service, and even a bread basket(!). The evening menu is all-new, with NA drinks, apps, small plates, and six entrees.

FOOD & DRINK

🫐 We wish we could bottle the mocktails. Our blueberry basil and lemon thyme sodas were refreshing departures from our typical Tatte coffee orders. The herb and fruit flavors were well balanced, the soda itself delightfully fizzy, and priced right at $6 (we’ve seen plenty of mocktails around town go for $10+). 

🥗 The starters had Tatte’s eastern Mediterranean flavors on full display. Think: Baby carrots with za’atar, sun-dried tomato farro salad, and asparagus with mint halloumi. We tried the latter, which was a fresh, crunchy, and flavorful way to get some greens in.

🍗 The entrees were the stars of the show. We devoured the dinner shakshuka with braised short rib and the maple Aleppo chicken. The shakshuka’s rich tomato-bell pepper sauce and runny egg were cut by the acidity from the feta and slight spice from the zhoug. Meanwhile, the maple-y chicken was moist, and it paired well with dried apricots, rice, and roasted onions.

🍰 The biggest surprise of the night? Dessert. You can have your pick from the sweets display, or opt for a warm kataifi, a pastry made up of shredded filo dough, pistachios, and topped with mascarpone. It was simple, addicting, and something you can’t get at any old Tatte.

VALUE

💸 All things considered, it’s a shockingly good deal. Dining out for two in Boston for $100 can feel like a challenge these days, but we paid $86 (including tip) for our meal, which included two $6 drinks, a $7 app, $16 and $25 entrees, and an $8 dessert.

💭 Just a thought: This would make a great first or second date spot since it doesn’t feel as formal as going out to “dinner.” After all, you’re technically still at Tatte!

✅ The verdict? Totally B-Side Certified.

TOGETHER WITH DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE AND THE JIMMY FUND

Batter up, let’s battle cancer together

⚾️ ❤️‍🩹  This is your Babe Ruth “call your shot” moment. Step up to the plate and donate during the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon on Aug. 13 and 14 to help support cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund. Broadcasting live from Fenway Park with the Red Sox, WEEI, and NESN, you’ll hear inspiring stories from patients, doctors, and more. Tune in and make a donation today to help strike out cancer once and for all.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

⚽ Operation tear down White Stadium is a go. Boston is one step closer to having a new stadium for a National Women’s Soccer League team. The Boston Parks and Rec Commission approved Mayor Michelle Wu’s demo plan for White Stadium in Franklin Park, despite opposition from community members and environmental groups. Aside from being home to a pro soccer team, the plan is for Boston Public School students to also use the stadium as their home turf. Demo is expected to start this fall, but they can’t break ground until a lease is signed.

🎓 Northeastern glowed up into a higher ed powerhouse. Back in the day, Northeastern was a commuter school that used to admit everyone. But now, it’s got a global presence with one of the lowest college acceptance rates. Why the shift? Survival. Leadership doubled-down on a co-op program, recruited wealthier students outside the Boston area, and sought to land on “best of” college lists. And now, in the age of declining enrollment and closing colleges, the university has been gobbling up struggling schools and expanding its holdings across the world. 

👙 Don’t be alarmed if you see lots of breasts this weekend. That’s because local activists plan on going topless in Boston this Saturday as part of the Topfreedom protest. This protest aims to challenge state laws that make it illegal for women to expose their breasts in public while not breastfeeding, and all participants are encouraged to go bare-chested. Their perspective? Requiring women to cover up in public is the government’s oppression of women’s bodies. After all, men can do it. Wouldn’t be surprised if some Nantucket beachgoers show up.

🚲 Biking home from the grocery story just got easier. If armfuls of Trader Joe’s bags are stopping you from going car-free, we have good news. CargoB, a new bike-share program offering a small fleet of cargo e-bikes, recently launched around Boston. Think: if a Bluebike and a wheelbarrow had a baby, with tons of room to load your groceries (even passengers). Plus, a ride costs roughly the same as a Bluebikes e-bike. You can find them in JP, Cambridge, and Somerville, with a Seaport locale coming soon.

QUICK QUESTION

👙 Sooo … Should everyone be allowed to be topless?

ONE LAST THING

The Sil’s missing Guy

ISO: The Silhouette Lounge’s “Left Guy.” Patrons of the iconic Allston dive bar might notice there’s something — or someone — missing from their rooftop sign, namely, the “left guy” on the logo.

Understandably, the bar is desperate to get him back, offering a no-questions-asked return policy, and reward of an $100 gift card (that’s 50 Sil hotdogs!) in exchange for his safe return. Anyone with any tips can DM The Sil on Instagram “day or night” to let them know.

We totally get the no questions asked thing, but if it were us, we would have exactly one question: How in the world did you get up there?

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🍸️ Thanks for reading! We hope Right Guy isn’t too lonely in the meantime.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, for supporting local journalism and fighting the good fight against cancer. 

🇺🇸 The results are in: The B-Siders have SPOKEN: Stephen Nedoroscik is the only Olympian for them, with 70% of readers voting for him as their fave local Olympian. One said: “I pledge allegiance to pommel horse guy.”

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