😋 New restaurants comin’ in HOT

It’s Tuesday, Boston.

🚇 Think you know the MBTA? We’ve got a game for you: MBTAdle, an MBTA version of Wordle, is a game where you try to get between two stops using three trains and a few transfers. Not to brag, but I got yesterday’s answer on my first try.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Mass.’ climate report card

• A cheap European getaway

• An iconic new Boston restaurant

Up first...

RESTAURANTS

New month. New restaurants.

It’s time to open up Resy again. Boston.com just shared their list of five restaurant openings they’re excited for this month.  

Here’s a few they’re buzzing about: 

🧁 Mia’s Bakery, Seaport. New York may have infiltrated Boston’s food scene as of late, but we’re not mad about it. This beloved Brooklyn bakeshop, whose origin story starts with a chocolate soufflé, is opening its second Mass. locale this month in the Seaport (Chestnut Hill is the other). Expect all the usual sweet suspects like croissants, tarts, and pies, plus some savory, cafe items. You can see the Chestnut Hill menu here.

Things to try:

• New York-style cheesecake

• Banana cream pie

• Tres Leches cupcake 

🍕 O’Cheese Pizza, North End. It takes chutzpah to open a pizza shop in the city’s most competitive pizza neighborhood, but O’Cheese’s menu of thin crust pies aims to satisfy topping traditionalists and creatives. Speaking of creative toppings, they’re also serving up specialty pies named after Boston sports teams, like The Patriots with shaved steak, onions, peppers, and mushrooms (which sounds better than watching its namesake these days). You can see the full menu here. 

Things to try:

• How Dare You (Buffalo chicken, jalapeno, banana peppers, ranch)

• Whatchamacallit (sausage, pepperoni, ham, bacon, onions, peppers, mushrooms)

• The Farm (eggplant, zucchini, roasted red peppers, onion, tomatoes)

🍲 What A Soup, Central Square. Soup season is leveling up this year. This new Thai spot will soon be serving up steaming bowls of broth and noodles. And if their food tastes as good as this IG pic of their Thai Boat Noodle soup looks, it will certainly be delish. But if you’re soup-averse, they’ve also teased their Moo Krob, or Thai crispy pork, which they describe as a “delightful combination of crispy, crunchy skin and tender, succulent meat.” 

Things to try:

• Thai Boat Noodle soup

• Moo Krob (Thai crispy pork)

🍺 Widowmaker Brewing, Brighton. When one brewery closes, another one opens. Widowmaker, a beloved South Shore brewery, officially opened its second locale this fall in Brato Brewhouse’s old digs. And while beer may be central to its identity, the food, crafted by Bone & Bread (the OG farm-to-street inspired food truck) isn’t your usual pub fare. Think: Gourmet ramen noodles and elevated bar snacks like their Korean street corn dog.

Things to try:

• French onion ramen

• Billy Birria tacos (braised goat tacos)

• Karaage chicken sandwich with sake and soy brined chicken

🌹 Bonus: Rosebud Bar and Kitchen, Somerville. Although technically not “new,” this beloved Davis Square haunt officially reopened last week after undergoing an ownership change. They’ve since rebooted the space and menu, serving up American classics with an Indian twist, like tandoori masala steak frites and the masala chai French toast. You can see the new menu here. 

QUICK QUESTION!

😋 Which new restaurant do you want our two cents on?

TOGETHER WITH SAMUELS AND ASSOCIATES

Shake up your winter in The Fenway

❄️ Cure your winter blues and embrace a day or night out in The Fenway this season. From intimate vibes at Rockwood Music Hall to sipping your new favorite wine at Nathálie, this hub  promises a season of warmth, melody, and unforgettable moments. Be sure to check out The Fenway’s full events calendar for the latest details on neighborhood happenings in Boston’s winter playground.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

📝 Mass. just got its first climate report card. And the results … are mixed. While we’re making progress in some areas (heat pumps and EVs are on the rise and clean energy is popping up more), the overwhelming sentiment is that if we want to continue to reach our lofty climate goals, radical change needs to happen — and soon. The good news is that we’re relatively well positioned to hit our 2025 goal, and Gov. Maura Healey’s admin is definitely putting its money where its mouth is in terms of getting to work. You can peruse the whole report here.

🚨 The Globe’s latest investigative series just dropped. And IMO, it’s so good. “Nightmare in Mission Hill,” shares the untold story of the Charles and Carol Stuart shooting, where a white man blamed the murder of his wife on a Black man. The case rocked Boston, shattered lives, and exposed racial fault lines. Whether you lived through this story or have never heard of it until now, the Globe’s investigation both chronicles and sheds new light on the case. You can dive into the nine-part podcast, the three-part HBO documentary series, or read the whole project here. 

✈️ Dreaming of a European holiday getaway? Low-cost Icelandic airline PLAY just launched a holiday flash sale through Dec. 8 on one-way international flights to Europe and Iceland for under $100. Logan is one of PLAY’s four U.S. destinations, and deals include flights to Iceland starting at $79 and to Amsterdam, Dublin, London, and Paris starting at $99 when you book them as part of a round-trip purchase for travel between Dec. 2023 and April 2024. You can check out all of the offers here.

🍝 A NYC restaurant where chefs go to eat opens today in Boston. If you love Blue Ribbon Sushi and Pescador, there’s a good chance you’ll feel the same about Blue Ribbon Brasserie (it’s from the same restaurant group), which opens its doors in Kenmore Square today. The original NYC location is seriously iconic, and has been around for 31 years. The vibes are unfussy and unstuffy, offering American cuisine with seafood flair (equipped with an oyster bar). You can make a reservation here and check out the menu here.

MEDIA SPONSORSHIP

Support local innovators!

B-Side is a proud sponsor of Innovation Studio’s upcoming Deck the Hall Event on Friday, Dec. 8 at District Hall in The Seaport. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. with a free networking session, followed by a ticketed holiday marketplace showcasing local innovators at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 and includes a drink and raffle ticket. Reserve your spot now to meet and support local innovators!

ONE LAST THING

Photos of the month

Whew, a lot happened in November. And while we’re all happy that December is finally here, if you want to take a trip down memory lane, the Globe just released their “Photos of the Month” from November, where they round up the best photos their staff took this month, and they might just help you take a moment to reflect on the past few weeks.

From joyous pics of TubaChristmas to touching images of survivors in Lewiston, to sweet Veterans Day moments and intimate looks into the emergency shelter crisis, these pictures definitely don’t disappoint. 

If you want to check them out, you can see them all here.

—Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

💜 Special shoutout to today's sponsor, Samuels and Associates, for supporting local journalism and bringing winter fun to Boston. 

📸 Thanks for reading! I’m not sure why, but the very first picture is my favorite. It really captures a very specific feeling to me.

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