😋 This new spot is all-you-can-eat

It’s Wednesday, Boston.

🥵 We’ve all felt the heat this week: But Mayor Wu just made it official, and declared a heat advisory for the city through July 12. For tips on how to cope with the heat, safety info, and public spots to cool down, check here. And stay hydrated!

🍕 Also … Please give a warm welcome to our new readers who recently opted-in to B-Side at the Boston Pizza Festival. We promise we’re a good time! 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• No more CharlieCard shame

• Pour one out for ‘Ritas

• Hoppy trails

Up first…

RESTAURANTS

A trip for your taste buds

No more vacations on the horizon? How about a ✨culinary✨vacation? If you’ve been looking to shake up your usual restaurant rotation, Boston.com’s list of new spots to try this month is the perfect guide.

Here’s what’s on the menu:

🍜 Jahunger, Cambridge. Hand-pulled noodle fans, rejoice! Jahunger, Providence's beloved Uyghur and central Asian spot helmed by a James Beard semifinalist chef, is officially expanding to Cambridge, and it’s bringing all of noodle-y goodness with it. The menu ranges from dumplings, to meat dishes, to their signature spicy noodles, and rumor has it that they might bring back some fan faves from its original 2017 menu, too. You can check out the offerings here.

Things to try:

• Lamb dumplings

• Signature Jahunger noodles 

• Not-your-typical honey cake

🍫 Cacao, South End (and soon, Financial District). We already know that coffee and chocolate are a match made in heaven, but Cacao makes it official. The Dominican-owned café and chocolate bar has expanded from its OG spot in Newton to the South End. Expect handmade in-house chocolates, truffles, bonbons, and barks. Not into chocolate? They also offer an assortment of delicious coffee and tea drinks, fancy nuts, and pastries (not to mention some of the city’s best hot cocoa). Here’s a glimpse at the menu. 

Things to try:

• Frozen hot chocolate

• Salted caramel, Earl Grey, and chai chocolates

• Cinnamon-coated almonds

🥩 Omi Korean Grill, Fenway. The phrase “all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ” pretty much sells itself. And for $39.99, that’s what you’ll get at Omi Korean Grill. The “premium” menu ranges from apps, to meats (think: short rib and bulgogi), to seafood, veggies, and more. And if you need any more convincing, look no further than these mouthwatering IG reels. Once the drink menu is up and running (still loading) there won’t be many reasons to leave. Take a peek at the menu here.

Things to try:

• Seafood scallion pancake

• Marinated beef bulgogi

• Grilled pineapple

🥟 Mr. H, Seaport. If you love Lolita, Yvonne’s, and Mariel, you’ll probably love Mr. H. The latest offering from the COJE Management Group aims to bring Chinese and Taiwanese fare to the Seaport. Most of the details are still under wraps (including the menu), as the spot won’t be open until later in the month, but the vibes are giving Shanghainese cocktail lounge, with unique drink options to compliment the food. Sign up for updates here.

👀 Want more? You can see the rest of the full list of new restaurant openings this month here. 

QUICK QUESTION

😋 Which restaurant do you want our two cents on?

TOGETHER WITH SEASTREAK FERRIES

The express lane to summer fun is actually on the water

☀️🚢 Ditch the gridlock and set sail by hopping on a high-speed Seastreak ferry from New Bedford. With spacious seating, an open-air top deck, fully stocked bar, and climate-controlled cabins, it’s the perfect way to travel to Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard in style. Plus, save on hotels with convenient morning departures and evening returns that make planning day trips a breeze. Book your next getaway now!

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

📱 The days of empty CharlieCard shame are almost O-V-E-R. Starting August 1, the MBTA will finally roll out contactless payment to all of its fare gates, buses, and Green Line and Mattapan Trolley trains. The new payments will happen at these “Charlie reader” boxes, and will accept tappable credit and debit cards, plus Apple/Samsung/Google Pay on your phone or watch of choice. Bonus: Contactless payments can even be set up with reduced fare accounts. But don’t worry, CharlieCard stans, all the previous payment methods will stay intact. 

🚇 Red Line: 1. Red Line riders: 0. It was your classic Tuesday morning on the T: A piece of maintenance equipment derailed at Park Street, damaging the third rail and prompting the MBTA to deploy our beloved shuttle buses between Harvard and Broadway. While service was back on track later that morning and the MBTA said “we’re sorry” by making Red Line afternoon/evening service free, why the derailment happened is still a mystery. Just think of this as an amuse bouche to the 16-day Red Line shutdown that starts on Saturday.

🌀 Tropical Depression Beryl is bringing us a barrel of stormy weather. As if this week's weather couldn’t get any more miserable, scattered storms, heavy rainfall, and a risk of flooding might be coming our way over the next few days as remnants of Beryl make their way toward New England. Keep an eye out for 25 mph winds, potential thunderstorms, and flash flood risk, though the risk is a bit lower in Boston than in much of Vermont, New Hampshire, and even some of Western Mass. Check in here for the latest.

🍹 Pour one out for Fajitas & ‘Ritas. After over three decades in business, the beloved Tex-Mex restaurant known for its cheap margs and good vibes is closing for good on July 13. And it’s safe to say that patrons are DEVASTATED. The owner told Boston.com that the building’s landlord decided to not renew the lease, making the decision to close “not in [his] hands.” Thoughts and prayers to local college students who are grieving the loss of $7 margaritas. Things will never be the same.  

GIVEAWAY

Together with the Esplanade Association

Enter to win two tickets to the Esplanade Association's Summer Dock Party on July 18! If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! To enter, just refer a friend and have them accept your invite by the end of the day on July 11th, 2024. Full details below*

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

MEDIA SPONSORSHIP

Fest like a local

B-Side is a proud sponsor of NICE, a fest, the four-day local talent extravaganza coming to Davis Square from Thursday, July 25 to Sunday, July 28. NICE, a fest is a prime opportunity to support local makers of music and art as you bop from stage to stage. Give the (super stacked) lineup a look, get excited, and grab your tickets fast!

ONE LAST THING

Hoppy trails

We hear lots of stories of people climbing all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot peaks … but hearing about this bunny making the climbs was not on our 2024 bingo card.

Poppy Rose (the bunny in question) is a natural born hiker who navigates the trails by foot and in hiking packs, can drink from a water bottle, and comes on command. She was first taught to hike by her owner, Bree Schuette, an avid hiker and distance runner.

But when Schuette found it more difficult to hike after battling a rare autoimmune disease, she asked her community if they wouldn't mind taking Poppy Rose on their trail adventures. 

And not only have they obliged, but the experience of hiking with a bunny has been the highlight of many a hiking career.

You can donate to Schuette’s GoFundMe here.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🐰 Thanks for reading! Against all odds, there is apparently a second bunny that has hiked all the 4,000 footers. Meet Moose.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Seastreak Ferries, for supporting local journalism and making summer travel in New England more affordable and accessible. 

⚖️ The results are in: 38% of readers are surprised about the Karen Read mistrial — and think Read is innocent, while another 29% aren’t surprised, and think it’s a tough case to call. One reader said: “Waiting for the Netflix documentary.”

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