🍣🤯 Omakase in Boston UNDER $100?!

Happy Friday, Boston!

🍩 Good news for dessert heads: Dunkin’ is giving away these cute Sabrina Carpenter-themed cups today for FREE with every purchase of Sabrina’s daydream refreshers while supplies last. There aren’t many available, so go, go, GO!

🚇 Bad news for Orange Line baddies: Shuttle buses will replace service between North Station and Forest Hills on Sept. 13 and 14. Thoughts and prayers! 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• The Big E is BACK

• Harvard gets its bread back

• Tall fall > Short king spring

Up first…

NEW RESTAURANTS

Boston’s buzziest new bites

It’s like we always say: New season = new local eats. And per usual, Boston.com and Boston magazine have the roadmaps to the most exciting new restaurants in town.

Here’s what’s worth a bite:

🍣 Akami Omakase, Coolidge Corner. Omakase for under $100? In THIS economy? Thanks to this new Brookline sushi spot, for just $89 a pop, you can get a 13-course omakase experience (basically a chef’s choice tasting menu). But don’t mistake the low price for low quality. Akami imports most of its fish from Japan, and the presentation is always pristine. There are no walk-ins, so you’ve gotta book a table here. We’d act soon — things are filling up QUICK.

🍕 FiDO Pizza, Allston. The folks behind Bar Mezzana and Shore Leave are filling the neighborhood pizzeria-shaped hole in Allston’s foodie scene. The menu offers a whimsical, elevated take on pizzeria staples like these beyond-looking New York-style pies, but plates like gooey mozz sticks with vodka sauce, giant meatballs, and pastas round things out. And don’t sleep on the drinks. Pepperoni pizza negroni, anyone? 

Things to try:

• Mozz sticks with vodka sauce

• Pepperoni pizza negroni

• Cheese pizza with fresh grated mozz

🍔 Louis Corner, South End. B-Side Certified Desnuda cocina & bar has a new sibling in this American Gastropub. And let’s just say, if the food tastes as good as the STUNNING dining room looks, it’ll be your new go-to. On the menu: Classic American dishes like shrimp and grits, mac n’ cheese, and a smashburger, plus a small (but mighty) raw bar. Not to mention the *robust* (and, may we say, reasonably priced) cocktail menu including three signature spritzes. It’s open now.

Things to try:

• Oysters Rockefeller 

• Shrimp and grits 

• Lychee blush spritz 

🫖 Broken Cup Teahouse, Kendall Square. After years of popping up around the city, this authentic Asian teahouse has found a permanent home. Despite its corporate location on the 12th floor of an office building (here’s how to get there), the cozy, warm space feels miles away. The menu focuses on high-quality, single-origin, full-leaf teas sourced from Asia — no milk or sugar allowed. Currently, there are no walk-ins, so book your table here for Sept. 17 or 18.

Teas to try:

• “Hummingbird’s Way” (apple butter, honeysuckle)

• “Dark Honey” (honey, molasses)

• “2006 Iron Goddess” (chocolate ganache, stone fruit)

QUICK QUESTION!

😋 Which of these spots do you want us to try and review? 

TOGETHER WITH BOSTON POPS

Cozy season = concert season

🎵🍁 You asked for fun things to do this fall. Boston Pops said: “As you wish.” This week marks the official start of Boston Pops’ and BSO’s 2025–2026 season — complete with a live orchestral screening of “The Princess Bride,” Broadway’s Mandy Gonzalez singing music from Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more culturally rich performances to carry you through the cozy months. Reserve your seat and learn how you can become a subscriber to show your support.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🎪 Brace yourselves, almond moms: The Big E is BACK. The East Coast’s biggest state fair returns to West Springfield today through Sept. 28, and it’s bringing its gluttonous fair food, music, rides, and entertainment with it. This year’s new foodie highlights include: A quarter pound of deep-fried mozzarella, a quarter-pound chili dog affectionately called the “flatliner,” and a "lobster volcano.” Here’s our guide to classic Big E eats. Meanwhile, big-name musical guests include Busta Rhymes, The Kid LAROI, and ZZ Top. You can peruse all this year’s offerings here.

💔 Local young Republicans are in disbelief. ICYMI: Right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at a college speaking engagement on Wednesday, prompting shock, horror, and some deeply unhinged social media discourse from both sides of the aisle. Local politicians were quick to condemn the political violence online. Meanwhile, Republicans on local college campuses are taking it hard. Some see his assassination as an attack on their identity, as Kirk was an instrumental part of carving out a space for them on traditionally left-leaning campuses.

🎓 Did Harvard just … win Harvard v. Trump? On Wednesday, the school said it got word that the feds would begin restoring the nearly $3 billion in research grants revoked by President Trump’s admin. The news comes about a week after a federal judge deemed Trump’s moves illegal, and *appears* to be a sign that the White House is going to comply. That said, Harvard researchers are cautiously optimistic about the news. Some are skeptical about whether they’ll actually see the money, especially since Trump plans to appeal the decision.

🎃 This new pop-up bar is an absolute nightmare. Literally: The Nightmare Bar is coming to Boston this October. If you haven’t already guessed, the name (thankfully) refers to its Halloween theme, not its drink menu. The pop-up is touching town at Southie’s PKL on Thursday through Sunday nights throughout the month. Visitors can expect Halloween decor, cocktail specials, games, and more. And, of course, costumes are strongly encouraged. You can grab tickets here!

MEDIA SPONSORSHIP

It’s festival season — starting tomorrow.

Kick off the transition to fall in New England at Sí Lawrence Family Festival on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Essex street in Lawrence, Mass. Enjoy a free day of food from local restaurants, a 21+ beer garden, live entertainment from local acts, a petting zoo, and more. See you there! 

THINGS TO DO

Weekend plans

💃 Break out your dancin’ shoes. ‘Cause we’re hitting up Eastie’s free Latin music and dance festival TONIGHT! Expect music made for movin’ and tons of free tastings from local Latin-American spots.

🐶 Watch the *cutest* Sox game you ever did see. And by cutest, we mean this puppies in the outfield event on Sept. 13, where two teams of adoptable pups play “baseball.” Bonus: YOU get to meet and cuddle them all. 

🥒 Run for free pickle martinis! Eastern Standard’s pickle week celebrations continue with a free pickle run on Sept. 13. Even better: The race ends with free pickles, fried pickles, AND mini pickle martinis …

🎭 See your favorite musical … that doesn’t exist yet. Love improv? Love Broadway? You’re gonna be obsessed with “Off the Gnome” on Sept. 13, a fully improvised musical based on one audience suggestion.

🎆 Make summer go out with a BANG! Assembly Row’s Riverfest on Sept. 13 is the block party of our dreams. Imagine: Open play pickleball and volleyball, live music, makers’ markets, and fireworks!

🛍️ Hit refresh on your fall wardrobe … for just $10! Raspberry Beret’s first fill-a-bag event is set for Sept. 13, where vintage and designer goodies are all up for grabs.

💕 Put your hands up (if you’re a single lady!). Our speed-dating event with Boston Single Mingle is Monday night at Castle Island Brewing in Southie, and ALL ladies get $8 off with code BSIDE. Register here!

😋 Fuel up for Boston’s foodie Super Bowl. A.k.a. The Boston Local Food Fest on Sept. 14. Imagine: over 100 local vendors, cooking demos, and boatloads of free samples.

ONE LAST THING

Faneuil Tall

Short King Spring? Nah, it’s all about Tall Fall. 

If you’re looking for a man in finance, with a trust fund, who’s 6’5”, and has blue eyes, you’d already be 25% of the way there after visiting Faneuil Tall last month, a meet-up to find the tallest people in Boston (though all sizes were welcome).

UMass basketball-player-turned-social-media-star Tyler Bergantino (who’s fittingly 6’9”) is the brains behind this “Tall Tour” across the country (yes, the tallest peeps in each city win a giraffe trophy). 

And while half the fun is the spectacle (this guy had almost a foot-and-a-half on Emily), for Bergantino, it’s also about creating a space for tall people to connect over their #tallpeopleproblems (think: only ordering shoes online, buying extra legroom on planes, squatting in a hotel shower). 

But despite the occasional low doorway, the general consensus from our chats with attendees was: They LOVE being tall.

You can see just how wacky it got here. 

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🦒 Thanks for reading! If you’re a short king reading this, here’s a message from a single, six-foot-tall gal we spoke to who isn’t afraid to date someone shorter than her: “COME AT ME.”

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, the Boston Pops, for supporting local journalism and bringing unforgettable musical experiences to our community.

🧙 The results are in: 36% of B-Siders said that Salem’s Haunted Happenings just isn’t for them. One reader said: “Ghouls, goblins, and ghosts have nothing on the crowds in Salem!”

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