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šŸ• The one thing Connecticut has over Mass.

Plus: šŸ˜¬ Budget cuts are coming

Itā€™s Monday, Boston.

šŸšØ PSA: Starting today, da LaPostaā€™s in Newton, a.k.a., the official crowd favorite of last yearā€™s Boston Pizza Festival, is offering a $10 Margherita pizza deal on Mondays through March (itā€™s normally $20). Make a res here!

šŸ‘€ Whatā€™s on tap today:

  • A tragic seasonā€™s end

  • Amtrakā€™s BOGO deal

  • Bostonā€™s best sledding spots

Up firstā€¦

RESTAURANTS

New year, new restaurants

Image courtesy of Sugar Factory. Illustration by Gia Orsino.

Bostonā€™s food scene is starting 2024 with a bang. And thereā€™s an unexpected, yet welcome, theme this month: Comfort food. 

From bagels, to milkshakes, to noodles, hereā€™s Boston.comā€™s list of five restaurant openings theyā€™re most excited about for January: 

šŸ• Sallyā€™s Apizza, Woburn. Itā€™s easy to dunk on Connecticut for ā€¦ basically everything. But when it comes to their pizza, we must give credit where credit is due. Connecticuters go crazy for Sallyā€™s Apizza (pronounced ā€œah-BEETZ,ā€), serving up New Haven-style pies (think: thin, coal-fired pizza with a chewy, crispy crust), and classic Italian apps and entrees like bruschetta and chicken parm. My two cents? Grab a res ASAP. Itā€™s been packed ever since it opened

Things to try:

  • Classic mozzarella and tomato sauce pie

  • Chicken and eggplant parmesan 

  • Spicy steak

šŸ¦ Baleia, South End. A little slice of Portugal is coming to the South End later this month. The folks behind SRV, The Salty Pig, and Gufo, are set to open Baleia (meaning ā€œwhaleā€ in Portuguese), serving up modern and classic Portuguese cuisine with a seafood-forward menu. Thirsty, too? Those flavors continue on their wine list, featuring a slew of Portuguese labels, plus a cocktail program with Iberian influence. Keep an eye out for the opening date here

Things to try:

  • Piri piri chicken

  • Lamb shank tagine

  • Pork and seafood stew

šŸ„Æ Rebelle Bagels, Kendall Square. Bostonā€™s bagel scene certainly had a glow-up over the last few years and this soon-to-be Cambridge bagel spot from James Beard Finalist Milena PagĆ”n is only helping the cause. And these arenā€™t just any bagels. PagĆ”nā€™s undergo a two-day fermentation, including 24 hours of cold-proofing to slow down the fermentation process, giving the crust a crispier look and more depth of flavor. Seriously, just how good they look.

Things to try:

  • Everything bagel

  • House cured lox sandwich

  • Smoked whitefish sandwich

šŸœ Yume Ga Arukara, Seaport. Perhaps the most elite iteration of soup season is udon, and lucky for you, Cambridgeā€™s Yume Ga Arukara in bringing its award-winning noodles to the Seaport this month. Their menu features both hot and cold udon dishes, and will be open for lunch and dinner (dinner will have a few more apps and drink options, making it a cozy winter date night spot). You can see the full menu here.

Things to try:

  • Cold Niku Udon

  • Spicy Cold Niku Udon

  • Soup Curry Udon

šŸØ Sugar Factory, Faneuil Hall. The most Instagrammed restaurant in the U.S. has aptly made a new home in Bostonā€™s tourist epicenter. The Sugar Factory chain is best known for its celebrity endorsed mega-candy drinks (see: Snoop Doggā€™s lemonade smash) and offering 50 ways to get a sugar rush. Not to be outdone, the Boston locale is serving up local faves like a Boston Cream Pie and fried Ipswich clams. You can see the full sugar-laden menu here

Things to try:

  • Reeseā€™s Pieces churro French toast

  • Flaming HOT Cheetos burger 

  • Giggles Snickers milkshake

QUICK QUESTION

šŸ„Æ Which new restaurant do you want our two cents on? 

Let us know below!

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

Image: Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

ā˜ƒļø This snow storm was a boom and a bust. It just depends where you were. Even if Bostonians missed out on the worst of Sundayā€™s nor'easter (we got about one and a half inches), enough snow fell across the state to seriously shake things up, with some parts of Mass. getting over a foot. As a result of the weather, more than 13,000 people lost power, 149 flights were canceled, with another 121 delayed out of Logan, and several major highways were in a white-out. And although everything should be more or less back on track today, word to the wise: If youā€™re commuting, be careful, and take it slow.

šŸ˜¬ Welp. State budget cuts are coming ā€¦ Gov. Healey plans to unveil $375 million in budget cuts today, including slashing 50% from a range of local earmarks (think: funding for nonprofits, local projects, and economic development programs for certain districts) and hundreds of millions from other programs (think: health and human services). And while not exactly good news, itā€™s not exactly surprising: Weā€™re halfway through the fiscal year, and tax revenues are running $769 million (about 4%) behind projections.

šŸˆ A terrible last game fit for a terrible season. There were a few big reasons for the Pats to give it their all for their last game of the season on Sunday: This potentially being the last ever game for both coach Bill Belichick and team captain Matthew Slater, and a face off against their sorta-rivals the Jets, who hadnā€™t beaten them in eight years. But they came up short once again, losing 17-3, and closing the books on the worst record in Belichickā€™s career. At least now we can turn our full attention to the seasonā€™s real drama: Is this the end for Belichick?

šŸš‚ Have a Polar Express moment now, get a free summer vacay later. Amtrak is holding a buy three, get one free deal on round trip tickets. If youā€™re an Amtrak Guest Rewards member (itā€™s free to sign up), and buy three round trip (or six one way) tickets on either their Northeast Regional or Acela lines between now and Feb. 29, you can get a free roundtrip ticket for a summer trip in July or August. TBH, if youā€™re a frequent Amtrak rider anyway, itā€™d almost be a waste to not take advantage. Check out the details here.

THINGS TO DO

Weekend plans

Pssst! To celebrate Dry January, all our things to do listings this month will be alcohol-free. Cheers! 

šŸ›¼ Enjoy all the fun of ice skating, sans cold. On Wednesdays, we go roller skating at Chez-Vous Roller Skating Rink in Dorchester. Their adult night is from 7 to 10 p.m. with a live DJ!

šŸŽ» Celebrate Celtic music (not basketball). Beginning Thursday, Club Passim, Crystal Ballroom, The Burren, and The Rockwell will become the hosts of the weekendā€™s Boston Celtic Music Festival. See the schedule here!

šŸ§  Test your anime knowledge. Think you know your Pokemon, Sailor Moon, and Naruto? Find out on Thursday at Trident Booksellersā€™ anime trivia.

šŸ Go for Italian, but hold the gluten. Capo has done the thing: Every Tuesday, their entire menu goes gluten free. Pizza, pasta, risotto, bread, all the works ā€” sans pain and suffering! 

šŸ¤² Manifest your 2024 visions. Weā€™re only eight days into 2024, so itā€™s not too late for a vision board sesh. Head to Short Path on Thursday to make yours. 

ā€” Written by Claire Nicholas

šŸŽ‰ Want more things to do recommendations? Refer five friends to unlock four bonus items. For those who already have, enjoy below.

šŸŽµ Throw it back (in time). Make it a throwback Tuesday with a Beatles Tribute Concert at The Wilbur, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the iconic bandā€™s first American tour. Wild 60s prints encouraged. 

šŸ„– Get cozy in the kitchen. Something about snow on the ground makes soup and bread even better ā€” and if you make it yourself, thatā€™s the sweet spot. Head to Two Aprons on Tuesday for their heartwarming soup and bread night.

šŸ§˜ Stretch out among singing bowls. Sound bathing is all the rage, and for good reason. Join Nirvana Sound Healing on Tuesday to experience it yourself: Himalayan singing bowl sound bath meditation and Reiki

ONE LAST THING

The ultimate sledding guide

Image: Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff. Illustration: Gia Orsino.

Some people shred, others sled (we are said others).

Before you roll your eyes, itā€™s true: You donā€™t have to be a child (or a ski buff) to appreciate the outdoor opportunities of a snow day. So Boston.com assembled a list of Greater Bostonā€™s five best sledding spots, according to a dad who visited 350 area parks. And it's a perfect guide to taking advantage of the yearā€™s first snow. 

Besides, as the old saying goes, when it comes to snow, we Bostonians better use it, or lose it, because who knows how many weeks weā€™ll have to wait for a few more inches. So check out the list here.

ā€” Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

šŸ›· Thanks for reading! If you see me posting on Instagram in my sledding gear pretending I just went skiing, no you didnā€™t. 

ā„ļø The results are in: B-Siders were cautiously optimistic about Bostonā€™s chances for snow yesterday, with 46% of you voting that Boston would get one to three inches, and you were right on the money! 

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