😛🍹 Out: Dry January. In: $12 drinks.

😘 B-Side bachelors, it’s your time to shine. We’re teaming up with “Love Letters” to host a massive matchmaking night at WBUR’s CitySpace, and are looking for a few more single dudes to join the ranks. 

👉 Here’s how: Buy your ticket (members save $5), then fill out the subsequent dating quiz. Then we’ll send you on an organized blind date alongside dozens of other brave souls. Become a member here to get in on this deal!

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

B-SIDE GUIDE

Winter is well … wintering. So we’re leaning into the cozy, the chaotic, and the “wait, that’s actually a great deal.” From crab bisque to $12 cocktails, these are the best bites, bargains, and buys to beat your winter blues.

💃 Move your body, boost your confidence. Our DivaDance Boston class on Jan. 15 is selling fast, so snag your $10 ticket for the 6 p.m. members-only movement sesh (normally $32!). Expect beginner-friendly choreo set to Tate McRae’s “Sports Car.”

The rest of this newsletter, including the below perks and things to do, is for our premium members who contribute to our journalism.

🍹 Dry January, but fun.
🥞 Waffle House energy, Cambridge edition.
💋 Cosplay as a rich South End couple.
😉 Bougie dinner, neighborhood price.
🍵 Micro-hangs are the new big plans.
🥊 Punch first, flirt later.
⛷️ Skiing for under $20 is real.
💃 Swiftie meetup, academic version.

If you start a 14-day trial below, you’ll be able to continue reading today’s issue at bside.beehiiv.com!

👀 Plus, our members get access to curated Boston Globe content every Saturday — paywall-free. Here are this week’s reads:

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Wow, a blind date that actually goes well. These cuties went out to dinner on the Globe’s dime. And after reading their date recap, we’re 100% rooting for them. 

😮 They make HOW much? These are the highest earners on the Massachusetts state payroll for 2025. Spoiler: No. 1 is the UMass-Amherst men’s basketball head coach.

🤮 Hot take: Putting raisins in cookies = food jail. Here are 10 culinary crimes that have no place on plates.

📲 STOP looking at your phone on the T. Try daydreaming instead! Studies suggest there could be some serious benefits.

👀 Color us shocked: Former GLP-1 users regain lost weight after about 18 months, study says.

😋 In: Prioritizing food over vibes. Are ‘Instagrammable’ restaurants and food dying in 2026? One Boston spot is taking it a step further by banning cellphone use.

🏆 Start your award-season engines! Here are 15 Golden Globe-nominated films you can stream this weekend. Emily’s recs: “Bugonia” and “Sinners.”

🏈 In Drake Maye we trust. Will second-year QB Drake Maye do for the Patriots what Tom Brady did 24 years ago? Boy, do we hope so.

🤑 Have membership questions? Reach out to [email protected] with questions.

💭 Have specific feedback you’d like to share? Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG and TikTok.