😎🍦 Soft serve? Hard YES.

🎣 POV: You go fishing before your 9 a.m. shift … Yeah, we can’t believe he (mostly) pulled this off either. 

🥳 And everyone wish a HUGE belated HBD to B-Side Members Carys and Tess Dufour! Don’t worry, you both deserve to sleep in today.

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

She’s (soft) servinggggg. For this month’s small business telephone tag, we called up Boston’s sweetest and creamiest soft-serve or froyo (peep the comeback!) spots to ask where they go when they’re not licking their own. 

We started with our personal fave Flour Bakery — their peach soft-serve is out of this world. Here’s what they said:

🍦 Flour Bakery said, “Vinal all day long!” Somerville’s Vinal General Store has it all: sandos, salads, brews, soft-serve, the works. Flour founder Joanne Chang’s go-to is vanilla (unless it’s maple season obv). And while they offer fun toppings like strawberry shortcake crumble, she honestly loves the ice cream as is. Bonus: Vinal is opening its doors late on Thursdays and Fridays this month to fulfill your post-work sweet treat dreams. 

🐮 Vinal is obsessed with Dairy Delight. After Vinal’s director of ops Chloe Nolan walks her dog at the Fells, she loves to stop by this old-school creamery in Malden for the gellati, iceberg, or moolata — which are soft-serve layered or blended with slush or slurpee. And the best part? They’ve got a HUGE menu. “You can have a lot of fun with the flavor combinations, and they really hit the spot on a blindingly hot summer day,” Chloe said.

🏖️ Dairy Delight LOVES Good Harbor Ice Cream. Yes, Charlie Stanton, one of Dairy Delight’s managers, said that the ice cream at this Gloucester spot is fab, but the cherries on top? Its friendly atmosphere and location by the beach. “Whenever you get ice cream and a beach, you can’t really go wrong,” he said. His flavors of choice? For froyo, it’s Oreo cookie or coffee toffee Heath Bar. For soft-serve, he orders a classic: chocolate-vanilla twist on a cone with jimmies. 

🍨 Good Harbor is a Richardson’s Ice Cream stan. In case you’re new here, Richardson’s in Middleton is a dairy powerhouse that’s been around for 300+ (!) years and supplies many local creameries. Good Harbor owner Lia Giacalone loves to take her kids here ‘cause not only do they do swirls and hard scoops, but you can also see the animals at the dairy farm and play mini golf next door.

🍁 Richardson’s is hooked on Momma’s Grocery + Wine. Richardson’s shipping manager Lucas Pascucci swears this North Cambridge (and now Speedway!) icon is “the best maple creemee soft-serve that I’ve had,” which thankfully are sold year-round. He was going there maybe once a week or so when he lived in Arlington ‘cause they’re just THAT good. His twist? Top it off with maple sprinkles for something a little *extra*.

🔬 🧠 Everyone needs a niche obsession. Maybe yours is AI. Maybe it’s robots. Maybe it’s the future of climate tech. Maybe you just really want to know what happens inside an MIT lab. MIT Future Fest runs Sept. 30-Oct. 4 with talks, panels, tours, workshops, performances, and exhibitions covering all of it — plus more than 100 scientists, artists, designers, and thinkers to learn from. Come curious. Leave with something new to be weirdly knowledgeable about. Register now. 

🏠 Should we create fewer affordable housing units? Let’s explain: SF just slashed its affordable housing share requirement, so instead of making 15% of a building affordable, it’s now 5%. Apparently, developers don’t want to build as much since the affordable ones are less profitable, so this would aim to encourage more new builds and lessen the housing crisis. For now, Mayor Michelle Wu is set on keeping Boston’s mandate at 20%. But Chelsea and Waltham have also cut down, and Cambridge is considering it, too …

⚽ White Stadium’s status: still pending. We’re still waiting for a ruling from the state’s highest court on whether the city’s new White Stadium project breaks any state park protection laws — and the court just ordered a waiver to add more time (it typically has a 130-day guideline). But even if the court rules in favor, the stadium might not be ready in 2027 as planned, meaning the Boston Legacy will probs just have to play in Pawtucket, R.I., and Foxborough again.

🤖 Mass. college kids can now major in AI. No, seriously. Schools like Wentworth, Suffolk, Endicott, Northeastern, and MIT are rolling out bachelor’s degree programs in applied AI or offering combined majors with subjects like business or biochem. Universities argue that AI is a critical skill, and understanding its rapid changes is key to success. But that said, some students, especially at Suffolk, aren’t happy about how much their schools are embracing it …

🌻 Now arriving: Sunflower season!!! Empty your vases ‘cause local nearby farms are going HARD for sunflower picking right now. Your closest option to Boston? The Garden at Elm Bank, which is about ~35 minutes from the city. But snag tickets fast — they’re only open till Aug. 23! And don’t forget about Ward’s Berry Farm’s annual Sunflower Maze, opening Aug. 22, and this year, you can even book a private picnic area for up to six people.

🍿 Practice your “Great Scott!” You won’t need roads to watch “Back to the Future” at The Grove at Lawn on D TONIGHT. 

🧋 Grab your bestie for a boba run. Lanner Noodles is offering BOGO peach iced tea or boba milk tea *every* weekday through Aug. 28. Note: It’s from 3 to 6 p.m. only! 

🏀 Holla for a three-pointer. The Connecticut Sun are BACK at TD Garden on Aug. 18 to take on the L.A. Sparks (and we’re seeing tickets rn for just ~$35 …). Plus, there’s a *free* block party on Canal Street before the game with giveaways and other goodies.

🇮🇹 Celebrate 100 years of Bova’s. Treat yo’self on Tuesday night with a cannoli from their outside table on Aug. 18 (from 5 to 7 p.m., while supplies last)!

🛍️ Add some statement pieces to your wardrobe. Thrift your new fave fits, decor, jewelry, and more at Bow Market’s Vintage Night Market on Aug. 20. Bonus: There’ll be food and bev specials!

🎉 End summer on a high note. The Dagney is hosting its Summer Sendoff Block Party on Aug. 20. A live DJ + complimentary bites and merch + photo booths + Swedish candy = a Thursday night for the books. 

🏒 Don’t get over your “Heated Rivalry” obsession. Instead, channel it into Hockey Romance Night at Warrior Ice Arena on Aug. 21. Expect an hour-long skating sesh, an author panel (hello, Sarina Bowen!), and more.

🎨 Embark on an evening built by women, for women.* Big Night Live is transforming into a women’s celebration of creativity and community on Aug. 28, featuring live art, custom portrait illustrations, cocktails, and a live DJ. The first 40 B-Side Members to use our code get 30% off. Book here.

*This listing was produced in partnership with ONYX Art Studios.

Does a job at Brattle Book Shop pay the bills? Meet Rory Pryor, a full-time bookseller at Brattle and the latest feature in the Globe’s “Wicked Expen$ive” series.

They do a bunch of tasks like checking out customers, shelving and pricing books, and even lugging books out of sellers’ homes. At $24.50 an hour, they earn $760 a week after taxes. (Last year, they made $48,000 before taxes.) Plus, they sell collages at art markets for maybe an extra $600. 

TBH, some days at the bookstore feel “magical,” Rory said, where everything feels cute and quaint … but the next moment, you’re hauling wayyyyy too many boxes up flights of stairs.

But overall, they’re able to afford what they need day-to-day, (i.e. rent, utilities, food, etc.), with a few small splurges here and there, like on a $35 graphic tee or $100 Hayley Williams tickets. Sounds like self-care to us!

— Written by Kelly Chan and Emily Schario

📚 Thanks for reading! We’d probably spend those earnings right back at Brattle’s outdoor discount book lot …

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, MIT Future Fest, for supporting local journalism and giving us plenty of reasons to stay curious.

🍻 The results are in: 82% of B-Siders would rather have outdoor social drinking districts than a 3 a.m. last call. One reader said, “Nothing says February like rosé on the Greenway!!” Cheers to that!

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