🤯🍔 This bar food blew our mind

🛝🤕 Imagine traveling 1,800 miles to ride the Cop Slide … just to break your nose on the way down. Yes, that actually happened to this girl. And yes, it’s all on video.

🩺 Know a nurse who deserves a shoutout? Maybe they remembered your name or checked in one extra time — those moments matter. For 20+ years, The Boston Globe has honored New England’s most dedicated nurses, and now it’s your turn. Nominate a nurse for Salute to Nurses 2026 today.

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

Indian food with attitude? Sign us up! For this edition of B-Side Certified, you sent us to Aatma At Widowmaker, a new punk rock Indian restaurant inside Brighton’s Widowmaker Taproom. 

Here’s what we thought: 

🖤 Widowmaker’s vibe lives up to its name. The taproom’s owners once described their vision as “intergalactic, spacey, stoner rock vibes,” and they nailed it. The black walls, moody lighting, and skull-themed art kept its edge, while the big wooden tables, splashes of greenery, and homey touches like a take-a-vinyl, leave-a-vinyl library made it cozy and approachable.

😵‍💫 Hot tip: Get there early. Aatma At Widowmaker is counter-service only, which means tables are first come, first-served. Usually, that'd be no big deal, but at 7 p.m. on a Sunday, it was so crowded that finding a seat was giving “Hunger Games” cornucopia energy.

🍔 The burger. The burger. The BURGER. The fan-favorite Aatma Burger ($19) over delivered, melding classic, greasy, cheesy smashburger goodness with a smoky, spicy kick from the masala-spiced patties and amul cheese. We wanted to bottle the bright, tangy Aatma sauce that comes with it. 

😋 But every dish had something to like. The light, juicy General Rao’s Chicken ($22) was just as good, coated in a sticky, sweet-and-spicy glaze — basically orange chicken for grown-ups. While we probably wouldn’t re-order the Fried Idli Chaat ($15) — the earthy flavors needed some sweetness for balance — every ingredient was fresh, and the cakes were delightfully bouncy. The New England gulab jamun dessert ($8) was warm and gooey, yet still complex thanks to a hit of cardamom (if just a little too sweet).

⭐ Our sleeper hit: Chaat-er tots. We weren’t expecting our favorite bite to be a side of perfectly crispy, fluffy tater tots tossed in smoky chaat masala, but we’re definitely not mad about it.

🍺 Taproom food doesn’t need to be this good. If you’re looking for a casual, reasonably-priced spot that overdelivers on flavor and quality, you’ll want to add Aatma At Widowmaker to your rotation. An app, two entrees, and a dessert ran us just $65 before tip (!) — an absolute steal. As a Brighton baddie, Gia will definitely be returning.

✅ The verdict? 100% B-Side Certified. You can see the menu here.

📸🎭 These artists have been doing it for decades. Persona: Photography and the Re-Imagined Self explores how creators since the 1920s have used characters, avatars, and myth to question identity itself. On view Feb. 19 to May 10 at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the exhibition spans 80+ works that time-travel, gender-bend, and blur reality. Catch the opening night conversation with artists and the co-curators, or swing by on a Thursday when the museum stays open late until 9 p.m. Tickets are limited, so plan ahead.

❄️ Boston, we’re back on snow watch. Forecasters say a storm system has the potential to bring more snow our way on Wednesday — or at least, disrupt our commutes. The storm in question is expected to hit mid-day, bringing a rain/snow mixture to the area. The good news: Thanks to warm-ish temps, snow accumulations in Boston are expected to be minor. The bad news: The wintry mix of sleet, cold rain, and snow will make for slow, slick commuting this evening, so be careful out there! Keep up with the latest here.

💸 Gov. Healey is voting NO on lowering the income tax. ICYMI: A potential ballot Q measure would slash the state income tax from 5% to 4%, something she recently said would be “catastrophic” for the state budget. Her take: Though the cut would put money in people’s pockets, it would come at the expense of state-funded programs that invest in residents, like free community college and grants for small businesses, which “doesn't make Massachusetts more affordable.”

✂️ This is your boyfriend’s sign to get the snip. Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts is officially offering vasectomies! As of Valentine’s Day, the org’s Worcester location will offer 10-12 of the procedures each month, which they cheekily announced by handing out these WILD “Vasectomy Valentines” at local businesses. The move has been in the works since 2024 after demand for the snip spiked following President Trump’s re-election (see: a 1,200% bump in appointments post-Election Day). Here are all the deets.

🤤 Local foodies have a LOT to talk about this week. Meet Tigerbaby at High Street Place, the reboot of Tiger Mama, Tiffani Faison’s Asian-inspired Fenway concept that shuttered in 2021. Like its mama, Tigerbaby will serve Thai and Vietnamese eats, but catering to the office lunch crowd with grab-and-go options. In other food news, Boston Harbor Distillery will be serving its craft beers, spirits, and cocktails at the Greenway’s beer garden this summer after the Greenway opted not to renew its deal with Trillium.

Below are some of the hottest local things to do. This month, B-Side Members can save more than $150 across our events, in addition to over 60 other awesome perks.

🚩 Win a Banners “Birdie Package Voucher” | Banners Kitchen & Tap | Includes a welcome transfusion cocktail, choice of any handheld menu item, and 1.5 hours of TopGolf. Start a free member trial here to enter. 

⛸️ Pink Rink at Canal District Kendall | Feb. 21 | $22 member, $29 regular | The Pink Rink is taking over Canal District Kendall for an 18+ skating night with DJ Starjuice. B-Side members save $7. Grab tickets here. 

🫁 Source Method Breathwork | Feb. 23 & Mar. 4 | Somerville/Cambridge | $12 off for B-Side members | Release what doesn't serve you in 60 minutes. Source Method pairs intentional breathing with killer soundtracks for a transformative experience. Book here!

🍁 Maple Sugaring Experience Deal | Feb. 22-Mar. 14 | Natick & Weston | 25% off for 10 members | Learn how maple syrup is made from tree to treat on this two-hour farm tour by Keolis massAdventures. Round-trip Commuter Rail and shuttle included!. Start your free trial here to book.

👀 Want to feature your upcoming event above? Click here.

Massachusetts is no stranger to state symbols. We have a state flower (the mayflower), beverage (cranberry juice), even a state dinosaur (that’d be the Podokesaurus). Now, some lawmakers want to add asparagus to the list. 

Quick history lesson: Hadley, Mass., was once known as “the asparagus capital of the world,” producing 80% of the nation’s asparagus. Around there, the veg even has the nickname “Hadley grass” (an awesome name for a band).

Though Hadley doesn’t produce quite as much asparagus these days, its legacy lives on in Western Mass. via treats like asparagus ice cream, which locals swear tastes good. So, lawmakers are pushing to honor its local impact by naming asparagus Mass.’ official state vegetable. 

They filed a bill late last year, so only time will tell.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🫛 Thanks for reading! Not to be SO gross … but their pee must really stink. 

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, for supporting local journalism and bringing culturally rich experiences to our city. 

🧖 The results are in: 54% of B-Siders said that even if wellness culture is ruining our social lives, it’s also doing some good. One reader said: “Dancing at the club IS wellness!!!” 

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