😛⏰ This hour-long line is SO worth it

🌭 Fenway went FULL Anthropologie. First it was the hot dog hat, then the Dunkin’ hat, and now, there’s the hot dog FANNY PACK. You can score this bad boy with your ticket for games from June 12-14, just use this link! *adds to cart*

🥳 And everyone say happy birthday to Member Delaney Collins! You totally asked for a hot dog fanny pack … right?

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

Boston lines can be BRUTAL. See: Any Blank Street when the sun comes out. But are they actually worth it? In a handful of cases, 100% yes.

Boston.com chatted with customers waiting outside some of the busiest restaurants and cafes to understand … Why are you doing this?! 

Here’s what’s actually worth the wait:

🥞 Patience pays off for Brookline Lunch’s baklava pancakes. I mean … just look at them. Drizzled with rose water syrup and topped with crunchy baklava, walnuts, and pistachio sugar, people often hear about these babies before they see them. “I think Bella Hadid came here,” one customer said of the Palestinian-owned spot. “So I’ll wait, I trust my girl.” Speaking of celebs, Shawn Mendes stopped by for a baklava stack last fall and clearly looked like he had the time of his life.

☕ Cannonball Cafe wins the award for actually living up to the TikTok hype. And it’s not just one knockout latte leading the charge. It’s a formula of good coffee (their seasonal drink lineup is FIRE), a friendly atmosphere, and just enough social media buzz to turn it into a destination. You’ll often find lots of 20-something women here, a.k.a., the demo at the center of what goes viral. Wait times can range from 20 minutes to an hour, but as one customer put it, “ … it’s really good coffee, nice people that work here, and I’m willing to wait.” Sold.

🇮🇹 A freshly-piped Modern Pastry cannoli is a North End ritual. A viral latte? Cute. How about tradition? Nostalgia? The long-running debate over which North End cannoli reigns supreme? That’s all at the core of what makes Modern’s long lines worthwhile. After all, it’s a pastry shop many people grew up with, argue about, and bring visitors to. One customer told Boston.com: “My mom would come home with them growing up, and I would be enamored as a child. I’ve had Mike’s. I’ve had Bova’s. They’re great, but there is nothing like Modern.”

🦪 Waiting for a seat at Neptune Oyster? It comes with the territory. A small dining room + a big reputation + no reservations = wait times some describe as “rarely less than an hour.” But that’s the trade off for some of the best seafood in the city. One customer claimed she'd wait “two hours” (if she had a book, ofc). Another argued the long waits are worth it “when it’s always the same thing and you know you’re gonna get something great.” And FWIW, Dua Lipa went last year and loved it so much, she ate there twice in one week.

🏖️🩴 Picture yourself in Barbados, where the beaches are only part of the story. Spend time in Bridgetown, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and get a feel for the island’s rich history and culture. Plus, Bajan cuisine does not miss, offering everything from street eats to “wait this is the best thing I’ve ever had” dinners. And the soundtrack? Calypso and soca that will have you rethinking your entire playlist. Whether you’re there to unwind or find adventure, Barbados has it all. Consider this your sign to book the trip.

😭 Don’t set up that World Cup Partiful yet … Let’s just say, FIFA is behind. We’re T-15 days out from the first match, and many local organizations and towns are still awaiting public viewing licenses for community watch parties and other festivities (only four of 17 have been approved). Without them, municipalities can’t show the tourney in public, according to FIFA’s rules. On top of this, hotel bookings and commuter rail ticket sales are waaay lower than expected, and city and state officials are clashing over security and traffic plans …

🚗 Mass. Uber and Lyft drivers have officially unionized! Big news: After a yearslong push, the App Drivers Union just got the green light as the first union in the nation for rideshare drivers and will represent about 70,000 people across Massachusetts. Their goal? Better pay and job security. Next steps? The group now has six months to bargain, before mediation and arbitration, and then an agreement must receive majority approval among drivers who have done 100 rides in the last three months. 

🖼️ ICA Watershed season is BACK. There’s a new *free* art installation at the ICA’s seasonal space in Eastie, showcasing two works by New York-based artist Lucy Raven that surround themes of industrial change. Plus, you can have a ~boat day moment~ by riding the water shuttle to the ICA’s main Seaport location (with museum admission). Pro tip: If you have a Bank of America card, you can get free ICA admission for the first weekend of every month, while tickets last. 

🥯 BAGEL PSA: Brick Street Bagels is coming to Beacon Hill! After finding a second home in Southie, the beloved South End pop-up-turned-Boston-staple is now adding another brick-and-mortar on Charles Street in Beacon Hill this fall. Woo! The owners plan to have the full menu with bagels, sandwiches, and espresso galore, PLUS seating. And with its proximity to MGH, they also plan to open early for hospital nurses and staff to grab breakfast before their morning shift. <3

Alicia Carmody has a message for you. Scratch that … MANY messages for you. 

“The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” breakout star was recently available on Cameo, and fans took full advantage. (Unfortunately, she’s no longer taking requests — sad!) 

In case you’re new, Cameo lets you buy personalized videos from celebrities, where you can ask for anything from a birthday message to breakup advice. Emily once spent $50 to have GaTa wish her husband a happy 30th. 

As for Carmody’s videos, customers were guaranteed iconic life advice and unfiltered one-liners — all in her thick Rhode Island accent. In one of her most viral Cameos, Carmody preaches, “Life is too short. Live, sing, dance, draw, play with dolls, have a cracker, have a fig, have a bottle of champagne. And I also really love sparkling water — it’s not talked about enough. Bye!”

— Written by Emily Schario and Kelly Chan

🤌 Thanks for reading! Basically Rhode Island’s version of “live, laugh, love.”

💜 Special shoutout to today's sponsor, Visit Barbados, for supporting local journalism and giving us premium travel itineraries. 

🏡 The results are in: Unsurprisingly, 57% of B-Siders wanted the sub-$2,000 two-bedroom apartment steal. But for now, we can only dream. As one reader put it: “Pigs will fly the day this happens.”

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