🍦🤯 This local scoop broke the internet

It’s Wednesday, Boston.

🎨 PSA: The COOLEST art pop-up is in the Public Garden! This incredible artist makes stunning live paintings of parkgoers AND donates the proceeds to local charities. She’s bringing her talents to the Foundry on July 25 in support of the Mass. Bail Fund. 

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 Also … Since last month’s The Dating Game at Aeronaut Brewing was SO fun, we’re running it back Aug. 11. This round, we’re looking for our bi and pansexual B-Siders — apply to play here. Not participating? Come watch! 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• It’s a STRIKE at Fenway

• Logan’s Gen Z makeover

• Dunkin’, Massachusetts

Up first…

FOOD & DRINK

Scoops worth screaming for

Local ice cream recs are a dime a dozen this time of year. Seriously: The Globe, Boston.com, Boston magazine, AND Eater Boston all dropped their own “best ice cream” lists. 

So like the foodie nerds we are, we perused them ALL to find the best under-the-radar scoops for you:

🍨 The Ice Creamsmith, Dorchester. This isn’t just an ice cream shop, it’s an ice cream institution that’s been in biz for nearly 50 years. Its assortment of “regular” flavors are great, but the monthly rotating specials are where it's at. This month: birthday cake, blueberry, and coconut pineapple. 

🍦 Gerly’s Ice Cream, Somerville. If this dude who tried over 250 local ice cream flavors thinks Gerly’s cookies n’ cream rocks, it rocks. This spot is not afraid of a wacky flavor combo (see: fig and goat cheese and maple bacon), but they always pull it off. Bonus: It’s nut-free, and vegan-friendly.

🍧 Christina's Homemade Ice Cream, Cambridge. Wanna know how legit this ice cream is? It’s won “Best of Boston” seven times. And with a flavor lineup including ginger, khulfi, burnt sugar, and carrot cake scoops, we can see why. Don’t miss their summer special, rose petal.

🧊 Rancatore’s Ice Cream & Yogurt, Belmont/Newtonville/Lexington. If you love Toscanini’s, you’ll probably also love Rancatore’s … ‘cause they’re run by the same family! And it shows in the high quality and penchant for wacky flavors. The latest drop? Lemon meringue pie.

🥶 Forge Ice Cream Bar, Somerville. Come for the retro vibes and killer baked goods, STAY for the ice cream bar. Forge’s delish small-batch ice cream might not be its main bag, but with flavors like brown butter ginger and strawberry mascarpone, it could be.

🍕 Picco, South End. Name a better duo than ice cream and pizza. We’ll wait. You can get both done right at Picco (its name literally stands for “pizza and ice cream company”). Sit down and order a scoop, or grab a pint to go.

😋 Vinal General Store, Somerville. We already know and love this shoppy shop’s sexy sandwiches and grocery goods, but its soft serve is just as good. The flavor changes monthly, so stop in NOW to get the strawberry-vanilla swirl … with strawberry shortcake crumbs.

🍫 Scoop N Scootery, Allston/Cambridge/Arlington. Stay with us here … what if the *toppings* were the true stars of the show? Enter: Scoop N Scootery. Its over-the-top sundaes (like this peanut butter bomb or holy cannoli) are currently taking TikTok by storm. Bonus: They deliver until 2 a.m.

QUICK QUESTION!

🍦 Cup or cone? 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🪧 A *different* type of strike is coming to Fenway. The ballpark’s concessions workers are officially gearing up for the stadium’s first-ever strike for higher wages and protection against kiosk automation, and they’ve got some BIG names on their side (a.k.a Sen. Bernie Sanders). Aramark, the park’s food and bev provider, has until noon on Friday to offer the union a new contract or they’ll walk out for three days during the upcoming Sox-Dodgers series. If it does come down to a strike, the union is asking visitors to support them by not buying concessions.

📻 Here’s how public media cuts are impacting local radio. ICYMI: Congress cut federal funding for public media last week (think: NPR and PBS). That’s bad news for any local station, but particularly for smaller, more rural outposts. According to WBUR, the cuts will slash 18% from Worcester jazz station WICN’s total budget, which means the station can’t afford to replace both of its two recently-departed employees. And for Provincetown music station WOMR, it means a 20% budget cut, forcing them to explore new ideas like renting out the recording studio for extra cash. 

💅 Logan is about to get a Gen Z makeover. Yes, we’re talking about the airport. Apparently, Massport has hired a consulting firm to usher it into the future, a.k.a. optimize travel for young people. Gen Z and Millennials will make up over 80% of air travel spending by 2035, and like to drop more $$$ in food and experiences. So the plan is to cater to their preferences and create a “frictionless, personalized, and mobile-first experience” (yep, sounds like consultants to us). Soooo, what we’re hearing is … more restaurants? 

🚚 Who’s moving in and out of Boston? Ask U-Haul. Seriously, because it just dropped its midyear migration trends report, which has tons of details about who’s moving where. As for Boston, the majority of folks who have moved here in 2025 are coming from New York, followed by New Hampshire and Connecticut. Within Mass., most people are coming from Worcester, Taunton, and Hyannis. In terms of leaving, most Bostonians who are hitting the road are headed to Philly or New York. Check out the whole report here.

MEDIA SPONSORSHIP

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Raise $500, take the plunge, and help kids access unforgettable adventures at sea. Sign up here and start fundraising! Whether you're jumping in or cheering from the dock, it’s an unforgettable celebration of courage, community, and impact.

ONE LAST THING

Dunkin’, Massachusetts

This is the textbook definition of “committing to the bit.” To celebrate the end of its “Dunkin’ desert” era, the town of Stow is literally renaming itself to “Dunkin’” for the day. 

Let us explain. Back in 2022, Stow went viral when the town’s two Dunkin’ locations closed within 30 days of one another (thanks mostly to this iconic video). Folks understandably freaked out, and dubbed the town a “Dunkin’ desert.” Fast forward three years, a new Dunkin’ is finally opening within town limits, ending its Dunkin’ drought at long last. 

So, to celebrate, officials decided to do the funniest thing possible and lean into the bit … hard, and Dunkin’, Mass. was born. At least, for today. 

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🍩 Thanks for reading! Pro tip: If you’re one of the first 100 Dunkin’ rewards members in line, you’ll get 100 days of free coffee! You’re welcome <3

🎭 The results are in: 89% of B-Siders correctly guessed that the line “to be, or not to be” is from “Hamlet.” The English class try hard to daily newsletter reader (and writer) pipeline is REAL. One reader said: “Just know if the question was to B-Side or not to B-Side, I’d always B-Side.” Poetry!

🎟️ 🥳 Don't forget to grab your tickets to Best Day Ever, our Aug. 2 food, music, and shopping extravaganza at Artists for Humanity!

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