Itβs Wednesday, Boston.
π Fried chicken, caviar, AND champagne? Itβs allllll gonna be at Shy Birdβs Birds and Bubbles night on Aug. 21. Think: Caviar bumps on chicken dunks, sparkling wine, and fried chicken buckets. Interested? Make a res here.
π And happy birthday to reader Desiree Patten! Weβre not telling you how to celebrate β¦ but a chicken bucket and champagne sounds pretty darn good. Have an amazing day!
π Whatβs on tap today:
Trump v. Wu round two
Bostonβs fire Asian foodie scene
Jarren Duranβs doppelgΓ€ngerΒ
Up firstβ¦
B-SIDE CERTIFIED
Summer camp in Southie

Video and gif: Emily Schario
Itβs giving β¦ New Hampshire (respectfully). For this monthβs edition of B-Side Certified, we popped by Park City, a new 30,000-square-foot outdoor venue in the heart of Southie, slinging jazzed-up bar food, specialty drinks, and live music.Β
Hereβs what we thought:
FIRST IMPRESSION
π« TL;DR: Itβs The Lawn On Dβs country cousin. Maybe it was the taxidermied elk head on the bar β¦ or the gigundo American flag on the stage β¦ or the country music covers blaring from said stage β¦ but stepping into Park City felt like stepping into an adult summer camp (note: itβs *technically* kid-friendly). Imagine: cabin-like bars, a wooden pavilion, cornhole, and string lights illuminating the sky.Β
π€ The turn-up-on-a-Tuesday crowd was alive and well. Our weekday visit was ripe for young professionals grabbing a post-work drink β most of whom looked like theyβd don a Patagonia vest come fall (IYKYK).
FOOD
π Classic crowd-pleasers get a modern glow-up. Menu highlights include French fries cooked in beef tallow, fish tacos battered in crushed Takis Fuego chips, and the βadult lunchable,β i.e., a charcuterie spread. We settled on the neon orange fish tacos, a miso Caesar salad (for health!), and the chicken tenders with tallow fries that seemingly everyone was ordering.Β
π Their fried food game is 10/10. We never met a chicken tender we didnβt like, but Park Cityβs were next level: Crispy, juicy, flavorful. You could skip a dipping sauce entirely. But the black garlic ranch offered an unexpected tang and smokiness. And while the tortilla on the fish tacos was a little thick for our liking, the Takis-coated haddock topped with slaw and crema tasted fresh and zingy.
π₯ Lesson learned: Youβre not coming here for a salad. And thatβs OK! Perhaps it was just our order, but we kept wondering if the miso in our Caesar was in the room with us. Its one redeeming quality? The *fried* pecorino crispy bits β¦Β
DRINK
πΉ If you order anything, let it be the βDragon Glow.β Remember these barrel drinks you had as a kid? Imagine one of those β¦ with Barcardi Dragonberry. This perfectly pink, dragonfruit-forward juice was sweet without being sickening. Maybe we can blame the heat, but the βfirestarterβ β their blood orange take on a spicy marg β quickly lost its heat as the ice melted. And while the raspberry lime rickey was refreshing, we thought it was watered down.
π€ Good news for your wallet: They donβt skimp on the drink portions!
VALUE
π° Itβs New Hampshire vibes with Boston prices. Two cocktails, one mocktail, a salad, two mains, and we spent ~$102, including tip β pretty standard for a night out on the town these days. But pair that with a perfect summer sunset, live music, and the energy of buzzing 20-somethings, and suddenly, it feels worth it.Β
β Final verdict: B-Side Certified. The more outdoor venues, the merrier. If you're a 20-something in Southie, prepare for a new playground.Β
QUICK QUESTION!
πΊ If youβre going out on the town, do you prefer β¦
Let us know below!
CITY
Quick & dirty headlines

Image: Lane Turner/The Boston Globe
π₯ Mayor Wu is clapping back at the Trump administration β¦ again. This time, she blasted Trump and his AG Pam Bondi over a letter demanding Boston (among 34 other cities) roll back its "sanctuary" policies for undocumented immigrants. βStop attacking our cities to hide your administrationβs failures,β she said, doubling down on Bostonβs opposition to federal deportation efforts and touting it as the countryβs safest major city. Itβs unclear what the consequences might be for defying the Trump admin, but per the letter, federal funding cuts and prosecution are on the table. Yeesh.
π The Museum of Science is getting a walkable glow-up. MassDOT is planning a new pedestrian footbridge near the museum that would connect Boston and Cambridge: Hereβs a visual. The new bridge would offer a safer, car-free way for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the river without contending with busy roads, and per a conceptual rendering would run from Leverett Circle to Land Boulevard through several plant-covered βislands.β The project is still in its early stages, and will need more discussion (not to mention β¦ funding) before we see an official timeline.
π₯¦ Mass.β weed laws could be going up in smoke. Two proposed 2026 ballot question initiatives want to end recreational marijuana sales in Mass.(!) Without getting too in the weeds (sorry!), the proposals would repeal the two chapters of the General Laws that regulate the possession, use, sales, growth, and taxation of recreational weed, and set the stateβs 10.75% tax on weedβs retail sales. But donβt worry, stoners: Before they arrive on the ballot, these proposals have a long road, including approval from the AG and gathering at least 74,000 signatures.Β
π₯ Bostonβs Asian foodie scene is popping off. Once upon a time, Bostonβs Asian food scene was mostly relegated to small pockets of the city and catered to the American palate. But as Boston.com said, new chefs are bringing authentic, unapologetic Asian cuisine to every corner of the city β and producing some of the cityβs most exciting bites. Thanks to dinersβ changing attitudes and a reclamation of chefsβ creative agency, spots like Rubato, Mahaniyom, Somaek, and LΓͺ Madeline have become staples of Bostonβs βbest ofβ lists.
MEDIA SPONSORSHIP
A speakeasy night with the ladies? Yes, please.
B-Side is a proud media sponsor of the brand-new Back Bay speakeasy D16, a charming vintage bar carved into a historic police station. Tomorrow night at 9 p.m., D16 is throwing a classy end-of-week hangout for the girls β itβs Ladies Night, where youβll choose from a selection of $7 specialty martinis and dance (or unwind) to a lineup of live female DJs. The event is free, but you can RSVP here!Β
ONE LAST THING
Jarren Duranβs doppelgΓ€ngerΒ

Image: Danielle Parhizharan/The Boston Globe. Illustration: Gia Orsino
If you thought our lookalike contest era was over, think again. Over the weekend, Fenway held an *official* Jarren Duran lookalike contest, and it actually ended up being pretty heartwarming.
Out of five entrants, it came down to 12-year-old Jayson Eisenberg, who was clearly coasting on cuteness (which, FWIW, was working), and the more age-appropriate Joshua Hollingworth, who shared Duranβs tattoos, muscles, and facial hair. Unsurprisingly, Hollingworth took the W.
But as it turns out, the win meant more to him than Duran couldβve known. Hollingworth told Boston.com that heβs leaned on Duran, whoβs been open about his mental health struggles, as a source of hope and inspiration through his own struggles. Awwwww.
β Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario
βΎ Thanks for reading! Personally, weβre still waiting for that Ben Affleck lookalike contest. Just sayinβ.Β
π The results are in: 46% of B-Siders were most excited about fall-themed events. One reader said: βAll of them. Please and thank you.β Well, if you INSIST.
π Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].