😋🎁 ‘Tis the season to be EATING

It’s Monday, Boston.

🎄 Looking for something to do this holiday season? Well, the Globe’s got 54 options on this giant list of holiday happenings. There are markets, lights, shows, concerts, and even a performance from “Queen of Christmas” Mariah Carey herself.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• December MBTA service changes

• BOS Nation’s new name?

• Why the Pru looks different

Up first …

RESTAURANTS

It’s the season of giving … and eating

It’s the season of giving, B-Siders. And Boston.com is starting off strong by giving us the latest iteration of its monthly new restaurants list. 

Here are the new restaurants worth a res:

🍔 D16, Back Bay. This new cocktail lounge-slash-tapas bar spot is opening in the former Back Bay police station. The vibes are giving “classic meets art deco detective,” and the menu is giving … shareable. The plates will be tapas-style, a.k.a. smaller, cheaper, and made to split with the table (think: sliders, croquettes, and shrimp cocktail). Meanwhile, the locally inspired drinks (the Beanpot, the Southie) promise to be just as good. 

Things to try: 

• Sticky pork belly bao buns

• Scallops and bacon

• The Barwick cocktail with vodka, Aperol, elderflower, and grapefruit

🍸 Desnuda Cocina and Bar, South End. If this spot’s food tastes as good as its decor looks, trust us, we’ll be regulars. Seriously, this retro Latin American and Asian-inspired lounge is gorg. It's a two-level concept, with a Parisian-style bistro on the ground floor and a Japanese listening bar below it. The restaurant will serve mostly Asian and Latin “small plates,” and the listening bar features a late-night menu after 10 p.m. to complement its cocktails. Check out the menus here.

Things to try: 

• Elotes de la Calle (grilled corn with cotija cheese)

• Cod miso with pickled veggies

• Amarillo Passion with tequila, yuzu liquor, amarillo, and passionfruit

☕ Phinista Café, Porter Square. Phinista stans, get excited: The beloved French-Vietnamese Fenway cafe has opened a new location in Porter Square. Inside, you can expect the same “tropical oasis” decor, but in a larger space with more seating. As for the menu, it’ll be pretty similar to the OG, with bánh mì, rice and salad bowls, and crêpes, plus its iconic Vietnamese coffee menu and other espresso, matcha, and specialty drinks. 

Things to try: 

• Cafe Trung Vietnamese coffee

• Grilled BBQ pork bánh mì

• “Is this heaven?” strawberry and egg custard crêpe

🐟 Zurito, Beacon Hill. If you love Somaek and Temple Records, you’ll probably love Zurito, a new spot from the same BCB3 hospitality team, inspired by Spain’s Basque region. On the menu, you can expect to see a selection of pintxos, think tapas but smaller, often served on a toothpick; raciones, larger, but still shareable plates; and a few extras. The selection is seafood-heavy, but there’s a little something for everyone. 

Things to try: 

• Gildas (Cantabrian anchovies, guindillas pepper, manzanilla olive)

• Anything from the “Jamones” selection

• Garbanzo con chorizo (chickpea and chorizo stew)

QUICK QUESTION

😋 Which spot would you most like us to review?

TOGETHER WITH ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE OF BOSTON

Paws what you’re doing and donate!

🐾 ❤️‍🩹 If you tend to cry after watching “Marley and Me,” this message is for you. Now is your chance to make a difference in a furry friend’s life by donating to the Animal Rescue League of Boston. From now until Dec. 3, every dollar you give is matched — meaning twice the treats, twice the tail wags, and twice the lives saved! Your support helps ensure every animal gets the care they deserve. Donate now and double your impact. 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚃 New month, new MBTA service changes. Boston’s shutdown era isn’t exactly ending anytime soon, but that’s not going to stop us from celebrating the final shutdown of the MBTA’s massive Track Improvement Program. This month, the T is set to nix its last few slow zones with a pretty significant disruption on the Green Line Extension, spanning about two weeks starting Dec. 6. Aside from some weekend work on the commuter rail, that’s pretty much it. Now we just have to wait for the 2025 shutdown schedule … 

🚓 There might be more cops on the Common. Last week, Boston Police laid out a new strategy meant to address safety concerns in specific areas around the city. The goals? Increase police visibility in areas of high concern and emphasize community engagement. The plan is citywide, but target areas include Downtown and the Common, since they’ve seen an (at least, anecdotal) uptick in drug use and violence in the last year, which police have linked to Mayor Michelle Wu’s encampment removal at Mass. and Cass. 

⚽ BOS Nation might be over before it begins. Remember that mega-controversial campaign for Boston’s soon-to-be National Women’s soccer league team BOS Nation (as if you could forget “too many balls”)? Well, now the team is hinting that it might change its name with a new post on social media. The post explains a new process “through which we will seek out, listen to, and reflect on input about our team name.” Welp, there’s really nowhere to go but up. Share your feedback here.

🏒 The Bruins are officially in the centenarians club. Sunday marked the 100-year anniversary of the team’s first-ever game, and the end of its yearlong centennial celebrations. But at least they ended with a bang: A new, bronze bear statue was erected outside of TD Garden, and the B’s played a special centennial game against the Montreal Canadiens. As for the statue, it’s six feet tall, 10 feet long, and weighs 3,500 pounds. And the game? We won 6-3.

THINGS TO DO

Weekday checklist

🎄 See the ISG in its holiday best. From December to January, the Isabella Stewart Gardener’s iconic courtyard gets a festive makeover with some holiday-inspired red, green, and silver plants. Fun fact: Some of them are grown right in the museum’s greenhouse.

🚶 Holiday shop in the coziest fashion. A.k.a., a holiday stroll. It’s a cozy night where local businesses stay open to encourage the community to walk around, nibble, sip, and shop together. This week, there are at least seven to pick from.

🪶Shop fabulous Indigenous-made goods. This Thursday to Sunday, the Pru is hosting the Cultural Survival Bazaar. It’s a festival where 30-plus Indigenous artists showcase and sell their work, from live music and storytelling to art, clothing, and jewelry. 

🍫 Shavasana and sip (on some Taza hot cocoa). If you’re gonna work out, you might as well end it with cocoa. On Wednesday, Taza Chocolate in Somerville is hosting a holiday yoga and hot chocolate evening.

💡 Light up the Fenway. Literally! On Wednesday night, the neighborhood is hosting a “Light up the Night” event. It’s a tree lighting slash luminary walk slash beer and pizza party at The Station. It all starts at 6 p.m.

🖼️ View some fine arts after dark. At the Harvard Art Museum’s nighttime series. This Thursday, the museum’s galleries will be open late to browse, plus there will be snacks, drinks, music, and giveaways.

🧊 Get icy at Assembly Row. There are a lot of holiday strolls this week, but only one Ice Sculpture stroll (that we know of). It’s on Thursday night, and there will be nine stunning, frozen sculptures to see.

🪩 Groove to an R&B legend. Grammy-nominated R&B artist (and Mariah Carey, TLC, and Usher collaborator, NBD) Trey Lorenz is bringing some “Christmas magic” to Grace by Nia on Wednesday.

ONE LAST THING

31 nights of lights

If you’ve ever looked at the Pru in December, you might’ve noticed it sporting some … unconventional colors. Well, those are all a part of the landmark’s annual “31 Nights of Lights” tradition, where the Pru lights up in honor of 31 charities and holidays throughout the month. 

For example, tonight it’ll be teal and orange for Hospitality Homes, Tuesday it’ll be teal, purple, and gold for ACE of Greater Boston, and on Dec. 26, it’ll be blue for Hanukkah. You can check out the entire list of colors and charities here.

Pro tip: If you want to see the colors turn, it happens at 5 p.m. on the dot every night.

— Written by Gia Orsino

💡 Thanks for reading! Should we start a petition to make it B-Side purple the rest of the year?

 💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Animal Rescue League of Boston, for supporting local journalism and helping every animal find a loving home. 

🦃 The results are in: 40% of B-Siders say that stuffing is the ultimate Thanksgiving food, and we have to agree. One reader said: “Including the Trader Joe’s stuffing potato chips! drooling just thinking about it.” Why have we never heard of this?

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