🫢 We found the biggest Massholes

🥶 We hope you handled the cold better than this rat did. Looks like we’re adding “ratsicle” to the growing list of things we never thought we’d put in this newsletter.

🥳 And happy birthday to B-Side Members Kate Mac and Sonya Joyner! As a birthday gift, we’re officially recommending you don’t look at the ratsicle. Have a great day!

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

We see your winter blues … and we raise you, good news! The feel-good train has been chugging along this month.

Here are the local stories you might’ve missed:

⛸️ This local figure skater punched his ticket to Milan. The Skating Club of Boston’s Maxim Naumov wasn’t sure he’d ever skate again after losing both his parents in the tragic D.C. plane crash last year. But this month, he was named to the U.S. Olympic figure skating team, fulfilling their shared lifelong dream. Warning: This clip of him reacting to the news WILL make you ugly cry.

🍹Free liquor licenses are changing the game for local restaurants. Remember the plan that created 225 free liquor licenses in Boston (which otherwise cost upwards of $500,000)? Well it’s already paying off big time, paving the way for more creative restaurants in historically underserved neighborhoods. See: Dorchester’s JustBook-ish, JP’s Jadu, and Allston’s Ama.

🚰 Boston may have the nation’s tastiest tap water. We’re not kidding! Despite our 200+-year-old pipes (in some places), the New England section of the American Water Works Association named Boston’s tap water the tastiest in New England at its latest annual conference based on a blind ranking. And come June, that same water will go for the gold at the national conference. Take that, Poland Spring!

🎨 A young New England artist is making Pats merch for the girls. New England native Kwein went viral for her groovy designs and aptly-named series “designing merch for every NFL team until one of them hires me.” And spoiler: The Pats actually did! Her ADORABLE merch is now available to purchase at the Patriots ProShop in Foxborough. And color us shocked: They’re flying off the shelves!

📍 This Newton couple might be the ultimate Massholes. Jenny McBride and Jo Gray started a pandemic boredom-induced mission to visit every single town in Mass. in 2021 with a trip to Natick. Five years, 351 towns, and a cult following on social media later, they finished their goal in November with a visit to Boston. Their takeaway: “You can’t really pigeonhole one thing about Massachusetts. It’s a lot of things.” 

🏈 WE’RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL, BOSTON!!! On Sunday, the Pats took down the No. 1 seeded Denver Broncos to win the AFC Championship 10-7 and punch their ticket to the SUPER BOWL(!) for the first time since 2019. After a dominant start from the Broncos, the Pats bounced back, holding steady as the conditions turned into a snowy mess. The W completes the Pats’ two-season Cinderella story from dead last in the AFC East. They’ll take on the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif. Someone PLEASE check on Drake Maye Lover.

❄️ Baby, it’s (still!) cold outside. While our biggest snowstorm in years isn’t over quite yet (the latest forecast estimates 16 to 22 inches!), we have a few snow-related reminders. Boston’s snow emergency is still on, which means parking bans are in effect. These garages offer discounted rates for folks with resident stickers. No car? Check the MBTA’s current status here. Also, trash collection is on a Monday holiday schedule. And finally, remember: Clearing the sidewalk is your landlord’s job! Report unshoveled snow using 311 (just wait three hours after the storm ends).

🍔 Time Out Market just got some more time. Turns out, the bougie Fenway food hall isn’t closing after all! And no, we’re not talking about Phantom Gourmet. Just one day before the market was set to shutter on Jan. 23, longtime Fenway developers Samuels & Associates stepped in, announcing an agreement to take over the market. Apparently, they’ll be keeping its iconic name and 15 vendor lineup, and are working on a refresh plan to tackle the issues that led to its almost-closure (sagging foot traffic, rising costs). Woop woop!

🏀 The WNBA is coming back to Boston! If Boston can’t have its own WNBA team, at least we get another Connecticut Sun game at TD Garden this summer. For the past two years, their matchups with the LA Sparks and Indiana Fever have drawn sellout crowds (also, immaculate vibes, in Gia’s opinion). So, on Aug. 18, they’ll be running it back against the Sparks. Also: New this year, the Sun will be playing two games in Hartford, including one against former UConn superstar Paige Bueckers’ Dallas Wings.

💃 Meet the Taylor Swift brain trust. It’s Swiftie night at WBUR’s CitySpace on Jan. 27. Expect iconic videos, songs from every era, plus smart Swift discourse from three experts with unofficial Taylor PhDs.

🀄 Get your mahjong on. ICYMI: Mahjong is THE latest hot girl hobby, and you can learn to play on Jan. 28 at Aeronaut Brewing’s Wednesday Tile Club. 

🎨 Whip up your own Boston masterpiece. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s paint and sip night Jan. 29 comes with guided instruction for this gorgina local landscape AND two alcoholic bevs — a steal!

⛸️ Take your lunch break at the rink. Out: Sweetgreen. In: The Frog Pong’s Skating at Lunch series on Jan. 29 that includes FREE skating and rentals. Note: From 12-2 p.m. only!

😈 Make dating a little … messy. Dorchester Brewing is throwing a chaotic singles party Jan. 30. You’re highly encouraged to invite a dating app match (or several) to meet you.

🤠 Swing your partner ‘round and ‘round. Kick up your boots and chow down on some delish BBQ at this line-dancing bash at Sweet Cheeks Q on Jan. 30. (Yes, there will be lessons!)

✂️ Put some junk in your journal. For $40, you can DIY your own junk journal from start to finish with the KMW School of Painting on Jan. 30, including materials and instruction. Bring your own junk to make it extra special.

💋 Fall in love … with romance novels. Lovestruck is turning one this weekend, and they’re throwing DOWN to celebrate from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1. Think: Temporary tats, limited-edition merch, chain stitching, and mini portraits.

All weekend, the Pats were gearing up for the big game. And Pats fans were also gearing up … to act absolutely unhinged. A few of our favorite moments from this weekend: 

Bostonians flying to Denver got the star treatment, from Ann Michael Maye surprising select flights with Bakemas cookies (if anyone tried them, our inboxes are wide open) to these local Delta flight attendants going ALL OUT at the gates.

Meanwhile, the award for most creative fan behavior goes to the fifth grade teacher, who made his students write good luck letters to Drake Maye as homework. And, of course, we gotta shout out the Bruins, who wore I <3 Drake Maye T-shirts to their Sunday game.

Never change, New England. <3

— Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🏈 Thanks for reading! *Sobs*

❄️ The results are in: 39% of B-Siders guessed that Boston would see between six and 12 inches of snow during this storm. One reader said: “I’m used to being disappointed by people exaggerating the size of things.” … Are we still talking about snow?

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