😘 We have a *little treat* for you ...

Happy Friday, Boston!

🏀 The C’s aren’t just playing great this season, they look great, too. Before you get any ideas, we’re talking about their new “City Edition” uniforms. In our opinion, it blows their usual white-and-green out of the water. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• MBTA shutdown reminders

• Pour one out for Roxy’s Grilled Cheese

• A risqué Market Basket parody 

Up first…

B-SIDE CARE PACKAGE

We care about YOU

We’re only 15 days into November and have somehow aged 15 years. So we’re back with another B-Side care package to share the food, media, trends, and other delights that have been bringing us comfort during these strange times. We hope they can do the same for you. 

GIA’S RECS

🍲 This soup by Julius Roberts. Did you know if you put leeks, potatoes, chorizo, and chicken stock in a pot, it turns into the world's easiest, most flavorful soup? Now you do! It’s deliciously hearty and savory, and it turns out great every time. 

🌊 “The Wedding People” by Alison Espach. 200 pages into this book, I already know it’s getting a five-star Storygraph rating. Set in Rhode Island, it’s a beautiful story about pain, new beginnings, and meeting strangers. 

🎮 Stardew Valley. Video game buffs know I’m five years late to this party. But this cozy, Animal Crossing-esque farming game is only $15, and has single-handedly made the transition to 4:30 p.m. sunsets bearable. 

EMILY’S RECS

🍜 Gene’s Flatbread, Chinatown. And no, this isn’t the pizza kind of flatbread. It’s the hand-pulled noodle kind. With soup season in full swing, there’s nothing I crave more than a vat of these thick, chewy Chinese noodles soaked in a hot and sour broth and loaded with pork and bean sprouts. Most importantly, it’s only $11. 

🚇 “Subway Takes” TikTok series. I am simply unable to skip these videos of comedian Kareen Rahma asking celebs, TikTok stars, and average Joes their (sometimes very out-of-pocket) takes on a moving train. Some bangers: Why we should stop singing Happy Birthday to adults and restaurants need to stop serving artisanal ketchup.

👀 The Ethicist Newsletter. Have an embarrassingly personal Q you’ve been too scared to ask? The New York Times’ ethics columnist answers everything from “is it okay to keep returning purchases you’ve worn for months?” to “do I tell my son’s partner about his gambling problem?” And the comment section is equally juicy.

BOSTON GLOBE MEDIA RECS

💒 The Globe’s new wedding column. Whether you’re a hopeless romantic, love a good story, or just like to know other peoples’ business (check, check, and check, personally) “The Big Day” is a perfect treat. Start here!

🏀 “Why doesn’t Boston have a WNBA team?” If you’re a WNBA fan wondering how you ended up rooting for a Connecticut team (or whether Boston might eventually get one of its own), read on.

🍃 “Are bay leaves a scam? An investigation, and then a taste test.” Do bay leaves actually do … anything? This story about the question that everyone’s asking but no one’s answering (until now!) is tons of fun, not to mention educational.

QUICK QUESTION

🥲 What’s your go-to comfort activity?

TOGETHER WITH THE MBTA COMMUTER RAIL 

Another car-free way to get around Boston 

🚆Because you can never have too many options. Hop aboard the Commuter Rail with us and discover an alternative for traveling to the city’s 17 Zone 1A stations, from JFK/UMass and Boston Landing to Lansdowne, Ruggles, and Back Bay. With fares at just $2.40 for a zone 1A trip (the same as the subway), you can save your money for better things — like grabbing lunch in Uphams Corner or seeing a show at Strand Theater. Watch the full video here and start planning your next Commuter Rail adventure today. 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚇 We’ve got some T housekeeping to run through. First thing’s first, Red Liners: Remember that shutdown between Harvard and Broadway that was supposed to start on Monday? Well, now it’s starting Sunday at 8:30 p.m., shuttle buses included. Thankfully, it’ll still be over on Nov. 24. Meanwhile, Green Liners: Starting tonight at 8:45 p.m. through Nov. 17, service will be suspended between Park Street and Union Square as well as  East Somerville. 

💸 Chef Barbara Lynch just got a major lawsuit … from the City of Boston. On Wednesday, the city filed a $1.7 million suit for unpaid personal property taxes across Lynch’s (now shuttered) Boston restaurants. Lynch, the celebrated local chef who recently faced a slew of toxic workplace allegations, is expected to have the money to pay the taxes from the sales of her restaurants. That said, the missed payments are from as far back as 2011, and currently growing at a rate of $366.94 a day.

🎱 New England’s winter outlook is … confusing. A warming climate + a weak La Niña = a wacky New England winter forecast. The Globe’s Ken Mahan suggests that, much like last winter, this one will likely be warmer and wetter than average. But the unpredictability of La Niña might make things a little more interesting. For example, La Niña could disrupt long warm stretches with cold, wintery bursts of air. If they align with the right systems, we could see more snow than we’ve had in recent years, despite warmer temperatures.

🥪 Roxy’s Allston location will soon grill its last cheese. Translation: It’s closing. After 10 years in biz, the sandwich spot announced on Instagram that it’ll be closing its Allston location on Nov. 24. The post didn’t list any specific reasons for the closure, but did, thankfully, mention that its other spot in Central Square (and its accompanying arcade) is still slinging grilled cheese. Meanwhile, lots of Roxy’s fans took to the comments to mourn the good times and cheese pulls. R.I.C. (rest in cheese).

THINGS TO DO

Weekend plans

🏳️‍🌈 See the best new LGBTQ+ docs in town. Boston’s Wicked Queer: Docs Film Festival returns today, celebrating Queer filmmakers that share untold stories of activism, love, and resistance. You catch the fest’s lineup of films at the MFA, Brattle Theater, and ICA.

💃 Kick off Saturday with a sweat. The Soulful Sister Collective is hosting a high-energy dance cardio pop-up where all you have to bring are a pair of sneakers, a can-do attitude, and your best moves.

🧘 Take a trippy yoga class. The WNDR Museum in Downtown Crossing is the studio for this Saturday morning class where you’ll flow through poses surrounded by stunning visuals and captivating soundscapes.

🍷 Sip on a red and a romance novel. Love a juicy wine? Love a juicy romance read? You can double fist both on Saturday when the Read My Lips bookstore pops up at The Urban Grape’s free, public wine tasting.

🛍️ Get a jump on holiday shopping. Time Out Market will deck the halls on Saturday for its Holly Jolly Holiday Market, showcasing handcrafted gifts from LGBTQ+ makers and vendors. 

🎄 Start your Christmas tree engines … Because you can buy yours at Sam Adams Brewery’s holiday tree pop-up this Sunday. Not ready to pull the tree trig? They’re also teaching an ornament-making class that same day.

🍹 Draft your Thanksgiving cocktail menu (sans booze). Dray Drinks, Boston’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop, is hosting a Thanksgiving-themed NA cocktail-making class with local mixologist Smoke King Kev on Sunday.

👗 Sift through Boston’s best vintage Two beloved markets are on the scene this weekend: The Sunday Bazaar in Brighton (featuring fizzy freebies) and the FOUND market at Arsenal Yards (featuring a market-wide scavenger hunt). 

GIVEAWAY

Enter to win Two Handel and Haydn Society H² Memberships for Young Adults!

One lucky winner will receive two Handel and Haydn Society H² Memberships for Young Adults! To enter, just refer a friend and have them accept your invite by the end of the day on Nov. 15. If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

18+. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one entry per person. See Official Rules & an additional entry option here.

MEDIA SPONSORSHIP

This week’s foodie deal sponsored by The Fenway Foodies Club

Basho Sushi is serving up daily lunchtime deals until 3 PM, turning your midday break into a mini celebration! Enjoy bento boxes, Basho bowls, sushi specials, and more, with dishes priced between $16 and $25. And that’s not all, to discover all The Fenway Foodies Club latest dining deals and secrets, sign up for their newsletter or check out their blog

ONE LAST THING

A risqué Market Basket parody

If we gave you a million guesses as to why Market Basket sent a cease-and-decist to a Salem native … You still probably wouldn’t guess it’s because she’s making raunchy merchandise featuring the company’s logo (which you can see here) to promote a North Shore-themed erotic art and poetry book, “My Gaping Masshole.”

But yes, that’s what North Shore author Madison Murray had been doing for the past few months when she received a cease-and-decist letter on Nov. 7. The letter alleged trademark and copyright infringements, noting that the designs, a spoof on the company’s “More for your Dollar” slogan, “threaten the valuable goodwill associated with the Market Basket brand and its marks.”

The merch in question was taken down from Murray’s site. But you can still get a “Lana del Revere” T-shirt or some truly wild postcards! 

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🛒 Thanks for reading! OK, but you’ve got to admit that book title is wild.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, MBTA Commuter Rail, for supporting local journalism and connecting Boston — from South Station to Back Bay and beyond — with accessible transportation options.

😍 The results are in: B-Siders have spoken, and they love Chris Evans. 50% of you said he’s your favorite of New England’s three most recent Sexiest Men Alive. Multiple readers referenced this Paul Rudd line in “Avengers: Endgame.” Legends.

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