😩🍪 We’re down bad for these cookies

🚲 Good news: We’ve got a $10 Bluebikes credit for ya! Here’s the code: BCBSMAORANGE26. Everyone say, “Thanks, Blue Cross Blue Shield!”

🙌 Oh, and remember to ask for Emily! (No, not our Emily.) You can snag complimentary ice cream, flowers, bevs, books, and movie tickets at local bizzes around the city today in honor of the new movie “Finding Emily.” All you have to do is ask for Emily!

🥳 And everyone wish a v special HBD to B-Side Member Ashley Lesperance! Instead, we’ll ask for Ashley in your honor.

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

Ding ding! Cookies are ready! For this month’s edition of B-Side Hotline, reader Rachel G. asked us where she can find the best chocolate chip cookies around Boston. Tough job, huh? 

So we asked our team, our experts, and our delightfully picky B-Siders to get the scoop on who’s baking Massachusetts’ most famous cookie. Here’s what they said:

YOUR PICKS

🍪 Clear Flour Bread, Brookline. They’ve got crispy edges. They’re properly gooey in the middle. Also important: “They're huge!” said reader Kat Kuhlmann. That’s exactly why readers are obsessed with Clear Flour’s chocolate chunk cookie. It’s “perfectly chewy but keeps [its] structure and stays crumbly, the chocolate distribution is evenly layered and generous,” according to B-Sider Jodie. *chef’s kiss*

OUR PICKS

🍪 L.A. Burdick, multiple locations. Emily’s fussy about what kind of CCC she shells out for — after all, her guncle is the man behind the NYTimes’ viral chocolate chip cookie recipe. But Burdick’s take, loaded with high-quality dark chocolate, crunchy walnuts, and a touch of fresh vanilla bean, is in a flavor league of its own. Bonus: They also make a great gift. <3 

🍨 jm Curley, Downtown. OK, Kelly admits this might be a stretch, BUT ... instead of bevvies, she and a friend ordered a post-work skillet chocolate chip cookie from jm Curley, and she still dreams of it to this day. It’s definitely more of a capital D dessert: warm and gooey, topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, and plenty for two to share. Final verdict: Cookie skillets > cocktails.

EXPERT PICKS

This month’s expert is chocolate chip cookie aficionado, WBZ reporter, and internet sensation Matt Shearer! His credentials? He used to run this very wholesome IG account documenting his quest for the perfect CCC in Greater Boston. 

🧈 Forge/Bloc Cafe/Diesel Cafe, Somerville. Their brown butter CCC is equally soft and crunchy, with a flavor that hits you like a slap in the face from the Easter Bunny. And fun fact: They’re all from the same owner, so it’s the same cookie at each spot!

🔥 Blunch, South End. As the name suggests, this triple chocolate chip cookie is packed with dark, milk, and semisweet chocolate. It’s on the thicker side, which = crunchy outers, gooey innards. And the vibes speak for themselves: You walk in and see a huge stack of fresh cookies next to a picture of Guy Fieri. Say less.

💪 Elmendorf Baking Supplies & Cafe, Cambridge. Shearer thinks this is a soft cookie enthusiast's dream: Just a *kiss* of crunch. The rest melts in your mouth in a way that might make some worry about salmonella … but you don't even care. To quote him directly: it’s “so greasy that it glistens in the sun like a bodybuilder's abs.” *drools*

👀 Got a question you want answered? Drop it here to be featured in next month’s hotline!

⭐ Boston just got a gold star for being a welcoming city. <3  Well, actually, four stars. Welcoming America, a nonprofit that builds inclusive communities for immigrants, just gave the city a four-star “Certified Welcoming” rating based on factors like gov’t policies, education, safety, and more. And we’re in good company with other highly ranked cities like Chicago, San Jose, and the five-star San Fran. Bonus: You can celebrate at the city’s Welcoming Week from Sept. 10-19 ft. arts, wellness, and economic development events.

👀 Meanwhile … Mayor Michelle Wu is sussing out who might lease to ICE. ICYMI, ICE posted a notice saying they might need ~250 parking spaces in Boston for “market research and information-gathering.” So the city just filed a public records request to learn who responded and sent a letter to the city's parking garage and lot owners directly, asking them not to lease to ICE. For context, Wu’s admin already sent info requests on those who’ve been detained by ICE, and barred the agency from using city property for immigration raids.

🍦 Watch out, froyo’s in its comeback era. While we don’t have many froyo shops left around Boston, the ones we do have are busy. See: Gen Z putting the “line” in BerryLine. And we’re seeing this froyo bump throughout the country. Back when we were in full froyo bloom in ~2013 (remember Pinkberry and Red Mango?), it was all about low-fat and low-cal diet trends. Now, everyone’s eating it for the protein and probiotics … or “to take the edge off.” Tbh, we’ll take a drunk froyo over a drunk cig.

🚌 This is your sign to book that NYC trip. ‘Cause OurBus just rolled out one-way bus rides starting UNDER $20 from South Station to the Big Apple for August and September. Seriously, we’re seeing $17 each way for the weekends of Aug. 29 and Sept. 12. Wanna go to D.C. or Baltimore instead? You can catch a sub-$30 bus on select weekends, too. Plus, there’s complimentary water, wifi, bathrooms, and charging ports on board. And yes, you can bring a bag up to 50 lbs fo’ free!

🍺⚾ Yup, pitcher Garrett Crochet is taking the stage for a Q&A. Then he’s heading behind the bar to pour Sam Adams’ Our City, Our Beer on Thursday, Aug. 20, at Time Out Market. Stick around for live music and a screening of “Fever Pitch” on the lawn as the sun sets on Fenway. Want a pic with Garrett? Buy a meet-and-greet ticket here before they’re gone! 

Is Phoebe Bridgers singing about the Liberty Tree Mall??? Yup, that’s right. Phoebe just released her “Lost Weekend” album last week, and one of the songs is literally called “Liberty Tree.”

In case you’re new here, the Liberty Tree Mall is a North Shore icon where locals once LOVED to hang out (yes it’s just a typical mall, but we love her). One of those locals? Bo Burnham, a.k.a. Phoebe’s man since 2022. 

“It’s about falling in love in a hopeless place,” Bridgers said.

Back in the mall’s heyday, it used to be poppin’ (here’s a FB group dedicated to it for proof) … but now it’s lookin’ much more dead … 

And her lyrics get right to the point: “Liberty Tree Mall, in the photo booth. This place is dying, we don’t care if we’re living proof.” Yikes …

— Written by Kelly Chan and Emily Schario

📸 Thanks for reading! We can already picture the lines for this photo booth.

🗳️ The results are in: 69% of Dem. readers are Team Markey. But one B-Sider said, “Too Old vs. Too Obnoxious = Terrible choice.” Oof.

⛳️ We made an oopsie! The LPGA FM Championship is in Norton, not Norwood. Our bad!

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