Boston’s hottest restaurant is … OK
Plus: 🍩 Dunkin’s fighting words
It’s Tuesday, Boston.
🎨 Free watercolor classes? Sign us up! The city just dropped a fresh lineup of free watercolor classes in public parks and green spaces, and they usually fill up quick. Sign up here ASAP!
👀 What’s on tap today:
- Cambridge Porchfest’s glow up
- Boston’s best food hall
- Dunkin’s fighting words
Up first…
B-SIDE CERTIFIED
IG vs. reality: Dinner edition
Soooo … we might get some hate for this one. For this month’s edition of B-Side Certified, you sent us to Dalia, a new Spanish tapas restaurant in Southie that’s already won the hearts of many Boston influencers.
*Checks to see if the influencers are gone* OK, here’s what we really thought …
✨ If we’re rating on vibes alone, Dalia would be No. 1. Imagine: A family of grandiose tasseled lamps, a long, luxurious bar, a skylight dripping in plants, all centered around a buzzing open kitchen. Simply put: It’s drop-dead. We snagged two seats at the counter lining the kitchen. Yes, we were sweating … but dinner and a show is a fair trade.
🍷 Finally, fun cocktails that AREN’T $20. The Daliamoxto ($15) made with red wine, Vermouth, and Dr. Pepper (!) was like sangria’s cooler sister: semi-sweet, bold, and wears cherry red lipstick on a Tuesday. We’ll take an IV please! And while we don’t typically reach for sherry, Dalia’s list (organized from dry to sweet) was very approachable. We settled on a $12 palo cortado with notes of citrus peel and toffee — smooth, complex, comforting. *chef’s kiss*
🫛 The real standouts? The veggies … and bread. You simply MUST order the pan frito ($15), a hot, crispy, fluffy, slightly-sweet plate of bread paired with creamy smoked butter that belongs on everything. The confit cabbage ($12) was a flavor bomb laden with black garlic aioli and crunchy puffed rice, while the charred snap pea salad ($12) was bright and crunchy thanks to the burnt orange chimichurri (our new fave way to eat our veggies).
🇪🇸 The classic Spanish tapas? Meh. Patatas bravas ($9) should’ve been a layup, but Dalia’s lacked fat, acidity, and salt. The $16 octopus was chewy. And the jury’s still out on the txistorra “hot dog” with chorizo, peppers, and onions. Mini hot dogs? Fun! $12 for two mini hot dogs? Not fun! We felt that same energy for these crab-stuffed churros ($14) topped with caviar. Tasty, but tiny.
🍓 The desserts didn’t fully stick the landing. The Basque cheesecake ($12) topped with mango and lime was yummy, but missed that signature deep, caramelized char. And while the leche frita ($9) reminded us of poppable mini Toaster Strudels dunked in strawberry preserves, they felt more fit for a tween than a sophisticated restaurant.
🙁 The biggest tell: We left hungry. After splitting two drinks, seven small plates, and two desserts, I still needed a snack when I got home. Maybe the 4:30 p.m. reservation played a role (they book up FAST). But feeling full should be a requirement if we’re spending $181.94.
✅ The verdict: B-Side Certified … with caveats. Come for the drinks, the vibes, and a handful of standout bites. But skip out on a satiating dinner unless you’re ready to ball out. The hype (plus the hoops to snag a res) might leave you wanting more.
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TOGETHER WITH THE RACE CANCER FOUNDATION
🏃 Summer running series with a cause (and pizza!)
The Race Cancer Foundation is hosting eight Thursday night 5Ks along the Charles River from April 30 through September, and the Full Season Pass makes it easy to commit. Sign up once, show up consistently, and knock out your weekly miles with a crew that’s there for the same reason. Plus, save $20 on the pass with code BSIDE20.
The Full Season Pass includes a personalized UPF shirt, your choice of race bib number, no check-in lines, and post-race beer and pizza every week. The races support cancer research and patient care, so every mile counts toward something bigger. Races start at 7 p.m. along the Charles. Sign up here.
CITY
Quick & dirty headlines
Image: Erin Clark/The Boston Globe
🎶 Cambridge Porchfest is getting a glow-up. Organizers are doubling down for year two after last year’s successful debut, which saw 80 musical groups rock out on Cambridgeport porches and public spaces in Central Square. They’re beefing things up for this year’s event (July 11-12), adding porches in Riverside and The Port, plus businesses in Harvard Square, all of which = a much larger roster of performers (though the official lineup is still in the works). In the meantime, you can pregame at Somerville’s Porchfest on May 9.
⚾ The Red Sox are cleaning house. The team gave the boot to longtime head coach Alex Cora and six key assistants this weekend after an *ahem* underwhelming start to the season. Team leadership called the move a “painful” but “necessary” decision to target a postseason run, but it came as a major shock for players, reporters, and fans alike, especially considering Cora’s winning record … and many seem unconvinced it’ll move the needle. As for Cora, he’s doing what anyone would post-breakup: Lots of performative posting. At least tickets are cheap!
🍔 The best food hall in Boston … isn’t Quincy Market. That title belongs to High Street Place — at least, according to USA Today’s Reader’s Choice Awards. The downtown food hall was ranked No. 1 in the country this year for its 20 “distinctive food and drink concepts” and “dynamic lineup of events” (our go-to is Gracenote Coffee). While we’re here, Boston Public Market also deserves some flowers: It was ranked the third best public market in the country in the awards. Check out the full lists.
🎓 Mass.’ commencement speaker lineup is STACKED. Hilary Duff. Conan O’Brien. Sheryl Sandberg. Will.i.am. That’s just a handful of the buzzy names that’ll be speaking at graduation ceremonies across Massachusetts this spring. While the list steadily trends toward celebs — for better or worse — speakers range from A-listers to astrophysicists to local and national politicians. We’re particularly jazzed for South Carolina women’s basketball coach slash icon Dawn Staley at Smith. Check out all the local speakers here.
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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT
🌶 Cambridge’s spiciest day of the year
The third annual Boston Hot Sauce Festival is bringing global flavors, spicy challenges, and fiery cocktails to The Foundry in Kendall Square. Explore sauces from local and small-batch makers, watch chef demos at the Spicy Food Lab, hear Pepper Chats from industry experts, and test your limits at the League of Fire chili-eating challenge. Two sessions run from 12 to 4 p.m. and 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. B-Side Members save $5 on admission. Details and tickets here.
ONE LAST THING
Philly Kreme doughnuts
Illustration: Gia Orsino
Dunkin’ is on thin ice with Celtics fans this week. During the Celtics-76ers playoff series, select Dunkin’s in Philly have rebranded their Boston Kreme doughnut to … a Philly Kreme.
Despite Dunkin’s Boston roots, “Philly really knows how to run on Dunkin’,” the chain told NBC. Then, they dropped these fighting words: “During playoffs, there’s no room for Boston in Philly … not on the court, and definitely not in a dozen donut box.”
We can’t say we’re not a little surprised. But considering the C’s are currently up 3-1 (which means they need just one more W to advance), they’d better figure out where their loyalties lie soon … especially if we’re facing the Knicks.
The game will tip off tonight at 7 p.m.
— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario
🏀 Thanks for reading! Maybe they’re having some regrets about their Super Bowl pick.
💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, The Race Cancer Foundation, for supporting local journalism and giving Bostonians a chance to contribute to cancer research while doing what they love.
💬 The results are in: 67% of B-Siders said they take “Masshole” as a compliment. One reader said: “Been called worse.” Lol.
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