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No, Boston’s food scene isn’t just bowls. But there are some tasty ones.

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No, Boston’s food scene isn’t just bowls. But there are some tasty ones.


Readers Say

After an opinion piece in The Guardian called out Boston for having too many bowl options, we asked readers if they thought that was accurate.

“The Fool” at the Life Alive cafe in Salem, Mass. John Blanding/Boston Globe

One word typically comes to mind when thinking of Boston’s cuisine: Seafood, and lots of it, either in the form of lobster on a buttered bun, or clams in piping hot chowder, or a platter of oysters waiting to be slurped down. But those who live here really know that Boston’s food scene goes beyond that, with diverse foods centering our 23 vibrant neighborhoods. 

Does that include bowls? According to one recent visitor from Europe, who happens to be a columnist for The Guardian, she noted that Boston was swimming in bowls, and she was baffled.

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To be fair, bowls can include bibimbap, taco bowls, or bento boxes, which have heavily influenced menu items at popular chains that offer bowls. But the bowls it seemed this writer was arguing against were the ones from fast-casual chains such as Cava, Sweetgreen, and Chipotle or similar locally-owned, health conscious lunch spots. 

We asked Boston.com readers if this was a fair assessment to say that Boston has too many bowl options. But we were also curious where people were eating bowls that weren’t “spookily soulless,” as writer Emma Beddington described her “not Sweetgreen but similar” lunch.

Most of the more than 100 readers who responded to our form (71%) were rather puzzled by this writer’s observation of Boston’s food scene, but that doesn’t mean you don’t love a bowl. Some readers gave their non-salad recommendations.

But other readers thought that maybe this writer was onto something — the bowls have taken over Boston. We heard from a few readers who said yes, but still put preferences down between the big 3 (Cava, Sweetgreen, and Chipotle), but most of the yays offered no bowl suggestions.

Some respondents came out to defend the bowls, either because they taste great, or because they’re one of the only foods some with dietary restrictions or gastrointestinal health issues can find.

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Is Boston cuisine too bowl-centric?

Yes, what’s with all the bowls?

No, that’s crazy, there’s tons of other options

No, there are tons of other options

“The bowls don’t look so different from bento boxes. Is writer Emma Beddington for The Guardian going to pick on Tokyo next after Boston?” – Fred, Derry

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“Pho Le Vermicelli” – Philip W., Boston

“The French Onion Uncommon Ramen from Bone & Bread at Widowmaker Taprooom & Kitchen is unreal!  Since they opened I stop in weekly. I love adding the pork belly as well! (A) must try, nothing like it. Give me all the bowls!” – Bobby V., Allston

“Bibimbap (from) Misono in Chestnut Hill. Very affordable (chicken bulgogi only $18.95), a lot of food, tasty, (and) rice is always crispy on the hot stone bowl. It is rarely crowded for such a great restaurant, most likely because it is in a strip mall off the VFW.” – Tim O., West Roxbury

And even though most of you said Boston was not overwhelmed with bowls, you still love the convenience and choice at the bowl restaurants that were clearly the target of Beddington’s opinion piece. 

“The Roasted Mushroom, Spinach and Potato bowl from Tatte. Where? Just look out the window. There’s probably one there.” – Michele, Needham

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“Greek Vegetable Chicken Farro Bowl from Pressed Cafe.” – Dawn, Malden

“Pretty much anything from Sweetgreen. I particularly love the crispy rice bowl or the harvest bowl with modifications, of course! I have tried bowls from most of the local downtown places.” – Dawn A., Brockton

“An acai bowl from Sol Bean in Middleton, MA.” – Jocelyn N., Peabody

Yes, what’s with all the bowls?

“It all looks like slop to me. Bowls are for soups (and) stews in my book. So, I agree with the nice British lady.” – Bill B., Newton

Not yes, not no, but in defense of bowls

“Bowls suck. Low FODMap restrictions sucks. There is no ‘favorite’ regarding anything involving food right now; rather, what makes me feel physically terrible or physically OK.” – Chelsea, Charlestown

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“Our bowls in the Boston area come in so many flavors. They are mostly plant-first and healthy as heck. I also love (the) bowls just recently introduced by Clover Food Lab.  They’re all wonderful.” – Nina, Cambridge





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Boston, MA

Red Sox Icon David Ortiz Urges Boston To ‘Make It Rain’ For Free-Agent Slugger

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Red Sox Icon David Ortiz Urges Boston To ‘Make It Rain’ For Free-Agent Slugger


The Boston Red Sox hive mind doesn’t always come to a perfect agreement on what they want the team to do. That is, of course, unless David Ortiz is asking for it.

A three-time World Series champion, Hall of Famer, and one of the most clutch players of all time, Ortiz is unquestionably on the Red Sox’s all-time Mount Rushmore. Even though he retired in 2016, he’s still closely woven into the fabric of the organization.

Ortiz sees what we all do: this Red Sox team is close to being ready to contend for the playoffs, but there’s one key ingredient missing. He made his feelings known about what he hopes the front office does between now and Opening Day to address that issue.

On Saturday, Ortiz relayed a simple message to the Red Sox: spend whatever it takes to get one more big bat.

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“There’s still some guys out there that we can still go for, and I think we have a really good front office,” Ortiz said in an appearance on NESN. “To put a good lineup together nowadays is not that difficult. What you got to do is just make it rain, and you can go pick a few guys. Now pitching, on the other hand, is the toughest thing to put together.

“We got pitching. Pitching can always stop good offenses. The playoff is a playoff pitching (staff) we got right now. We line up a couple of thunders in the lineup to help (Rafael Devers) and the rest of them boys — one good bat would do.”

Ortiz and NESN host Tom Caron both strongly hinted at the end of the interview who that big bat could be: former Houston Astros All-Star Alex Bregman. Manager Alex Cora also signaled earlier in the day that Bregman would be a great fit in Boston.

Bregman isn’t quite Ortiz, but he does have one thing on him: the career record for OPS at Fenway Park. He has a wild 1.245 mark in 98 plate appearances in Boston throughout his career.

When David Ortiz asks for something, the Red Sox would usually be wise to follow through. And it seems he wants Bregman. Will that move the needle in the suites at Fenway?

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More MLB: Red Sox Predicted To Land Ex-Padres $28 Million Gold Glover In Free Agency Surprise



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Boston, MA

Greater Boston enjoys a light snow, travel not significantly impacted – The Boston Globe

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Greater Boston enjoys a light snow, travel not significantly impacted – The Boston Globe


The snow showers come from a weakening system approaching from the Great Lakes that tapped into some of the moisture from a strong storm passing south of New England.

The region was spared the worst precipitation of the storm thanks to persistent sub-freezing temperatures earlier this week, which pushed it south toward its current location off the coast of North Carolina, Nocera said. New England’s light snowfall is on the northern fringes of the storm.

Nocera added that this weekend’s “decorative snow” will not significantly impact ground travel.

The Massachusetts Port Authority issued a travel advisory for flight delays at Boston Logan International Airport. According to the flight tracking website Flight Aware, as of around 1:00 p.m. 212 flights were delayed at Boston Logan and another 15 were cancelled.

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Margo Griffin, a teaching associate at the University of Cambridge in England, was initially worried about driving through the snow on her way to get coffee in Cambridge, but said the view from the Charles River was worth the trek.

“I thought it might be a problem, but I just decided to go ahead with the plan, and I’m enjoying walking through the snow,” Griffin said.

People walked along a snow-covered path at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston Saturday, as a winter storm brought light accumulation to New England.

Erin Clark / Globe Staff

Other Boston-area residents who spoke to the Globe Saturday morning were happy to wake up to the winter scene on Saturday.

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“I am feeling wonderful about the snow. I haven’t seen it in a long time,” said Barbara Delollis, a communications lead at Harvard Business School.

Delollis already made snow day plans.

“We want to go out and have some fun in the snow, and take a lot of pictures and just remember this moment, because we don’t know how much more snowfall we’re going to see in the Boston area anymore with climate change,” Delollis said.

Talia, a Cambridge resident, said that the snow had no effect on her plans to attend synagogue with her two-year-old son Saturday morning.

“It feels nice and seasonal, which is cool because climate change is terrifying,” she said.

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Snowstorms can still occur, despite warming temperatures from climate change, Nocera said. Although Saturday’s snowfall cannot guarantee heavy snow this winter, there is a slightly higher chance of snow towards the end of the month as cold temperatures ease.

A frostbite sailor passed snow covered houseboats while headed out to race on the Annisquam River in Gloucester, Mass. Jan. 11, 2025. John Blanding/Globe Staff/The Boston Globe

Materials from previous Globe stories were used in this report.





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Boston, MA

Boston College drops Hockey East contest to Merrimack

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Boston College drops Hockey East contest to Merrimack


The second-ranked Boston College men’s hockey team suffered its first home loss of the season, falling to Merrimack by a score of 5-2 in Hockey East action on Friday night at Kelley Rink. The Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the second, but the Warriors scored the next five. BC falls to 12-4-1 overall and 6-3-1 in Hockey East, while Merrimack improves to 8-10-1 overall and 4-5-1 in league play. The Eagles opened the scoring midway through the first period when Oskar Jellvik one-timed the rebound off an Aram Minnetian shot that was saved by the Merrimack goaltender. Minnetian’s shot fell right into the path of Jellvik for the quick shot into the open net to put the Eagles in front. BC added to its lead shortly into the second period when Brady Berard scored a short-handed goal. Merrimack responded 32 seconds later with a power-play goal to get on the board, before scoring the game-tying goal less than one minute after that. The Warriors took the lead nearly three minutes later when Merrimack scored its third goal of the period. The Warriors scored twice in the third period to push their lead to three. Jacob Fowler made 23 saves while Nils Wallstrom had 27 stops for Merrimack.



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