Tara Bellucci

This has been a hugely impactful year for me. I stepped into the role of Time Out Boston editor midway through 2024, expanding my longtime beat of Boston dining to encompass all the awesome ways to enjoy life in this city. Of the innumerable experiences I took on this year—I’ll never forget you, Polly Pocket house—there are meals and events that have stayed on my mind. With insight from Time Out contributors and hours spent scoping out countless museum exhibits, music venues, restaurants, bars and more, here’s what should be on your radar as the year winds down.

September brings the best of both summer and fall to Boston. The college bars are busy again, patios aren't all yet closed for the season, and sunny-and-75 beach days come without the crowds. But autumnal entertainment is gaining on us, and winter will be here soon enough (sorry!). Here’s how to make the most of September in Boston.

The South End is arguably one of Boston’s best neighborhoods for dining, and it’s about to get even better. The new restaurants opening this summer and fall range in cuisine from American to Chinese to Greek, with quick and casual vibes, as well as lively bars and neighborhood bistros. As summer winds down and blends into fall, be sure to check out these new South End spots in the coming weeks and months.  RECOMMENDED: Where to stay in Boston

This haunting film screening in Somerville pays homage to Boston’s first queer bar  Georden West’s Playland is more than just a film; it’s an homage to Boston’s rich, complicated LGBTQ+ history. After debuting at the Rotterdam Film Festival, Playland is finally coming home with showings at the Somerville Theatre on November 18 and 19. These screenings bring West’s intricate, haunting portrait of queer Boston to the audiences it was created for. Playland is a poignant, experimental tribute to what was once Boston’s oldest gay bar. West first stumbled upon the story of Playland Café while diving into the archives at Boston’s History Project. “I first learned about it in the Archive,” the director recalls. “It's a treasure trove, really.” Playland Café, which opened in 1937 at 21 Essex St. in Chinatown, held legendary status as a lively refuge for Boston’s LGBTQ+ community until it shuttered for good in 1998, closing a chapter on one of the city’s earliest queer spaces. As West describes, they were captivated by the legacy of Sylvia Sidney, a notorious Boston drag queen whose exploits frequently ended at Playland. Sidney’s story, along with Playland Café’s cultural importance, drew West deeply into Boston’s queer past. “I think just the richness of her archive, coupled with something that has so much historical gravity—I was drawn to it,” West shares. In Playland, West reimagines the lost bar through an ethereal, almost ghostly lens. The film is less a direct retelling of histo

The newest concept from Xenia Greek Hospitality (Greco, Krasi, Bar Vlaha, Hecate), Kaia is the group’s first venture in the South End, set to open at luxury condo building The Quinn in September.  Focusing on the relaxed vibes and fresh cuisine of the Aegean coastline—an arm of the Mediterranean Sea that's located between the Greek peninsula and Anatolia—owner Demetri Tsolakis tells Time Out Boston that the menu will be meze-style for maximum flexibility. People should be able to pop in for a drink and a snack, or stay for a full meal, depending on their moods, Tsolakis says. He wants Kaia to have that carefree island attitude. “When you're done with your swim, you go sit at a table and they will make you what is fresh. That’s the Aegean way,” he says. That means the 100-seat space in the Ink Block area will have room for walk-ins, both at the 24-seat bar and in the dining room. There’s also room for private and semi-private events, and a 42-seat patio. In addition to small plates, Kaia will focus on whole fish, “whatever’s fresh,” says Tsolakis, as well as island specialties like astakomakaronada, a Greek lobster pasta. Kaia’s drink program will include “meticulously curated wines and refined cocktails,” according to the website. Tsolakis says “wizard of Greek wine” Evan Turner has a menu that also includes “some New World wines,” and some “really nice funky orange and amber wines.” Knowing this group’s track record for excellent Greek cuisine and drinks, get ready to shout

A South End neighborhood staple is set to return in fall 2024 under new ownership. Seiyo, a Japanese restaurant and liquor store specializing in wine and sake, closed in October 2023 after 19 years. New owners Joe Sun and his wife, Siying Wang, originally hail from Dalian in northeast China, where there is a lot of Japanese influence. Sun cites sushi as the couple's favorite cuisine. After the transfer of the liquor license and some minor renovations, Seiyo is poised to reopen in September or October, Sun says. The menu of maki rolls, nigiri and rice bowls will be virtually unchanged, he adds, with some possible additions like takoyaki, a fried ball-shaped Japanese snack. (The original spot’s take on California-style maki was particularly fun, with Maine jonah crabmeat, cucumber and avocado in the classic and a New California version with avocado, black tiger shrimp, asparagus and tobiko.)

After closing earlier in 2024 for renovations on the Shawmut Avenue space (there’s another location in Dedham), Mexican restaurant El Centro reopened in early August with a revamped interior and longer bar. The website notes that the menu is also new, while still focusing on the family recipes and house-made tortillas that chef/co-owner Allan Rodriguez learned from his grandmother. The “clasico” section of the menu has your favorites like burritos, flautas, chimichangas and chile rellenos, all with your choice of protein. On the “nuevo” side, you’ll see options like patatas bravas, beet carpaccio, a smoked fish quesadilla, and several different preparations of shrimp. The drinks menu offers a selection of craft cocktails, including margaritas and mezcalitas in several flavors like strawberry, coconut and tamarind, three sangrias (roja, blanca, and spicy) and a variety of Mexican beers. 

A new South End bistro from Matt Sullivan (Sullivan's Public House, Nantucket’s The Tap Room) officially opened on July 23. The menu is focused on American fare, with staples like a Caesar salad and a burger, as well as full and half portions of pasta (plus a summery blue crab risotto), and entrees like umami glazed sea bass and grilled filet. The white brick walls and tin ceilings are just as classic and charming as the menu, with window-front tables for people-watching and a long bar for grabbing a Shawmut Spritz (an elderflower liqueur-based take on the Italian staple) and a friendly chat. Currently open nightly for dinner, brunch is planned for the fall.

Boston’s second franchise location (the first is in Chinatown at 52 Beach St.) of this Michelin-recommended NYC spot has its grand opening on August 5, 2024. The fast-casual outpost known for its soup dumplings also offers rice bowls, noodles and dim sum favorites, including potstickers, wontons, crispy pork buns, siu mai and scallion pancakes, which are available regular or rolled with beef. For drinks, there are a few fruit and milk tea options, as well as housemade soy milk. The location is the former Bar Lyon space on the corner of Washington and Massachusetts Avenue, with a variety of seating options and convenient touch pad ordering in addition to counter service. Nan Xiang Express also has a loyalty program and app that offers pickup or delivery. 

Boston might be better known as a sports town, but the theater scene just scored a win. The Queen of Versailles—which reunites Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz with one of that show’s original stars, Kristin Chenoweth—had its opening night on Thursday, Aug. 1, at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, where limited tickets remain for its six-week pre-Broadway run. Based on Lauren Greenfield’s award-winning 2012 documentary, this riches-to-rags musical follows one megarich family’s attempt to build the largest house in America—just as the country hurtles toward economic crisis. Schwartz’s score and Chenoweth’s star turn add hilarity and pathos to this wild true-life saga.  The show opens with a historical vignette: France’s Louis XIV poses for a portrait and sings about how, at the ripe age of 23, he plans to build a country palace in the swamplands of Versailles. (Why? “Because I can.”)  The excesses and challenges of his 18th-century endeavor are mirrored in the 2000s, but with Florida swapped in for France. The new version of the Sun King is billionaire businessman David Siegel (F. Murray Abraham), the so-called “Timeshare King,” and his queen is Jackie (Chenoweth), a computer engineer and mother of eight who won the Mrs. Florida Pageant in 1993; their would-be palace is a 90,000-square-foot, $100 million mansion modeled after the top three floors of the Paris Las Vegas hotel. A film crew is making a documentary about the construction of the house when the Great Recession of 2008 ch

When it comes to food, The Big E has a little something for everyone. There’s the fry-everything-that’s-not-nailed-down category for those who want the ultimate state fair experience. There are the classic, state-specific snacks that have been available for decades and drum up heaps of nostalgia. And then you’ve got the new and novel over-the-top treats that pile precariously and are full of creative combos that are just screaming to be shared on social media. Whether you're headed to The Big E for the live music, agricultural competitions or just to check out the scene at New England's largest fall festival, there’s fair fare for you, no matter your mood.  Below, you’ll find The Big E bites you can’t miss, plus the new foods debuting in 2024. What food to eat at the Big E The cream puff Photograph: Courtesy The Big E These giant cream puffs from The Big E Bakery are classic for a reason. Piled high with cream and topped with an optional chocolate ganache, they’re available at multiple locations across the fair, and you can watch them get made at the New England Center bakery. And if vanilla is a little too simple for you, the 2024 flavor of the year is cookies and cream.  BBQ sundae This creation, dreamed up by the geniuses at Porky’s Pork Palace, looks wild but is actually just a deliciously layered barbecue dinner in a cup. Available with either pulled pork or brisket, it starts with cornbread that is piled with baked beans, mashed potatoes and your meat of choice, then

It’s a big year at The Big E. The six-state fair located in West Springfield returns for 17 days in September, and it’s going to be packed with food, fun, giant produce and of course, music.  The Big E has plenty of musical acts for free around the festival grounds, including traditional Irish music, honky tonk, and choirs and ensembles. You can even catch some nostalgic faves like Fuel, Lisa Loeb, Pepa from Salt & Pepa, Wang Chung and Chubby Checker on the Court of Honor Stage for the price of regular fair admission. There’s even a Taylor Swift singalong. Check out emerging talent on the E Stage—also free with fair admission—with acts like Hello Sister, King Saison, CATWOLF and Jelly.   But one of the reasons the Big E is worth the hour-drive from Boston is that each year, big-name headliners take the stage at the Big E Arena. Beginning September 13, headlining concerts happen every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30pm. These shows require separate tickets ranging from $39 to $69 that include fair admission for the day of the show. Some acts are already sold out, so if there’s someone you want to see, be sure to snag your tickets ASAP.   Photograph: Courtesy The Big E / Chrstopher Evans Who is performing at the Big E 2024? September 13: Phil Wickham Phil Wickham is a Grammy-nominated modern worship singer and author. His contemporary Christian music includes nine studio albums, several Christmas releases and singalong albums. September 14: Ludacris Grammy, SAG and VMA awa

When I think about the artificial intelligence revolution, I never imagined it giving me a manicure. But now that’s a possibility, thanks to beauty-industry robotics pioneer Clockwork and its nail-painting robot. A partnership with real estate firm Tishman Speyer brings the proprietary AI technology to Boston for the first time. Located at 125 High St. in the Financial District, I was excited to try the $10, 10-minute “minicure” for myself.  First, a clarification. The service isn’t a full manicure, just a polish—a robot can only do so much. Clockwork recommends that you prep for your appointment by removing polish and shaping your nails. Or, you can arrive early to use polish remover (the robot helps by twisting the jar for you!), files and other tools onsite.  Photo: Courtesy Tara Bellucci Once you have a clean, smooth surface for the bot to do its thing, you’ll choose a color pod from the panel on the side of the machine. I went with a seasonal shimmery pink called Lola, and inserted the pod where instructed. There is a learning curve, the team tells me, to having a robot paint your nails, but there’s a helpful step-by-step tutorial on the machine to guide me along. The main thing, I learn, is that you cannot move your hand during the process—as the robot paints perfectly, we imperfect humans can be quite twitchy. Guides on the bot tell me where to put my fingers, and a little belt tightens around my digits to hold them steady. (Don’t worry, it immediately releases if y