Explain Boston to Me

This week, we're talking about one of Boston's most iconic neighborhoods, the North End. James Pasto grew up in this Italian enclave and now teaches a class on its history at Boston University. It's currently Feast Season — check out this calendar to plan your outing. Have feedback on this episode or ideas for upcoming topics? DM me on Instagram , email me , or send a voice memo. If you're a local...

This week, we're grabbing a drink where everyone knows your name. Oops. Not that place — we'll save that for another day. Zach Servideo of Value Creation Labs is an entrepreneur and dude in the tech/innovation space, but he is also a former doorman at The Pour House (RIP).  We talk about dive bar culture in Boston, how it's changing in this newly moneyed era, and why we still need these sacred spa...

This week, we're talking about the housing crisis. And affordability. And development. And density. What could go wrong? Historian Jacob Anbinder is an expert on how cities grow and evolve, and the forces aligned against those changes. We discuss Boston's NIMBY-est towns, the recent drama in Milton over the MBTA Communities Act, and why we should take people at their word when it comes to why they...

Let's hit the sand! We're talking about Revere Beach with Jan Dumas, a proud resident and city booster. We get into the area's history, its rough reputation and weigh in on the original Kelly's Roast Beef. If you'd like to know more about what's going on at Revere Beach and its past, head to reverebeach.com . Here is the heat map of Twisted Tea consumption and here is the Philadelphia Magazine  fe...

Happy first birthday to Explain Boston to Me! In this episode, I'm joined by Marian Esanu and Victor Chaves of Premium Q Moving & Storage to talk about the wild world of moving in Boston. From Storrow-ed vehicles to helicopter parents to the September 1 move-mageddon, the industry here has its own particular challenges. As I explain in the show, this is not sponsored content. Here's my appeara...

In the second installment of Boston Movie Club, I'm joined by Southie native and former EBtM guest Pat Toomey (check out his episode here ) to chat about The Departed . I was new to this Scorcese gangster flick —  cranberry juice! Nicolson in a bucket hat! Wahlberg! rats! — and was thrilled to have a local talk me through its complicated legacy. What are your thoughts on The Departed ? DM me on In...

How did Boston's Catholics go from a scorned minority to the dominant force in local politics and culture? Lots of reasons! Here to walk us through it is Craig Tichelkamp, a Harvard Divinity School-educated scholar who teaches at Stonehill College. Also, Dunkin' feedback! And an update on the next Movie Club installment. Have feedback on this episode or ideas for upcoming topics? DM me on Instagra...

It's finally time. We're chatting about the brand that is perhaps most closely associated with the Boston region. The conversation touches on the mustachioed man ("time to make the donuts"), the iconic color scheme, the kinds of people you find in a Dunkin', music festival brand activations, Coolattas,  Ben Affleck, and so much more. Here's a link to Casey Affleck's SNL sketch .  And her...

Sometimes episodes of EBtM deal with the "what" — this one deals with the "why." Boston Globe reporter and podcaster Shirley Leung joins us to explain how Boston's restaurant scene has long been stymied by esoteric liquor regulations. This has a profound trick-down impact on the area's culture, its retention of young creatives, and its low-income neighborhoods. Fortunately, hel...

In this episode, we're learning all about the incredible history of candy manufacturing in Boston. With Jeremy Spindler of Spindler Confections as our guide, we cover the meteoric rise and slow demise of a signature New England industry — it's a bittersweet tale, to say the least. And as a bonus, it's taste test time! Listen as I sample some of the area's classic candies, including the famous/infa...

This week, we're kicking off summer by chatting about Cape Cod. Sharing his thoughts, feelings, and shark avoidance tips is Joe Fenti, standup comedian and corporate drone, who recently went viral for his video about the Seaport — one of our favorite topics over here at EBtM. Check out Joe's content on Instagram ( @fentifriendchicken ) and Tiktok , or book him to produce a standup show in any spac...

First, we've got fashion episode feedback! Then I'm chatting with Kelly McGrath, executive director of Brighton Main Streets, about her neighborhood — its past, present, and future. Can this working-class haven balance the enticements of development with the downsides of gentrification? Have feedback on this episode or ideas for upcoming topics? DM me on Instagram , email me , or send me a voice m...

In this week's episode, I'm joined fashionable lady Margo Lindauer of the podcast JustUS .  We're asking the big question: Why don't people dress better in Boston? We've got theories, we've got equivocation, we've got thoughts on Lilly Pulitzer. If you want to tell me why we're wrong about local fashion — or share your own hot takes — please DM me on Instagram , email me , or send me a voice memo....

This weekend is Mother's Day, which means it's also Duckling Day . In this episode, I chat with the president of the Friends of the Boston Public Garden about the park's history, its dire state in the 1970s, and the iconic children's book that inspired both the city's favorite statue and this annual tradition. Plus, a crude Ben Franklin bumper sticker, questions about Sam Adams beer and Celtics' f...

In 1919, a wall of molasses washed through the North End. I don't think we talk about this enough! In this episode, we're talking with Lisa Mullan Perkins of Uwila Warrior about this sticky incident and its impact on the city. Plus, my pitch for the next great HBO Miniseries, working title: Sweet Nightmares: The Great Molasses Flood . We've also got an update on my emotional state and a lot of que...

I'm taking the week off, but I'm not leaving you hanging. In honor of NBA playoff season, I'm rerunning my conversation with Jake Issenberg, co-host of the Celtics podcast First to the Floor .  There's even a new intro where I reveal how Jalen Brunson is ruining my marriage and tease upcoming episode topics. Jake and I dig in on rivalries. What team is the biggest Celtics rival of all time? What e...

Boston was once declared the most congested metropolitan region in the country. So, yes, the traffic here is terrible — but what can we do about it? How can we change the structural incentives that keep people in their cars? Hint: the answer is not bigger roads. To traverse the conversational terrain of transit, congestion pricing, gas taxes, and bike lanes, we're joined by Chris Dempsey and Jeff...

We're digging back into the Boston Marathon, one of the city's most beloved and enduring events. This time, the focus is on what makes this race so special and on the rich, passionate local running culture that is its beating heart. Pacing us on this journey is Matt Taylor, founder and and CEO of Tracksmith , a running gear brand with a classic New England aesthetic that was conceived by runners,...

Romance is in the air on this week's episode as we chat with Meredith Goldstein, The Boston Globe's  dating advice columnist and host of the companion podcast Love Letters . She offers insight on finding the right person in the right neighborhood, men with fishing pictures in their app profiles, and the region's strange cocktail of Puritanism and progressive politics — did you know that you can le...

This week's episode is all about the Combat Zone, Boston's erstwhile vice district located right in the heart of the city. To talk peep shows, strip clubs, neon signs, and organized crime, we're joined by writer Stephanie Schorow , author of Inside the Combat Zone: The Stripped Down Story of Boston's Most Notorious Neighborhood , along with many other books on local history. Click here for merch:...

We're going deep on fried clams, with forays into other New England seafood classics, the woes of the local fishing industry, and why rivalries are good for business. To enlighten us on the clam wars in Essex and so much more, we're joined by Ted Reinstein, a longtime reporter for Chronicle on WCVB Channel 5 and author of Wicked Pissed: New England’s Most Famous Feuds . If you'd like to send me a...

In this episode, we're learning all about candlepin bowling, the region's scrappy counterpoint to "ten-pin" or "big ball." Tom Giordano has been working at Wakefield Bowladrome for almost 50 years and he has plenty of insight into what makes this local past time endure in the hearts and minds of New Englanders. We chat about the demise of the pin boys, candlepin on local television, and the recent...

In this episode, we're going deep on Cambridge's nerdiest neighborhood, tracing its history from industrial mecca to biotech playground. Scott Kirsner, longtime Boston Globe tech columnist and co-founder of The Innovation Trail , explains the role of MIT in the area's growth, shoots down some JKF-centric conspiracy mongering, and muses on the future of this riverside boomtown (hint: it might depen...

Is the Boston accent endangered? I'm joined by Medford native Joe DiMeo to chat about what it means to drop your Rs, Ben Affleck’s late-in-life code-switching, and how to get a discount from your plumb-ha. And, as promised, here is my travel-influencer play in The Boston Globe: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/02/17/business/taxis-logan-airport-uber-lyft/ Send us a text Hosted by Simplecast, an Ad...

Lisa McManus , foremost expert in all things kitchen gear, joins me to talk about Julia Child. This culinary icon  spent 40 years living in Cambridge, just a short walk from where I currently sit. We chat about what brought Julia to the area, her favorite local butcher shop, sending knives through the mail, and how her legacy of home-cook demystification continues with ATC .  Plus, we've got merch...