Food Culture

Comfort Kitchen managing partner Biplaw Rai outside Little Dipper in Jamaica Plain. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Restaurateur Biplaw Rai Creates Community Through Food

Managing partner of Comfort Kitchen, Rai is on a mission to uplift the voices of the community. “I create spaces," he says. “I bring people together, especially through food.”

Local Coverage

04:12Sep 20, 2021

5 Reasons To Feel Hopeful About Boston Area Restaurants

From new patios to a pop-up serving sandwiches on super-soft Japanese milk bread, here are some restaurants to check out in and around the city.

Local Coverage

Apr 6, 2021

White Lion Brewing owner Ray Berry moves some cases of Lion’s Galaxy IPA in the storage cooler. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

How Virtual 'Hell Nights' – And A Lot of Cans – Are Helping Mass. Breweries Survive This Brutal Winter

Massachusetts craft breweries are still struggling to reach the end of this long pandemic winter. We wanted to find out how creativity, community and a getting a lot more beer...

Local Coverage

05:43Mar 3, 2021

The Valentine's Day meal Clover is offering. (Courtesy Ayr Muir)

5 Valentine’s Day Meal Kits That Bring The Restaurant Home

From Eastern Mediterranean to European-inspired cuisine, five restaurants are offering the romance of dinner for two at home.

Local Coverage

Feb 9, 2021

6 Black-Owned Restaurants To Support, Not Just During Black History Month

From sauce-smothered, fall-off-the-bone ribs to rich biryanis doused with slow-simmered sauces, check out the food at six Black-owned restaurants in Boston.

Local Coverage

Feb 3, 2021

Clockwise from top left: Lemongrass pork dumplings from Mei Mei, a bottle of wine sold at Rebel Rebel, empanadas at Buenas, a collection of giftable items from Flour Bakery + Cafe and a smoked fish platter from Mamaleh's Delicatessen. (Courtesy)

From Aprons To Meal Kits, A Gift Guide For Boston Foodies

This year, more than any other, should be all about supporting local businesses and eating delicious homemade creations. Give gifts that will keep hearts and bellies full well into 2021.

Local Coverage

Dec 16, 2020

Clockwise from top left: Trillium Brewing Company’s Comm Ave Jigsaw Puzzle, Notch Brewing’s See You on the Other Side, Mighty Squirrel’s "Celebrate Mighty Moments" blanket, Lamplighter Brewing Co.'s Still Zoomed Out Double IPA and can art for White Lion Brewing Company's Winter Fruits Kettle Sour. (Courtesy)

A Gift Guide For Beer Geeks That Helps Support Local Breweries

From quaffable to wearable, here are a few suggestions for gifts of clever cans, cozy swag and even jigsaw puzzles from some Massachusetts breweries for the beer geek in your...

Local Coverage

Dec 15, 2020

Maria Pinto leads groups into the woods on mushroom foraging trips. (Arielle Gray/ WBUR)

This Boston Mushroom Hunter Is Reclaiming The Forest And Teaching Food Autonomy

Maria Pinto leads groups of young Black and brown people into the forests of Greater Boston to forage for fungi.

Local Coverage

03:48Nov 20, 2020

Like she does every year, Maggie Battista will smoke a turkey for Thanksgiving. But instead of hosting her extended family, this year she'll be with just her husband and sister. (Courtesy Maggie Battista)

Finding Meaning, And Making Alternative Plans, For A Pandemic Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving plans and traditions have been thwarted by the pandemic. But people are coming up with new ways to make the holiday meaningful for themselves and for others in a...

Local Coverage

04:57Nov 17, 2020

Victoria Pedretti (left) and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in “The Haunting of Bly Manor.” (Courtesy Eike Schroter/Netflix)

On Halloween Night: A Five-Course Pairing Of Food And Fright

To celebrate All Hallows Eve, we have a curated list of streaming scary content paired with local treats from new area eateries.

Local Coverage

Oct 29, 2020

Mitigating 2020 with cider donuts, the New England way. (Sharon Brody/WBUR)

2020 Is Bleak — A Cinnamon-Sugar-Covered Cider Treat Can Help

"Cider doughnuts are a focal point of regional pride. They are a scrumptious distraction. They are a seasonal local comfort food for discomforting times," writes WBUR's Sharon Brody.

Local Coverage

05:26Oct 25, 2020

We Asked, You Answered: The Best Places For Pie In Massachusetts

From the well-known Petsi's Pies in Somerville to the friend-created online pop-up Bushel + Crumb, there are plenty of places to get your fill on all things pie.

Local Coverage

Sep 10, 2020

Blackbird Baked Goods's Berry Cordial pie. (Courtesy Melissa Lietz)

Apple, Peach, Potato And Pork — It's The WBUR Pie Fest Reader Recipe Roundup

From cranberries to blueberries, to savory spinach and leek -- WBUR readers sent in their favorite pies for our Pie Fest recipe roundup.

Local Coverage

Sep 9, 2020

The WBUR Pie Fest kicks of Sept. 8. (Arielle Gray/WBUR)

The WBUR Pie Fest 2020

From Sept. 8-10, we're celebrating all things pie -- from its origin to its standing today. (Who knew pie could be so complex?)

Local Coverage

Aug 26, 2020

Urban Grape owner TJ Douglas examines a bottle of wine he’s pulled off the shelf to taste. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

A New Scholarship Aims To Help Fix The Wine Industry's Diversity Problem

The owners of a wine shop in Boston are planting seeds for systematic change in the beverage business – one scholarship at a time.

Local Coverage

04:55Aug 14, 2020

Tricia Procaccianti of Northboro picks a blueberry from a bush at Honey Pot Hill Orchard in Stow. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Beat The Pandemic Blues With Blueberries: A Guide On How And Where To Pick Safely

Like everything these days, picking your own fruit on a farm is different this year. So we compiled a brief guide to help potential pluckers navigate their adventures.

Local Coverage

Aug 14, 2020

Royal C. Smith at his bar, District 7 Tavern, one of five restaurant owners that established the Boston Black Hospitality Coalition. (Courtesy Max Nagel Photography)

Boston Black Hospitality Coalition Is Bringing Black Restaurant Month To August

The events will bring revenue to Black-owned bar and restaurant businesses in Boston.

Local Coverage

Aug 4, 2020

After 27 years, Bella Luna & The Milky Way closed permanently in June. (Courtesy Bella Luna & The Milky Way)

Artists Remember Bella Luna & The Milky Way, Boston's 'Cheers' For People Of Color

Many performers of color in Boston found a second home at the inclusive spaces created at the restaurant and bar. Seven artists share their memories and what this space has...

Local Coverage

Jun 30, 2020

Sofra Bakery is offering pistachio and rose coconut macaroons for Bakers Against Racism. (Courtesy Sofra Bakery)

Boston-Area Bakers Rally Against Racism In A Global, Virtual Bake Sale

The sale runs through Saturday, June 20, with baked goods from Camberville Bakers, Sofra Bakery and other local businesses.

Local Coverage

Jun 18, 2020

Contractors bring plywood painted with the words ”Black Owned Business” into The Urban Grape, to be place into the windows. During the night of the Black Lives Matter rally, one window was broken in an act of vandalism. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

'Windows Are Not Lives': Vandalized South End Black-Owned Business Keeps Focus On Black Lives

“The underlying fear of this experience for us has not been about the store. It has not been about any of that," Hadley Douglas said. "It's been about the safety...

Local Coverage

Jun 2, 2020

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Restaurateur Biplaw Rai Creates Community Through Food

5 Reasons To Feel Hopeful About Boston Area Restaurants

How Virtual 'Hell Nights' – And A Lot of Cans – Are Helping Mass. Breweries Survive This Brutal Winter

5 Valentine’s Day Meal Kits That Bring The Restaurant Home

6 Black-Owned Restaurants To Support, Not Just During Black History Month

From Aprons To Meal Kits, A Gift Guide For Boston Foodies

A Gift Guide For Beer Geeks That Helps Support Local Breweries

This Boston Mushroom Hunter Is Reclaiming The Forest And Teaching Food Autonomy

Finding Meaning, And Making Alternative Plans, For A Pandemic Thanksgiving

On Halloween Night: A Five-Course Pairing Of Food And Fright

2020 Is Bleak — A Cinnamon-Sugar-Covered Cider Treat Can Help

We Asked, You Answered: The Best Places For Pie In Massachusetts

Apple, Peach, Potato And Pork — It's The WBUR Pie Fest Reader Recipe Roundup

The WBUR Pie Fest 2020

A New Scholarship Aims To Help Fix The Wine Industry's Diversity Problem

Beat The Pandemic Blues With Blueberries: A Guide On How And Where To Pick Safely

Boston Black Hospitality Coalition Is Bringing Black Restaurant Month To August

Artists Remember Bella Luna & The Milky Way, Boston's 'Cheers' For People Of Color

Boston-Area Bakers Rally Against Racism In A Global, Virtual Bake Sale

'Windows Are Not Lives': Vandalized South End Black-Owned Business Keeps Focus On Black Lives