What to Eat (and Drink) This Weekend

Lots of French fries (and Champagne), a new pop-up beer garden in the Fenway, and s'mores.


Moules frites at Shepard

Moules frites at Shepard come with the Best of Boston 2018 French fries. / Photo by Jacqueline Cain

Champagne and French Fries

This perfect pairing is brought to you by Shepard, the reigning champions with the best French fries in Boston. To celebrate their 2018 Best of Boston award, Shepard owner René Becker and chef Scott Jones are celebrating in the best possible way: With a French fry feast paired with high-end bubbly. Through August 18, pull up a bar stool for a pint of fries and a glass of grower-produced Champagne for $22. Plus, Jones has a rotating lineup of fry-friendly specials, like steak tartare and French fries, chili cheese fries, buffalo fries, and more, alongside bargain-priced glass pours from Chiquet, Aubry, Geoffroy, and other top-tier producers. Note that Shepard is closed on Sundays and Mondays during the summer, but when it’s open, the golden wonder is always available on the bar menu.

One Shepard St., Cambridge, 617-714-5295, shepardcooks.com.

Photo provided by Fenway Fridays

Burgers, Brews, and No Baseball Traffic

There might be a little Billy Joel-related congestion, though. Regardless, starting this week, the summer-long block party series, Fenway Fridays, joins the flood of beer gardens in Boston. Woburn-based Lord Hobo Brewing Co. is bringing the suds to the flagship Tasty Burger, whose parking lot gets the twinkle-light-and-corn-hole treatment. Select Fridays this summer, the newly dubbed Fenway Fridays Brew Deck will host a different art component—this week, it’s a screen-printing station producing complimentary totes for party-goers. Along with Boom Sauce, Glorious, and the new Angelica wheat ale, this week Lord Hobo is also bringing Pilot Series 18-03, a limited-release hoppy pilsner.

Fenway Fridays Brew Deck, Fridays, Aug. 10, 24, 31, Sept. 21, 4-10 p.m., Tasty Burger parking lot, 1301 Boylston St., Boston, thefenway.com.

Eastern Standard Boston

Photo provided by Eastern Standard

Midnight Butterscotch Bread Pudding

Speaking of potential Billy Joel-related congestion, if you find yourself stuck around the Fenway/Kenmore neighborhood on Friday night, at least you won’t go hungry. The indispensable Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks recently expanded its late-night menu to include more substantial fare every night until 1:30 a.m., including a short rib sandwich, a couple of salads, a selection from the raw bar, and more, plus nightly specials. Oh, and of course, the must-order menu staple is there: Butterscotch bread pudding.

528 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, 617-532-9100, easternstandardboston.com.

churro s'more at the Taza Chocolate Bar at Boston Public Market

On National S’mores Day, find a decadent churro s’more at the Taza Chocolate Bar at Boston Public Market. / Photo provided by Taza Chocolate

S’mores!

National S’mores Day is August 10, because of course it is. Who isn’t craving a smoke-kissed marshmallow, melty chocolate, and fresh-crunchy cookie-crackers as summer heads toward its twilight? Pick up the essentials at Market Basket, then head over to Bow Market, which is firing up the grills for your s’mores-making pleasure on Friday night. Or, let the cocoa pros at the Taza Chocolate Bar at Boston Public Market do the work for you—and improve upon it with churros. CommonWealth Kitchen provides the doughnut-discs, and Sweet Lydia’s is making the artisan marshmallows.

Bring-Your-Own S’Mores Stuff, Friday, Aug. 10, 6-10 p.m., Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Somerville, Facebook.

Churros Meet S’mores, Friday, Aug. 10, 5-8 p.m., the Taza Chocolate Bar, Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover St., Boston, Facebook.

Kimchi Fritas at Coreanos

Kimchi fritas at Coreanos. / Photo provided

Kimchi Fritas and Craft Beer

You no longer have to head to Allston for your KoMex fix: The awesome Coreanos restaurant is rolling out a food truck. The mobile unit debuts this Sunday at SoWa, where it will be parked conveniently close to the Craft Collective Beer Barn. Geonbae!

530 Harrison Ave., South End, Boston, sowaboston.com.