A Fire Temporarily Shutters Back Bay Staple Trident Booksellers and Cafe

Temporary Shutter

Trident Booksellers and Cafe (338 Newbury St., Boston), a Back Bay staple for over 30 years, is temporarily closed due to a fire that broke out around 11:45 p.m. on February 28. No injuries were reported, but the store suffered a lot of water damage from the sprinklers. Trident is a bookstore and event space that also serves a giant menu of diner food and beyond, from a huge selection of egg-based dishes (including the “choose your own eggventure!”) to poutine, not to mention juices, smoothies, beer, and wine. And “mega tots.” Keep an eye on Trident’s active Facebook page for updates regarding a reopening date.

A Bow Market Preview

The monthly E-Som Market at La Brasa (124 Broadway, East Somerville) — which features local small businesses (food, art, etc.) — returns tomorrow, March 3, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a sneak peek at a number of vendors who will have space at the forthcoming Bow Market. While tomorrow’s market lineup is mostly in the shopping realm, Maca (macarons) and Buenas (empanadas and sauces) are scheduled to appear. And La Brasa will be serving brunch, too.

Malt Madness

If you like bracket-style competitions (it’s March, after all) and beer, you’re in luck: Boston Magazine has replaced its annual Starch Madness competition with Malt Madness this year, and voting is now open for the first round, which will last through midnight on Wednesday night, narrowing the field of 64 Massachusetts breweries down to 32. After subsequent rounds, the “Malt Master” will be announced on April 5.

Weather Alert

It’s gross out today, whether or not this storm lives up to some of the most extreme predictions. That means it’s a good day for comfort food. Try ramen, spaghetti and meatballs, or dumplings.

One Thing You Should Eat Today

Continuing along the line of thinking above, there’s one specific ramen you should try today, if you can sneak away for a downtown lunch break and snag one of the few available seats. Oisa Ramen (1 ¹⁄₃ Broad St., Downtown Boston), currently open 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays only, serves a short menu in a small space — three ramen options for dining in and three donburi options for takeout. There’s a reason Oisa was so popular as a pop-up; now that it’s found a permanent home, it’s time to pay a visit. Two of the ramen options use Oisa’s vegan smoky shoyu stock, and there’s also a pork-based tonkotsu (or the option to add pork belly to the others).

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

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