In this episode, Rachel Leah Blumenthal, food editor at Boston Magazine, takes us deep on this meaty regional specialty. We're grilling her to get all the answers, from the history of steak tips to the best spots to order them.

Rachel's longform feature, "The Mysterious Origins of Steak Tips, a Uniquely New England Dish"

The Northeast Philly Guy Monk portrait

A good mechanic in South Philly.

A great essay on the specific mental psychosis of a certain kind of doomer Philly fan (Defector).

Sandwich, a Cape Cod novel by Catherine Newman; I preferred Paper Palace for family secrets and kettle pond swims.

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Sean Burns, film critic for WBUR, joins the podcast to talk about Boston crime movies — the good, the bad, and the Casey Affleck. We chat about why this genre looms so large in the city's imagination, trace the arc of Mark Walhberg's career, and consider the infamous rat shot.

Plus, a sequel to our Boston versus Cambridge water taste test featuring the best the Big Apple's taps have to offer.

Saquon in the snow

Mitchell & Ness

Seth Meyer's "Boston Accent" Trailer

People Only Die of Love in the Movies (Jim Ridley)

We're talking with Jake Sconyers, host of the Hub History podcast, about the work it took take transform Boston from a 475 acre peninsula surrounded by sea and marshland to a booming city comprised of 15,000 acres. The Back Bay might be the most iconic infill neighborhood, but it's not the only one.

The new Pennsylvania license plate.

Kelly's Roast Beef is bought by a private equity firm.

Spoon's "Rhthm & Soul"

The Ted Williams tunnel floods (December 2024)

Check out Camp Zero by local novelist Michelle Min Sterling, featuring a floating city in Boston Harbor.

Have feedback on this episode or ideas for upcoming topics? DM me on Instagram, email me, or send a voice memo.