Plus, 6 questions with Maria and Ricardo's
 
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Today’s Forecast

37º | Sunny | 6% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:12 a.m. | Sunset 4:28 p.m.
 

🌮 Shellebrate local foodie history

6 questions with Maria and Ricardo’s
A tortilla filled with meat and veggies on a colorful plate/
Maria and Ricardo’s traces its history back to Jamaica Plain in the 1980s. | Photo by Maria and Ricardo’s
Starting an artisanal tortilla company in Boston — or anywhere in New England — is a bold choice. But a pair of cousins in the 1980s decided to take the gamble in the name of improving the city’s Mexican cuisine.

Founded in Jamaica Plain, Maria and Ricardo’s has been cooking organic + all natural tortillas for almost 40 years. The cousins established the company upon their move from Mexico to America to fix what they called the “Boston Tortilla Problem” — a lack of quality tortillas without preservatives. Today, their tortillas are a key ingredient in family dinners across the country.

While Maria and Ricardo’s is no longer located in JP, the company maintains its Massachusetts roots with a factory in Canton. The tortilleria now operates under a parent company, Harbar Foods, LLC.

We spoke with Ezequiel “Cheque” Montemayor, CEO of Harbar Foods, about the past and present of Maria and Ricardo’s + his favorite tortilla toppings.

What makes a good tortilla, to you?
Soft texture, clean aroma, and taste, and it should be able to roll and hold your favorite ingredients.

What makes Boston a good place to run a tortilleria? What aspects of this city have been challenging?
Boston is a good place to innovate with food and healthy trends. The Boston population is creative, health-conscious, and demanding of high quality. This makes it a perfect place for our brand, which has innovation and health at the core of its DNA.

The challenging part is both the inbound and outbound logistics. Food manufacturers that seek to grow beyond Boston experience high costs to access key inputs (i.e. raw materials) and to distribute the baked products to other big markets outside of Boston.

Up next: Tap below to learn about how Maria and Ricardo picked Boston for their new home.
4 more flavorful answers
 
Events
Friday, Oct. 6
  • John Mayer | Friday, Oct. 6 | 8 p.m. | TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston | Prices vary | Catch the “Last Train Home” after Mayer brings an encore performance of his solo acoustic tour to TD Garden.
  • Swissbakers Pre-Oktoberfest Pop Up | Friday, Oct. 6 | 5-9 p.m. | Lamplighter Brewing Co., 284 Broadway, Cambridge | Price of purchase | Get yourself in the Oktoberfest spirit with a little Bavarian pretzel (or pastry) pre-game.
  • “Stop Making Sense” | Friday, Oct. 6 | 9:30 p.m. | The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge | $13-$15 | See David Byrne perform in all his oversized-suit glory in the reissue of this classic concert film from The Talking Heads.
Saturday, Oct. 7
  • Fall Fenway Flea Market & Day Party | Saturday, Oct. 7 | 12 p.m. | Time Out Market, 401 Park Dr., Boston | Free to attend | Shop the Fenway Flea vendors curated selection of vintage finds, records, art, collectibles, and more.
  • Kim Petras | Saturday, Oct. 7 | 8 p.m. | MGM Music Hall at Fenway, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston | $52-$132 | The rising German pop star serves up edgy alt-pop on her “Feed The Beast World Tour.”
  • Quincy Food Truck & Music Festival | Saturday, Oct. 7 | 12-6 p.m. | Coddington Street, Quincy | Free to attend | Black’s Creek BBQ, Gonzalez Food Truck, Lobsta Love, and many more food vendors will park at this all-day foodie fest with live music and community.
Sunday, Oct. 8
  • Boston Celtics v. Philadelphia 76ers | Sunday, Oct. 8 | 6 p.m. | TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston | Prices vary | Wear your lucky green gear for this preseason match up.
  • Handel + Haydn Society–Israel in Egypt | Sunday, Oct. 8 | 3 p.m. | Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston | $15-$110 | Jonathan Cohen launches his first season as Handel + Haydn’s artistic director with a program performed with period instruments.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Try This

💰 What would you do if you won $1 million?
Two-Million-Dollar-Puzzle-friends.jpg
The odds of winning the Two Million Dollar Puzzle are 150x better than playing the lottery jackpot. | Photo provided by Two Million Dollar Puzzle
What would you do with $1 million?

Maybe:
  • Retire early?
  • Pay for your kids’ college?
  • Buy an epic vacation home?
  • All of the above?
Good news: The Two Million Dollar Puzzle could make that dream come true.

How it works:
  • Assemble a real 500-piece puzzle.
  • Scan the QR code.
  • Get a cash prize ranging from $1 to $1,000,000 (yep; that’s six zeroes).
Every puzzle has a prize — with two featuring the lucky $1 million.
Here's your chance to win a milly
Puzzle responsibly.
News Notes
Civic
  • Mayor Wu and the Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement have launched the Youth Worker Professional Development Program to offer free training to coaches, librarians, educators, and others who work in youth-serving organizations. Programming begins Thursday, Oct. 12 and will cover a variety of topics through June 2024.
Travel
  • JetBlue is sending passengers to the land of stroopwafels— for now. The airline launched service from Logan to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, but the Dutch airport wants to reduce takeoffs and landings for environmental reasons. (Boston Globe)
Coming Soon
  • Just in time for chilly autumn days, What A Soup will soon be ladling Thai Boat Noodle Soup and other Thai-inspired dishes in Cambridge. The business plans to open at 125 River St. in Central Square. (Boston Restaurant Talk)
Sports
  • NBC Sports Boston has tapped Drew Carter to replace Mike Gorman as the Celtics’ play-by-play announcer for the 2024-2025 season. Carter will also work with NBC during Gorman’s current — and final — season, doing play-by-plays during the preseason and most regular season road games. (Boston.com)
Edu
  • Boston College has broadened its footprint by purchasing the recently-shuttered Mount Alvernia High School’s campus and convent. The college paid $40.5 million for the 23-acre property, which is located across from BC’s campus in Newton. (Boston Globe)
Drink
  • Wash down a donut or fritter with seasonal sips at Apple Booze Bash, Short Path Distillery’s extravaganza of fall flavors ranging from apple pear brandy, spiked cider flights, and autumn gin. Bonus: Bob for apples soaked in brandy of you’re feeling ambitious.
Cause
  • The Coolidge Corner Theatre + Alfred P. Sloan Foundation have announced the 2023−2024 recipients of the Science on Screen grant program, sharing $245,000 with independent cinemas, museums, and community groups from across the country. Of the 40 recipients, three organizations hail from Massachusetts.
Active
  • Fall means perfect biking weather — and studies have shown that e-bike riders typically ride more often (and for longer distances) than traditional bike riders. This brand carries new and certified pre-owned e-bikes at up to 60% off retail; delivering them 99% assembled to your doorstep. Use code RUN for $100 off.*
Community
  • Your BOStoday Editors here. We care about Boston. We also care about the people in it. That’s why every day, we bring you positive, impactful news stories about our city — skipping the political talk, crime coverage, and biased reporting. Support our approach to local news by joining our BOStoday membership club.
Festival

🎺 A HONK! you’ll want to hear

HONK! Festival spreads joyful noise throughout the city
A group up drummers in matching pink shirts perform in sync on the streets.
aNova Brazil will perform at this year’s edition of the free, outdoor festival. | Photo by HONK! Festival
There’s only one kind of honk Bostonians want to hear, and you won’t find it on Storrow Drive. Energetic musicians will take their beats to the streets this weekend for HONK! Festival, a city-spanning celebration of community and street music.

Between Friday, Oct. 6 and Sunday, Oct. 8, dozens of bands will offer outdoor performances in Boston, Somerville, and Cambridge. HONK! emphasizes accessibility, spreading free showcases throughout centrally-located parks, plazas, and marketplaces where guests can easily interact with the music + social messages.

Now in its 18th year, HONK! attracts bands from across the country, with groups from Colorado, California, Louisiana, and Texas featured in this year’s lineup. Don’t skip over the local talent, including aNova Brazil, Dirty Water Brass Band, and brassterisk.

Pro tip: Don’t miss Sunday’s parade from Davis Square to Harvard Square from 12 to 2 p.m.
Make some noise + see the schedule
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The Wrap
 
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Today’s edition by:
Victoria
From the editor
As if Boston didn’t have enough eerie legends, there’s now an alleged 15-ft cryptid snaking through Fresh Pond in Cambridge. Monster seekers are already calling it the “Loch Fresh Monster.” A local ranger calls it...a log.

I call it another reason to stay out of fresh water.
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