The 26th Annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl began today, offering Bostonians a slight reprieve from the heat with all-you-can-eat ice cream from 11 different creameries. The event runs today until 7pm, Wednesday from 11:30am to 8pm, and Thursday from 11:30am to 7pm, and adult tickets are only $8. All proceeds go to the Jimmy Fund for cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Bostonist sampled as many flavors as humanly possible to......

--Sacre bleu! Beamer drivers like finding items at the town dump! [Boston Globe] --Speaking of reusing instead of building new stuff, an architect is fighting to save and restore City Hall, reminding us that at one point people thought it was beautiful. Then again, people liked shoulder pads, too. [Boston Herald] --House speaker Sal DiMasi's buddy and mortgage fairy, Richard D. Vitale, is in still more trouble. He said he wasn't a lobbyist for......

--The thought of Massachusetts drivers plus a U-Turn that's open to the public makes us skittish. [WBZ] --The National Transportation Safety Board released a report saying that the crash between a train and a truck that killed two maintenance employees last January happened because "several employees of the railroad failed to do a very important part of their job." [Boston Globe] --Remember that toll increase? Well, that money might to go pay off debt. And......

We were in Detroit for the weekend, and the most frequently asked questions about Boston were "What happened in the Super Bowl?" and "Is that Big Dig thing finally finished?" The latter is easier to answer: No. The Globe reports today--months after the official ending--that there are some 2,000 tasks of varying importance that have yet to be completed by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority's contractors. The MTA says that while the Big Dig is functional......

While we assume that not everyone who planned the Big Dig were drinking at the time they did it, the news that the design prevents inspection of the bolts makes us wonder. Casey Ross at the Herald (who is afire lately with the MBTA ride-hide story) reports that not enough crawl space exists around the bolts. Even if inspectors wanted to check the ceiling bolts, they couldn't fit: The tunnel’s design blocks access to 4,000......

It was the rarest of rare occasions: a Beanpot final that didn't involve BU. Instead it was Boston College and Harvard, with the Eagles leading by two midway through the third period. BC almost blew it before taking control in overtime and winning on a Nick Petrecki goal. So two overtime wins for Boston College. And a very relieved Jerry York. BU beat Northeastern in the consolation game. Pitchers and catchers don't have to be......

Valentine’s Day is coming up next week and women everywhere are shopping like crazy to find the perfect outfit for that special date. So what about all of those single girls who have a whole lot of nothing planned for that evening? Many of them will do the generic, sit home in sweats, eat ice cream out of the container, and curse their friends who are part of a couple. Bostonist would like to recommend......

The mayors of Boston and New York City, Mayors Menino and Bloomberg, are engaging in the standard "friendly wager" based on the outcome of the Super Bowl. If you compare the two lists, it's pretty clear which city has the better food options, and we're not talking about the Big Apple here: --100 cups of New England Clam Chowder from Legal Sea Foods; --42 pounds of coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts in honor of Super......

This afternoon, the Globe reported that Cambridge ice-cream store Toscanini's is back in business. After the state seized the store for nonpayment of taxes, the owners raised enough money online to give to the state and reopen. The amount of money was staggering--$31,406 as of tonight on the site www.savetoscis.com. Owners Gus and Mimi Rancatore turned over the money, so they can open up and start paying off the rest of it. In an e-mail......

Highland Kitchen is a little off the beaten path—it’s situated somewhere in the no man’s land between Davis Square, Porter Square, and Union Square. But with a laid-back vibe, delicious Bayou-influenced food, and a fantastic cocktail menu, it’s well worth the trek. And if you don’t want to hoof it, never fear: There’s parking in the back, if you’re lucky enough to snag a spot. Bostonist went on a recent Saturday night to check......

After much fanfare, Bechtel Parsons/Brinckerhoff has agreed to settle a lawsuit from the state and will pay $407 million. Smaller companies involved with the Big Dig will pay $51 million. $400 million seems small given the cost overruns of the Big Dig, but the state won't be turning that kind of money down. The AP report on WBZ notes that Bechtel Parsons/Brinckerhoff received $2 billion for consulting on the project, so this is a partial......

One of your favorite childhood treats is all grown up now. The classic Root Beer Float has taken a decidedly adult turn with the Beer Float. For best results, pair your favorite Stout or Porter with some creamy vanilla ice cream and you've got a delicious dessert that's you need to be at least 21 to enjoy! For wicked local flavor, try combining your favorite locally made brew like this Berkshire Brewing Company Drayman’s Porter......

Gus Rancatore, owner of Toscanini's, which was seized by Massachusetts for nonpayment of taxes, is launching an effort to save the beloved ice-cream store, and he's taking his efforts to the media. A website has been started to help raise money for Toscanini's. As we learned from the Cambridge Chronicle, Rancatore owes a considerable amount in unpaid taxes, and the company must provide a down payment before re-opening. If you want to contribute to the......

Update: The Cambridge Chronicle hopped right on it and, while they couldn't reach the owner, things aren't looking so good for the burnt caramel: "Toscanini’s Ice Cream, a mainstay for cool treats in Central Square since 1981, may not ever open again, and its owner, Gus Rancatore, owes the state’s Department of Revenue more than $167,000 in back taxes." (Thanks, Ron!) Another Update: The Web Outside is already running a campaign to save--or at......

Number of leaks considered "serious" in the Big Dig Tunnels: 237 Number of leaks total in the Big Dig Tunnels: 670 Estimated gallons of water entering the tunnel each month from leaks: 800,000 Number of years in which the tunnels might have a "serious breakdown": 25 Percentage of ceiling girders showing rust: 10 Number of engineers assigned to working on the leaks: 1 Fact that the Big Dig was considered "over" last month: Priceless All......

That's right, you're not seeing things - VEGAN ice cream! A common misconception about keeping a vegan diet is that you have you to totally give up all your old favorite and sinful foods. While being a vegan does mean that your diet is more focused on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains it certainly doesn't require that you sit at home eating nothing but broccoli! There are many yummy vegan desserts out there to......

If Elvis Presley were still alive, he’d be turning 73 today. In honor of the King, one of J.P. Licks' flavors of the month is banana ice cream with hand-swirled peanut butter, inspired by the ingredients in his favorite deep-fried sandwich. Never ones to turn down an excuse to eat ice cream, even in January, Bostonist tried out "Elvis’ Favorite." We have to hand it to J.P. Licks: Their ice cream impersonations are always......

The Big Dig began in 1991. 14.8 billion dollars, hundreds of besmirched reputations, and one casualty later, the Big Dig is finally wrapped up. Well, at least officially. We'll be feeling the repercussions for a long time. To borrow a phrase from Rob Corddry's visit to Boston, we've earned our merit badge for corruption. The AP has provided a full timeline of the Big Dig. Bostonist was born in 2005, but we have our fair......

Beauty and the Geek: For the next-to-last episode, the teams traveled to wine country for an "I Love Lucy" challenge. They had to pick grapes, stomp them, and bottle grape juice--while tied to each other. Despite the disturbing sight of Big Dave and Little Jasmine hunkered over each other while stomping grapes, the pair won the challenge, prepared three bottles of grape juice laced with Eau de Foot, and guaranteed themselves a spot in the......

MUSCLES Jokers Of The Scene @ Hearthrob Middlesex Lounge 315 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 9pm - 1am 21+ / $5 MySpace: Muscles MySpace: Jokers Of The Scene MySpace: Hearthrob The UK-based Modular Records is fast becoming one of Britain's most important electronic music exports on a global level. Now, Klaxons are one of the biggest indie bands to carry the dance party torch, uniting it with the rock venue atmosphere and audience. Stepping up......

The seemingly invincible Ted Kennedy has left Mass General after his surgery to repair a partially blocked artery in his neck. His recovery sounded a lot like what Cindy of the Brady Bunch went through after she had her tonsils taken out: "By Friday afternoon, doctors said Senator Kennedy was sitting up, eating ice cream and drinking ginger ale. He planned to watch the Red Sox game Friday night." Even though they won Friday night,......

When Bostonist heard that J.P. Licks’ October flavors include not just predictable seasonal favorites like pumpkin and caramel apple, but also a whole series of Thai-food-inspired ice creams, we had to give them a try. The Thai iced tea had a nice consistency—perhaps from the addition of condensed milk—but it had a milder tea flavor than we hoped for. If you hadn’t told us it was Thai iced tea, we might have mistaken it for......

Honest-to-goodness Nobel Laureates, along with a few non-Laureates, indulged their silly sides on Thursday night when Harvard University hosted the 2007 Ig Nobels ceremony. The Annals of Improbable Research magazine (that sounds like something Dave Eggers would have thought up) grants the "Ig Nobels" for achievements in "unusual and imaginative scientific discovery." Here's a list of this year's winners in all the Ig Nobel fields from the Guardian UK: Medicine: Brian Witcombe of Gloucester and......

For a town that has a good number of vegetarians, Boston has surprisingly few vegetarian restaurants. Luckily, some of our favorite restaurants have veggie options that make even the most devoted carnivore think twice about their order. Chief among them is Mediterreanean- and Arabic-influenced Oleana’s six-course vegetarian tasting menu. Bostonist has tried it out several times, and it is never exactly the same twice—it varies from night to night with what’s fresh and best, and......

--Yesterday the Blotter mentioned domestic assault by ice cream in a coffee mug. Now the DA's office has released word of a Revere woman who attacked her boyfriend with a dog leash and a hammer. She also attacked her boyfriend with the aforementioned items knowing full well that the police was watching her. The office described a scene worthy of an episode of COPS when two police officers came upon Jacqueline Shannon and her......

--A man became Boston's 48th murder victim this year when he was shot in front of the Quick Stop Market in Dorchester last night. He has not yet been identified. --A hunter discovered human remains off Route 122 in Rutland on Monday afternoon. The body has been identified as Linieda Gonzalez, of Worcester, who has been missing since February. She also went by the name of Linieda Olivera. Gonzalez/Olivera may be the latest victim of......

On the same day that the Herald runs a story about a real problem involving rising violence in the school system, readers also get to hear more griping about a fake problem – ice-cream men who are too noisy. Michele McPhee quotes one woman as saying, "You talk about road rage. I have ice cream truck rage.” She then added, “You think it’s a silly thing, loud ice cream truck music, until you live it."......

During Restaurant Week, which runs from now to August 17 (skipping Saturday, August 11), you can eat three-course lunches for $20.07 and three-course dinners for $33.07 all over town. You still have to pay for tips, tax, and beverages alcoholic and otherwise, but that's still not a bad deal. You can see a full list of participating restaurants here, and you can make reservations through OpenTable. From there, it's beg, borrow, or steal to get......

Happy Father's Day! For those of you who have dads, are dads, or know dads, this one's for you, from all of us at the Gothamist network. It was a week of bizarre, embarassing headlines at DCist. The trial of the local administrative law judge who sued his cleaners for $54 million over a pair of missing pants left everyone shaking their heads. Then the capital city was nearly brought to its knees, twice, by......

Update: We hear that, at today's city council meeting, LaMattina said to his fellow councilors, "I apologize for some of the heat we took on this ordinance." We also hear that Sam Yoon feels "shivers up his spine" when he hears the familiar ice-cream tinkle. (Is that a good or a bad thing?) The discussion about the ice-cream-truck music has been moved to the city and neighborhood services committee. Ice-Cream truck drivers might have......