The WEEKENDER

Eat, Shop, Go

BU artist-in-residence and acclaimed puppeteer Tarish “Jeghetto” Pipkins will be hosting two puppet-making workshops and a puppet slam at the GSU on Saturday. Photo courtesy of BU Arts Initiative

Looking for some cool suggestions for what to do this weekend? Check out “The Weekender,” our weekly guide to ideas about where to eat, shop, and go. If you have any suggestions, leave them in the Comment section below.

Tasty Pot

“Eat Well, Live Well” is the mantra behind this national chain known for Taiwanese hot-pot soups and milk teas. Tasty Pot has just opened its first restaurant on the East Coast, in Allston. Its famous hot-pot soups are customizable, with spice levels ranging from no spice to “flaming spicy,” and a choice between rice or vermicelli. Prices range from about $15 to $21, which may seem like a lot for soup, but you get a generous serving of meat, vegetables, seafood, and whatever other ingredients you choose. Try the Japanese Miso Hot Soup, with pork, crab, mushroom, clams, and more, or the Seafood Lobster Hot Soup, with lobster, shrimp, mussels, and other seafood. While there, treat yourself to one of the delicious milk teas, featuring boba, jellies, or pudding, for a delicious sweet and salty combo.

Tasty Pot, 194 Harvard Ave., Allston, is open daily for lunch from 11 am to 3 pm. Dinner is served from 5 to 9:30 pm Monday through Thursday, and 5 to 10 pm Friday through Sunday. Take an MBTA B Line trolley to Harvard Avenue.

Tasty Pot, a national chain serving up authentic Taiwanese hot-pot soups has just opened its first location on the East Coast in Allston. Photo courtesy of Tasty Pot

Boston Ski and Snow Expo

The annual Boston Ski and Snow Expo rolls back into town this weekend at the Seaport World Trade Center, just in time for the fast-approaching winter weather. Country Ski & Sport, the event’s exclusive retailer, will hold a sale on the latest in ski/snowboard gear and clothing. Dozens of vendors will be on hand showing off the latest ski and snowboard accessories and equipment. Travel companies will be offering winter vacation packages, and dozens of regional resorts will be selling lift tickets and season passes. There will be live acts, interactive exhibits, and giveaways. The expo is a must for those who prefer to spend their winters on the slopes. Admission  is $15.

The Boston Ski and Snow Expo is this weekend at the Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Seaport Blvd. The expo runs Thursday, November 8, from 3 to 10 pm; Friday, November 9, 3 to 10 pm; Saturday, November 10, 10 am to 8 pm; and Sunday November 11, 10 am to 6 pm. Take an MBTA Red Line train to South Station and transfer to an MBTA Silver Line SL2 bus to World Trade Center.

Trivia Night at Trident Booksellers & Cafe

This hybrid bookstore/restaurant offers guests a chance to enjoy some delicious food, browse through new and old books, and shop for unusual trinkets and gifts, all under one roof. And every Friday night, the café hosts Trivia Night. Staff create a list of original trivia questions for teams of up to six people to tackle. Tickets are $5 at the door, but with that you receive a $5 voucher good for any food or drink purchased during the game. Prizes include a $35 gift card to Trident, and trust us, you’ll have no problem finding something to spend it on. Bring your appetite and wealth of knowledge and settle in for a fun night.

Trivia Night at Trident Booksellers & Cafe, 338 Newbury St., Boston, is Friday, November 9, starting at 8 pm. Take an MBTA Green Line trolley to Hynes Convention Center.

BU Puppet-Making Workshop and Puppet Slam

Yes, you read this correctly. Brookline’s renowned Puppet Showplace Theater, BU’s Arts Initiative, and the College of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts are welcoming puppeteer Tarish “Jeghetto” Pipkins to Boston and BU for a weeklong residency, capped off with two puppet-building workshops at the George Sherman Union, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, followed by a puppet slam Saturday night at the GSU. Jeghetto’s puppetry work has been featured in Missy Elliott’s music video Where They From and an Alexa Super Bowl ad featuring Alec Baldwin. Basic tools and recycled material building supplies will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own materials and supplies. The slam will include an original performance by Jeghetto and interested students. Both the workshops and slam are free and open to the public, but registration is required.

The Puppet-Making Workshop is Saturday, November 10, from 10 am to 1 pm, and from 1 to 4 pm in the George Sherman Union Alley, 775 Commonwealth Ave. Register here. The BU Puppet Slam begins at 8 pm on Saturday at the GSU’s BU Central. Register for the puppet slam here.

The weekly 5K Jamaica Pond parkrun takes place each Saturday. Photo by Rick Smudin/Flickr

Jamaica Pond Parkrun

Start your Saturday morning off right with the weekly Jamaica Pond parkrun, held each Saturday at 9 am. The run begins at the beautiful Pinebank Promontory at Jamaica Pond, part of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy. This 5K run is open to runners of all skill levels, and participants are encouraged to go at their own pace. The run is free, but registration is required for first-time runners, and you need to bring a printed copy of the barcode each week to get your time. After the run, head over to City Feed & Supply, 672 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, for a post-run coffee.

The Jamaica Pond Parkrun is Saturday, November 10 (and every Saturday), at 9 am, at Pinebank Promontory at Jamaica Pond. Find directions and a description of the course here. Register for the run here.

Sara Frazier can be reached at smfrazie@bu.edu.