A Boston chef just declared Massachusetts a "roast beef state." He's not wrong.

This week, Ian and RJ sit down with Chris Coombs, the award-winning chef and restaurateur behind some of Boston's best-known restaurants. Chris opens up about growing up in Peabody, working his way up through brutal early kitchen jobs, and building a career on food that's taken him from Boston to New York and back. Then he takes on the full So New England challenge — assigning a signature dish to every state in the region, from Maine's lobster to a surprising take on Connecticut bagels, and a hot take on New Hampshire that gets walked back with some very good news about Wagyu beef. Honest, funny, and full of real New England opinions. Follow Chris at @chefchriscoombs, and follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.

His daughter was born premature and spent weeks in the NICU. The pile of laundry that built up at home turned into a business that now handles 50,000 pickups a month across 35 states.

This week, Ian and RJ sit down with John, founder of HappyNest — the wash-and-fold laundry service that started with a single laundromat in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. John shares how the business began completely by accident, why laundry is the second most disliked chore in America, and how he's built a network of laundromat partners across the country. Then things get personal when Ian shares the story of a beloved Irish wool sweater that came back from the wash a very different size. Follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.

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She just did something no guest has ever done on this show: ranked Connecticut number one.

This week, Ian and RJ sit down with Kathleen, the creator behind Connecticut Bucket List — a full-time content creator with over 250,000 followers dedicated to proving Connecticut doesn't deserve its reputation. Kathleen shares how a post-graduation "bucket list" in her Notes app turned into a career, why she thinks Connecticut has an unfair image problem, and her honest takes on New England's best hidden gems, worst drivers, and most overrated foods. Then she takes on the So New England ranking segment — and delivers the most shocking answer this show has ever gotten. A fun, funny, genuinely convincing case for the most slandered state in New England. Follow Kathleen at @connecticut_bucketlist, and follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.

A severe, one-in-a-million immune deficiency. A bone marrow transplant. Four months living in a hospital room. And out of all of it, a thriving Rhode Island soap and skincare business.

This week on the Business Spotlight, Ian and RJ sit down with Jeanette Mollis, owner of Herbs and Mylk in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Jeanette shares the full story of her son Mikey's SCID diagnosis, the search for a bone marrow donor, and how making her own soap during his recovery turned into a business that now donates thousands of dollars a year to families going through the same thing. From there, the conversation turns lighter and genuinely funny — her failed attempt at a Dunkin' Donuts scented soap, the products customers have threatened to "hunt her down" over, and her ambitious goal to open a location in every New England state. A moving, honest, and surprisingly hilarious conversation. You can find Herbs and Mylk at herbsandmylk.com and on Instagram @herbsandmylk. Follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.

He's a die-hard Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins fan — and somehow, a New York Giants fan. Yeah, we didn't see it coming either.

This week, Ian and RJ sit down with Beef Eats First, the Vermont-born, Boston-based food creator who's built a following showing off the North End's best sandwiches (and calling out the ones that don't deserve the hype). Beef breaks down how a mislabeled sandwich shop accidentally made him go viral, why he thinks the classic Massachusetts steak and cheese is overrated, his honest take on downtown Boston's food scene versus the neighborhoods just outside it, and the most New England food you've never heard of (hint: it's not a lobster roll). Then he takes on the So New England segment — ranking the states, the sports teams, and dropping the most shocking confession of the episode. Follow Beef at @beefeatsfirst, and follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.

He's a full-time civics teacher, a dad of four, and one of New England's most-followed dad-humor creators — and he's been going viral since the Vine days.

This week, Ian and RJ sit down with Tony Serafini, aka Bottle Rocket, the Leominster, Massachusetts teacher who's built over 100,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram. Tony shares how it started with a silly stop-motion Lego video, why he credits himself as one of the original New England creators, how he balances teaching eighth-grade civics with content, and how he teaches media literacy to a generation getting its news from TikTok. Then he takes on the So New England segment — ranking the states (Connecticut gets called a "concrete slab"), his overrated and underrated New England takes, and the hottest season take we've ever heard. A funny, thoughtful, wholesome conversation. Follow Tony at @bottlerocket13, and follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.

Boston's viral reporter Matt Shearer (WBZ NewsRadio) on going viral, local news, and his emo-punk roots.

The two-time Boston Magazine "Best Man on the Street" joins Ian and RJ in studio for one of our funniest episodes yet. Matt traces his path from a skateboarding kid running a high school radio station in Acton to winning a national Edward R. Murrow Award for reinventing local news on social media. We get into Rhode Island driving, the Market Basket closing that broke a town's heart, Manchester as the chicken tender capital of the world, his old co-host Mel Robbins, the Boston cop slide, and Matt's ranking of all six New England states. Life's better in New England.

It started with a sick three-month-old and a pot of bone broth — and turned into one of Rhode Island's most beloved local spots.

This week on the Business Spotlight, Ian and RJ sit down with Lily, owner of Lily's Soups and Scoops in Cranston, Rhode Island. Lily shares how making bone broth to help her infant son through RSV turned into a company she started in her own kitchen, and how that grew into a full soup, ice cream, and grilled cheese shop. She breaks down her bone broth process, her favorite menu items (including the legendary Hangover Helper), and gets hilarious and honest about the challenges of running a small business in Rhode Island. Then Lily assigns a soup to every New England state — and Connecticut does not come out unscathed. A genuinely funny, heartfelt conversation about food, family, and building something real. You can find Lily's Soups and Scoops at 1850 Broad Street in Cranston, on Instagram @soupsandscoops, and at lilyssoupsandscoops.com. Follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.

Getting cut from his college basketball team felt like rock bottom — it turned out to be the start of everything.

This week, Ian and RJ sit down with Darren Battista, the Waltham native and founder of Battista Bootcamp. Darren shares how that one cut pushed him into the gym, how he became a top-five trainer at Equinox, and how he built a nine-person virtual coaching team and a sold-out Boston fitness movement called Ritual — from 80 people at the first event to 500-plus every weekend. He also gets honest about the industry: why there are no 30-day shortcuts, how to spot influencer nonsense, why human connection beats AI, and his take on the GLP and peptide craze. Plus New England state rankings, his ultimate cheat meal, and how to spot a New Englander in the wild. You can find Darren at @BattistaBootcamp. Follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.

It started with one random request at a dive bar — and turned Brian Daly into New England's beloved "Seger Bar Guy."

This week, Ian and RJ sit down with Brian Daly (@wickedfast), the Watertown native who went viral asking Boston bars whether they'll throw on a little Bob Seger. Brian shares how his cousin's offhand suggestion accidentally became his whole identity, how to spot a real "Seger bar," and the wild ride since — the Boston Globe, NBC, and Bob Seger's own marketing team reaching out (though Seger still has no idea). Then come the takes: why fair-weather Pats fans don't deserve it, why Red Sox fans are the worst right now, his honest thoughts on the T and Boston's bike lanes, his New England state rankings, and even a Bob Seger song for every state. You can find Brian at @wickedfast. Follow So New England for new episodes every week — life's better in New England.