<p>Looking for ideas for a nice graduation dinner in May. Around 8 people; several elderly so ability to make reservations is a must. </p>
<p>Food considerations: must have a good gluten-free menu; prefer NOT a restaurant specializing in seafood as several members are allergic to shellfish. (No issues being around it, but just don’t want a mostly-seafood menu.) </p>
<p>Ambience as important as the food! </p>
<p>Thanks in advance. </p>
<p>I’m a big fan of a lot of restaurants in Boston’s North End. Many of them have gluten free on the menus. Taranta is one of my favorites. It is Peruvian/Southern Italian. An interesting fusion and delicious. Ambiance is lovely. </p>
<p>L’Espalier, Menton, No 9 Park, Sorellina–all in Boston. Harvest or Craige on Main (Cambridge).</p>
<p>All the above restaurants have excellent food–will accommodate a gluten-free diner and aren’t heavy on seafood. Plus, they aren’t so noisy and crowded that you can’t have a conversation and all have great ambience. Let them know you are celebrating a graduation when you reserve and they will send something to the table or do something to recognize the event. Been to all (live in the Boston area and have a foodie husband) and think they’re great places for a special celebration. There are lots of other places with great food but don’t IMO have a celebration feel–so this is a subjective list. If there are people in your party who
are meat-and-potatoes, i.e., not willing to be a little more adventurous in their eating, go with No 9 or Harvest.</p>
<p>Do make a reservation early because there are usually multiple colleges/universities with graduation on the same day in the Boston. They year my D graduated from Tufts–BU, BC, and Brandeis graduations were on the same day.</p>
<p>We did our Boston-area graduation dinner at Legal Seafood and had a fabulous meal, but that is obviously out. We are from the middle of the country and having great seafood was a treat.</p>
<p>I haven’t been (too much $ for our budget), but have heard rave reviews for Blue Ginger in Wellesley.</p>
<p>While I do like Legal Seafood, there are so many restaurants that are not chains, I wouldn’t choose Legal for a special event.</p>
<p>Harvest is excellent!</p>
<p>It matters a lot where you’ll be staying or where the graduation is. There are good choices close to any of the schools.</p>
<p>Thanks all! </p>
<p>Lergnom - this is for Wellesley. We will most likely be staying in either Waltham, Natick or Framingham depending on where I can get the best deal, but I really want to take advantage of Boston proper. We are always out in the burbs when we visit and this is the last hurrah in Boston. </p>
<p>College query - we did Blue Ginger with D and some friends of hers freshman year, but we’d really prefer to get out of Wellesley. </p>
<p>Take a look at chowhound’s Boston board. Special occasion restaurants are a common topic, though most of the talk is about cheaper places. See what appeals. For example, I live near Lineage but there are many choices in many neighborhoods.</p>
<p>We stayed at Embassy Suites in Waltham, affordable price for 2 big bed suite style.</p>
<p>I like Sorellina - the white interior is well suited for a woman’s graduation, IMO. It has a nice special occasion feel, too. There’s also Bar Boulud at the Mandarin…just opened (a redo of their main restaurant). It’s a very pretty room with a great view of Boylston Street…by next spring, the “just opened” kinks should be worked out. I would avoid Cambridge…not any great special occasion options and it will be too congested that time of year.</p>
<p>Yes, I don’t see a real need to go into Cambridge. It’s not as though we have any ties there. The whole point is Boston. </p>
<p>No. 9 Park is one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to, anywhere. We’ve been three times and it’s always been special. Make a reservation several weeks in advance. They can handle a party of 8. I’m not sure about the whole gluten thing there, but avoiding seafood is not a problem. First time we went there my then 14 yo son orders duck. It’s served and the waitress pours him a splash of the red wine wife and I had ordered. Son says, “I’m 14”, waitress replies " I know but this is the perfect wine for the duck".</p>
<p>Vinoteca di Monica in the North End is another fave.</p>
<p>Of the ones mentioned, I’d second L’Espalier, No. 9 Park and Sorellina in particular. In Cambridge, Craigie on Main. O Ya for Japanese but probably not a fit because much is seafood. In my neighborhood, Ribelle. You should look up, for example, Bistro du Midi, Erbaluce and Oleanna. First is French (duh), second is N. Italian and third has Turkish influence. </p>
<p>Does Bar Boulud in Boston have the same emphasis on charcuterie menu as the NYC one? I love it, but not IMO necessarily quite what you are looking for for a graduation.</p>
<p>No. 9 Park is lovely. I want to go there when my D graduates. But what kind of ambience do you want? More relaxed, or more formal? Erbaluce is good food (more casual), and Acquitaine (the South End one) is a place we always go (bistro-type–they can set up for larger parties in the back).</p>
<p>Do let us know where you decide! </p>
<p>Thanks! You’ll recall that one of my criteria was gluten-free, so I have to check all these places for gluten-free menus before I can narrow it down. </p>