i need a restaurant recommendation for a graduation party

my daughter is graduating from MIT in June.
i need advice on a restaurant for approximately 15 people that would be a fun venue for a graduation party.
i thought about a booze cruise, but despite the attraction of that, i am looking for alternatives.
i was thinking maybe a great restaurant on boston harbor somewhere, with views and good food etc.

or, i am open to other ideas.

do you bostonians have any good ideas for me??

 

That's awesome your daughter is finishing MIT, you must be very proud!

Some waterfront restaurants in no particular order of recommendation. Not sure how well they all can handle a party of 15 but they are all good.
Strega Waterfront
Sam’s
Rowes Wharf Sea Grille
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House

Also, there's the Top of The Hub restaurant in the Prudential building, the typical top of skyscraper restaurant with great views of the city (on a clear day). Food is ok but $$$$.

Not sure which of the booze cruise boats are the best, some can get really rowdy and crowded according to my son. There is one that cruises to Provincetown on the Cape but that's a 90 minute trip each way I think.

If all else fails come to my house and we'll fire up the grill and hang by the pool, maybe take a ride in my 458 while the kids are partying, lol

I see you spend time in Geneva, my son is there now doing a physics program at Univ Geneva and Cern, I'm hoping to get over there in July.

 

thanks for those. looked at rowes wharf, might go for that.

btw, thanks for the offer of your backyard - the food would probably be better, but dunno if everyone would appreciate the two of us talking cars and ignoring them all evening !
if you need any advice about stuff in geneva or switzerland, let me know.

 

thank you, I will

 

You won't find better seafood than here unless it has changed in the past 20 years: Our Boston Seafood Restaurant Welcomes you| NoName Restaurant on Boston's Fish Pier

 

+1 on Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House. Good atmosphere for a younger crowd.
+1 on Strega Waterfront.
+1 On the back yard.

 

what do you guys think of the 'meritage' restaurant?

 

I haven't been to Meritage yet, but I know from several other foodie friends that it is excellent. We do have to get there. Another good possibility on the waterfront is Legal Seafood.

I would dissuade you from Strega Waterfront. Here is a review I wrote for this place. I know it's 4 years old but I have no reason to believe it has made a drastic turnaround -

“Overpriced and underdelivers”

2 of 5 stars Reviewed June 21, 2012

I'll start with the positives. The staff are all very congenial. The decor and table settings are very elegant. Good wine selection and reasonably priced. The restrooms were clean.

It was pretty much downhill from there. We started with appetizers. My wife had the Grilled Shrimp wrapped in bacon served on a half pineapple. The shrimp was overcooked/grilled, and lacked any flavor (in spite of the bacon). The pineapple, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, was good. I had the Eggplant Rollatini. We order this regularly in Italian restaurants and this is the worst we have tasted. The main problem is there was no taste, very bland sauce. It was also overcooked, the eggplant was not firm.

My wife had the Short Ribs served on a bed of pasta with pieces of lobster. I hesitate to put this in writing since we don't know for sure, but she swears the lobster pieces were out of a can. Even if they weren't, the pieces were so limp and soggy they were in her words "like baby food". The second mortal sin was the pasta was so overcooked it made Chef Boyardee pasta seem like al dente. The meat was acceptable quality, but was not particularly flavorful.

I had the Swordfish Special. The presentation was excellent. The grilled vegetables were crisp and good. The swordfish itself was good, but the accompanying sauce lacked any flavor. The entrees were priced at $40 and $39 respectively.

We shared the Ricotta Pie for desert. It was a good size portion, much too sweet for our liking, but that is purely personal taste.

A couple other admittedly nitpicky points, but they detracted from the overall dining experience. The waiter never brought us bread and did not light the candle on our table. Also, Strega Waterfront is on the waterfront, but don't expect to be seeing much of it from your table. The total tab with tip was $180. Sorry, but the value simply wasn't there. We will not return for a meal, but the bar area is very attractive and we would go there for a drink in the future. Also the outside bar area looked like a nice spot for a drink on a summer night.


Visited May 2012

 

Congratulations!

 

I echo what Paul said about Strega. I was there last summer, and did a large business dinner while at a conference. Service was good, but I can't remember one thing I ate. Except the eggplant rollatini, which was meh. Not bad food, but nothing stood out. Grill 23, where I went with the wife the night before, I can recall almost everything we ate and it was great. Service impeccable. That would be a place I'd go back to again, and would recommend...T

 

I haven't been to No Name in many years but the last time I went it was tiny and in no way set up to have a proper graduation party. Superb seafood, yes, great party location, no.

Congrats to ross's daughter!

PS: I take back what I said about No Name after seeing those pictures on the link. Totally different than what I remember. Looks not fancy but potentially comfortable.

 

We went to Meritage last summer with another couple (and we all eat out quite a bit). The service was good and if you get a table by the window you have a nice view. However, we didn't love the food. The presentation of the food is really nice, but I've had food that I enjoyed more and thought tasted better, elsewhere. I also thought the portions were a too stingy (and I'm not some 250 lb football player who eats his weight in food).

If I were choosing a place in Boston and it had to be on the Waterfront, I'd probably go with Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse. Too many places you pay for the view, and the food is mediocre to average.

Good luck and congrats to your daughter and your family.

 

If you can travel a bit to RI, go to the Ocean House in Watch Hill. Exquisite food and accommodations. Well worth staying overnight. And if your daughter likes country music, you can just see Taylor Swift's home, which used to belong to Frank Sinatra's wife.

 

thanks for your help guys, and yes i am grateful for my brilliant daughter too !

i would love to go newport, but its too far for the other events that surround the graduation weekend.

we were just about to book the meritage .... before i saw the del frisco's suggestion. i will look it up. i have been to del frisco's in ny so i guess they are the same. is the location as good? water views?

 

Yes, it's in a good location and has excellent views of the harbor. As does Legal Seafood Harborside which is in the same building.

 

If you want steak, I have to recommend Abe & Louie right on Boylston. They serve top notch steak and have some seafood dishes as well. I'm sure they can cater to your party of 15. Congratulations to your daughter.....It's quite an achievement!

 

Congratulations to your daughter!

I agree on Strega, I used to work in in the building and thus went there now and then. If it were not so close, I would have gone elsewhere. It is not bad but you pay a lot for what you get.

In June, I would go for some place alone the waterfront. There are two Legal Seafoods, the harbor side is on the water and on a nice night it is a great place to dine. Rowes Grille is nice but I would not pick it for a graduation party.

 

Ross,

Congratulations for your daughter's achievement!

My favorite is Abe & Louie's; great food but no water views, and the atmosphere is less suitable for a graduation party.

I agree with:
* Del Frisco's...Great food and nice ambiance for the graduation party.
And I love their Bone in filet.
* Legal Harborside.. It's next door to Del, I haven't been there specifically, but I am sure it's great sea food and nice water views.

Cheers,

Muftah

 

This

 

I would suggest a locale with a private room... I am a value guy, not a surprise after dealing with the costs of exotic car ownership hehe

On the water, off 93- Venezia Restaurant

Near North Station, North ENd- West End Johnies
Private Red Room has Presidential Memorabilia

Mistral, Wine Cellar Room
Mooo, same
Sonsies on Newbury Street, same

 

+1 for the No Name Restaurant. It is on the smaller side so you'd have to give them a call. Food is excellent and prices are reasonable.

 

Abe and Louis is the best steak house in Boston. I'm not sure it is the best place for a graduation party though. I think I would go toward the waterfront for that and there's plenty of great choices presented above.
I guess where I'm getting hung up is the word party. A great dinner is different from what I would coincider a great place to host a party.

 

Actually, yes Ross, I do have a good idea. Keep your Ferrari way away from MIT!

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight | These MIT Campus Pranks Are Genius

http://i0.wp.com/geekslop.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/carondome.jpg

 

Mooo (Beacon Hill) for steak

Island Creek Oyster House (Kenmore) for seafood

One of my best friend's suggestions, as he lives in the middle of it all haha.

 

Congrats on your daughter!!
Grill 23 is great for steaks as well.
Friend of ours owns a few restaraunts in Boston, LA, and DC.
He likes Grill 23 for steaks. Not one of his places