Rehearsal dinner near Tufts

[ecappe01]

I'm looking for a place to hold our rehearsal dinner in November. The rehearsal itself will be at Tufts, and with our families and wedding party, we'll have between 25 and 30 people. We'd prefer not to have to wander too far from the Tufts area. The groom's parents are from New York City, and would love to eat at an "ethnic" place (some of their favorites when they've been here before are Namaskar, Elephant Walk, and Redbones), but some of the grandparents are a little picky. I think Italian would be a good compromise, and being Italian, I know that my very picky grandfather would be happy.
Thanks!

[MaineRed]

Gargoyles is awesome but that size group might take up the whole place. I would rather pay for a good meal with good service than take a chance...so perhaps going to a place where you've been before is a good idea.

If your grandfather is like like how my grandfather was, you're not gonna find an Italian place to make him happy :) (unless he's cooking)...i'd stick to classic red sauce places like Vinny's (http://www.vinnysitaliankitchen.com/) on Medford St, Bocelli's as mentioned, or some other place like that, but then again, those aren't 4-star fancy places, more like downhome.

good luck!

[pamalamb]

Pastalina's in Medford, while not the most beautiful location, has a lot of charm. A lot of the pasta is made in-house. You might be able to get the whole restaurant.

[sherry f]

When we were visiting Tufts, we went to EVOO based on a chowhound rec. The restaurant is lovely and would seem to be the right size also for your group.

[Joanie]

Bistro 5 in Medford might let you have the whole restaurant (not sure if they have a private room).

[buffet king]

Bocelli's located at 374 Main Street in Medford has excellent Italian food. They also have a private dining area in the lower level that is used for functions. Bocelli's is very close to Tufts maybe a 5-10 minute drive. You can give them a call at 781-396-7070.

[DavisSquare]

You might want to check and see whether La Spina or Sagra in Davis Square would take a party like that. I know I've heard of private parties at Sagra and La Spina is perennially empty so either would be a good choice. Very different vibe to the two places so you'd want to check them out, of course, before deciding. Congratulations.

[taxi]

This might be a bit farther than you wish but I want to tell you about an authentic Italian place in Malden on Ferry Street called the Pasta Market. European decor, Italian spoken and fine fine food. Maybe, keep it on your-places-to-try list. Well worth it and Congratulations on your marriage - enjoy each other.