Tips for Dining, Eating, and Food Shopping in Boston (and suburbs)
Start New ThreadI am looking for an fun, busy restaurant to take my friend and 6 other people for dinner. Nothing too expensive. Any suggestions??
By bennyo
on Nov 20, 2007 04:13 PM
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My first reaction is East Coast Grill in Cambridge, but perhaps a little more about who you are and what you like would help. What birthday (round about) is this, I might send a 21st birthday party to a very different place than a 50th. Also, what constitutes "too expensive" or too far away, for that matter; the Boston area covers a lot of territory. Help us help you.
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It's a 30th birthday but we like to party and have a good time. We LOVE food and I think East coast is a great idea but I would like to try something new. One of our favorite restaurants is Toro so something similar would be great, cool vibe, good food and drinks, but very casual. Anything in Cambridge or Boston, I would prefer Boston though.
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Cuchi Cuchi might be a fun option. Fun, funky atmosphere, small plates menu which is great for sharing and variety and fun cocktails.
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Just throwing it out there: Flat Iron. Good tapas, good drinks, nice vibe.
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East Coast Grill. Fun, festive, delicious, not too expensive.
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Having finally stayed in town for my birthday this year, I can vouch for a fun time at Dali in Somerville. Not all chowhounders like the food there, but I find the tapas closer to what I remember in Madrid and Seville than what I've had at Taberna de Haro or BarLola. If the wait staff are aware that someone is celebrating a birthday, then a few things traditionally happen: the table is provided with a porron (glass flask filled with what I think is cava or sparkling Spanish wine) which dumps out its goodness in a narrow, shirt staining spout (aim carefully). At some point in the evening the wait staff turn the lights out in your neck of the restaurant and show up with a brass frog with a very long tongue and a candle stuck at the top of the tongue. They sing "Happy Birthday" hideously out of tune (I was impressed with my turn, when two of the waiters managed to maintain parallel tritones throughout the song), you blow out the candle and kiss the frog for good luck.
It's rather raucous, good fun, and if you're careful with your tapas selections, not hideously expensive (we showed up at 7:30 pm, shut the place down at midnight, stuffed ourselves beyond bursting, split a few pitchers of sangria and I had a batch of sherry, total bill worked out to something like $45 per person after tax and tip).
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Dali
415 Washington St, Somerville, MA 02143
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Jimmy's at Night in Somerville. Deli/Market by day and when it closes, they open the back room and cellar at night for one of the most amazing Southern Italian feasts you could dream of. You'll be talking about the food and the unusual setting for years. Like something out of the Sopranos. Bring your appetite or plan to have leftovers for days.
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I think you mean Vinny's at Night.
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Vinny's on Broadway
76 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02145
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Yes, definitely Vinny's ...thanks for the correction...I'm going to Jimmy's in Wellesley tonight and the two morphed as I was typing.
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