Birthday dinner this Monday night, help please!

[amela]

I will be visiting from LA with my college searching son and celebrating my 50th Monday night and would love a great food recommendation...please nothing formal...not more than $90pp (or not *much* more!). I will be staying in Newton if that helps. I know nothing about the Boston area. Son would prefer a "not only fish" restaurant.

[trufflehound]

Give us an idea what you like and how you will get around. Newton is centrally located west of Boston/Cambridge and many other communities.

[Taralli]

http://www.lumiererestaurant.com/ in Newton.

[LindaWhit]

Are you talking about TONIGHT?

A quick search of this board for "Newton: comes up with:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/603661?tag=search_results;results_list

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/601141?tag=search_results;results_list

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/5917...

(I'm not sure what's up with these search links with the "tag=search" portion attached to the URL...)

[Duster17]

How about Tempo Bistro in Waltham? It's on Moody Street. Not formal, good vibe, good food.

[Mr Bigglesworth]

La Morra in Brookline is close. One town away is Blue Ginger, Ming Tsai's restaurant. That would probably fit the bill.

[amela]

I knew my post wasn't specific enough but I don't have specifics! I *might* have the use of a car into Boston proper, but I don't have a problem using public transportation unless that is not advisable at night. Anything local to Newton is doable. I want really good food; food I cannot cook at home. You only turn 50 once. A quick look at the board revealed NO.9 Park which seems like a good fit but I don't know if I can get there. Anything like that closer?

[alwayscooking]

You can take the T into Boston from Newton. I'd recommend No 9 or Bina. The tab may be a bit more than 90/p if you're planning on toasting such an important event.

Happy Birthday!

[Blumie]

Sorellina is a wonderful place to celebrate a special birthday, and although you can't normally get out of there for $90/person, they are offering a Monday night special:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/601814

Take the Green Line to Copley Square. It's just on the other side of the Boston Public Library when you come out of the station.

[ghostcat]

If you have access to the Green Line trolley, you can get into town without any trouble. I have a friend who celebrated a significent birthday in her life and invited her friends to Locke Ober's. I was there for lunch last week and was reminded of what a great place it is for a celebratory dinner. The atmosphere reeks of old Boston. The service is flawless and the food is very good. Some of it you could replicate in your own kitchen if you had eight hours to fuss around. The food at No.9 might be better, but I think you would enjoy yourself much more in this venerable old Boston institution with Lydia Shire at the helm. She's as equally regarded as is Barbara Lynch is at No. 9. There will be some disagreement about this!

[tunamelt]

My general sense is that most of the major hotels in Newton are clustered along highways and not overly convenient to the T. Moreover, even if you have access to a car, I would NOT recommend trying to drive into Boston if you are unfamiliar with the area. I'm a local and I avoid driving in Boston at all costs!

None of this is a major impediment, as you don't need to go to Boston to have a great meal in this area. The surrounding towns have some very good options (and taxi service is not a problem in Newton).

In Newton itself, Lumiere and 51 Lincoln consistently win raves. In neighboring Wellesley, Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger -- while often polarizing among CHers -- is clearly a dining destination. Nearby Waltham is also a bit of a culinary mecca, with Il Capriccio and La Campania both ranking among the more highly regarded restaurants. In Watertown, a personal favorite is Stellina -- and this is probably the lowest-key of the bunch, per your original request for something informal.

You'd do well to check web sites to make sure these places are open on a Monday night, of course. I am fairly sure La Campania is not open Sundays or Mondays.

Good luck, enjoy your visit, and happy birthday!

[Science Chick]

Wonderful recommendations from Tunamelt for dining in the Newton locale. However, if you do have a car and still want to go downtown, you can easily drive to a T station in Newton and leave your car there. Most of the outer stations (Waban, Eliot, Woodland, Riverside) have ample parking.

[amela]

Thank you so much for your replies. I will be staying with a friend's family and want to include them in the celebration but as a surprise and a thank you for hosting us. I think I will make a local reservation and also No. 9 and let them choose. You guys are great...!