Here’s to the graduates!
Next month, toast your favorite scholar at one of these 10 essential tables
Graduation season is nearly upon us, despite the layer of gray slush on the ground. Local commencements are a bit more than a month away, which means the time to reserve your chosen table is now. But where? While I cover a range of topics here at Parenting Unfiltered, this one is pure gluttony. Here’s a completely subjective list of 10 places to book. (In my other life, I’m a food reporter, so I feel qualified to opine.)
Quintessential Cambridge dining TALULLA
Someone you love just graduated from Harvard, so you’re already feeling pretty good about yourself. Feel even better with reservations at Talulla around the corner, where chef Conor Dennehy is fresh off a James Beard finalist nomination for Best Chef: Northeast. The atmosphere? Tranquil, elegant, and cozy. The neighborhood? Charming Huron Village. The food? Refined and local, without veering to preciousness: green garlic soup, squab and juniper, asparagus ravioli. Make reservations online for parties up to six; call for larger groups. 377 Walden St., Cambridge, 617-714-5584, www.talullacambridge.com
Buzzy and newish COMFORT KITCHEN
A five-star Globe review. A James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant. And tons of positive wordof-mouth. Dorchester’s Comfort Kitchen tracks the African diaspora through food: okra with masalaspiced yogurt; roasted spiced eggplant with Moroccan couscous; jerkroasted duck. The vibe is sunny, welcoming, party-friendly. Larger groups of six to eight should request the semi-private banquette. Reservations are required. 611 Columbia Road, Dorchester, 617-329-6910, www.comfortkitchenbos.com
Metropolitan glamour BISTRO DU MIDI
The setting can’t be beat, right across from the Public Garden. The atmosphere is cool and clean — white tablecloths, polished service — but not pretentious. And the food, from executive chef Robert Sisca (once a sous chef at New York’s Le Bernardin), is special but not stuffy: You can order oysters and wine downstairs at bistro level or request a splashy $62 filet mignon in the capacious upstairs dining room. Reservations are recommended; they’re also open for a festive lunch. 272 Boylston St., Boston, 617-279-8000, www.bistrodumidi.com
A neighborhood jewel VINNY’S AT NIGHT
Restaurants come and go in Somerville, but somehow, not Vinny’s. This convenience store-slashtrattoria is one of the few places in town where you can still find a heaping, garlicky platter of spaghetti and meatballs (enough for two portions) — or maybe Vinny’s tripe stewed in sweet, spicy marinara — for under $20. Adding to the simple pleasures are plenty of on-street parking, wine filled to the brim, and spectacular people-watching. (Last time I was there, someone started singing show tunes.) Reservations are usually plentiful; call ahead for special requests. 76 Broadway, Somerville, 617-6281921, www.vinnysatnight.com
Swank seafood SEAMARK
If your traveling celebrants are insistent on special-occasion seafood because this is Boston, after all, Seamark
is your place: It’s newly opened at the Encore, so your relatives can gamble to pay off any college debt and then settle in for a gamut of New England classics, ranging from casual Maine lobster rolls and fish and chips to lobster bisque and clam chowder. A nautical cocktail bar, Old Wives Tale, completes the picture. Happily, it’s all run by Michael Schlow, one of the city’s best-known chefs. 1 Broadway, Everett, www.seamarkencore.com
Beacon Hill charm MA MAISON
If your guests request “classic
Boston,” squire them to this Gallic hideaway with white linen tablecloths; dignified service; booths that feel like cashmere; and the brothiest, silkiest French onion soup in town. It’s a transportive experience, a combination of European whimsy and classic Brahmin charm. The crowd here tends to dine before sunset; opt for a later reservation for maximum privacy. 272 Cambridge St., Boston, 617-725-8855, www.mamaisonboston.com
Delicious downtown dining JIANG NAN
Steps from the bustle of Downtown Crossing is Jiang Nan, serving striped bass in hot chili broth, deepfried pumpkin soaked in egg yolks, whole Peking duck, and stir-fried pig’s liver in the swanky former Teatro space. This is special-occasion Chinese, served with care and flair, the consummate spot for adventurous visitors and groups amenable to tasting and sharing. Call ahead for reservations, or prepare to wait, wait, and wait — for good reason. 177 Tremont St., Boston, 857-2770668, www.jiangnanny.com
Unique brunch BAR VLAHA
Skip the hotel brunch buffet: This Brookline destination serves hearty food from central and northern Greece that you won’t find anywhere else in town. Gather your blearyeyed crowd for kimadopita (cumin ground beef and phyllo pie); roasted apples and maple yogurt; hilopites (poached eggs and pasta squares with smoky Metsovone cheese); and Vlach sparkling wine. It’s eye-opening in the best possible way. 1653 Beacon St., Brookline, 617-906-8556, www.barvlaha.com
Dinner and a show GRACE BY NIA
Ah, the Seaport, shiny and new: Love it or hate it, there’s no denying its hold over Boston nightlife. Grace by Nia, part supper club and part soul food restaurant, brings local flavor to the proceedings thanks to charismatic owner Nia Grace, known for Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen on the Roxbury and South End border. This is where you should dress up for spicy crab dip and carrot cake waffles crowned with fried chicken, enlivened with throbbing jazz and R&B. For a quieter experience, book before 7 p.m. Fair warning: It can get really loud as the night goes on. 60 Seaport Blvd., Boston, 617-927-9411, www.gracebynia.com
A private conversation STELLA
OK, I just raved about Stella in a separate story, but I’ll say it again: Go! Once a South End hot spot for Bolognese and gawking, this sedate Newton Centre reincarnation is my pick for a private, pre-festivities tetea-tete. Call ahead, ask if there’s room, and duck in with your favorite hungry student (from BC, perhaps?) for a satisfying meal of parms, orecchiette, and roast salmon that won’t break your budget. This is the kind of neighborhood treasure that feels special without laying it on too thick; service is chatty, food arrives fast, and nobody’s hurrying you out the door if you’re in a heated negotiation over whether moving home is an option. 549 Commonwealth Ave., Newton, 617-467-4656, www.stellanewtoncentre.com