As your time at Tufts comes to a close, heart-wrenching goodbyes undermine Commencement Day festivities. With your parents merrily taking pictures in the background, one question looms in your head: No, not, "Will they change the exercise room back into my bedroom?" but rather, "Where am I going to take my family for food?" Well, don't fret; unlike finding a job with health insurance, vision and dental, this decision is easy!
Finding good eats around Tufts is as simple as square-hopping your way to victory: Teele Square, Davis Square, Ball Square... the list goes on. And if you want to expand your horizons (minus Boston), check out Porter, Harvard and the long overlooked but nearly infallible Inman Square.
Whichever square you choose, please abide by one simple principle: Be classy. Someone - parents, the government, loan officers, a trust fund (hopefully) - has spent a staggering $160,000 on that cap, gown and piece of paper, so why not spend a little more? At the absolute most, it will only add one more month to your 20-year payment.
Upon graduation (and after reading this article, of course) only two meals will be left in your Tufts history: lupper (lunch/supper) and dinner. We'll start with lupper. The need for this meal stems from the cheap box lunches between the primary and secondary graduation ceremonies. At $7.50 a pop (the cost of ordering extra tickets) and featuring a frozen sandwich and cheap chocolate medallion (at least, that's what last year's included), these "meals" require something extra to hold you over.
Now is not the time for Anna's. Instead, try True Grounds in Ball Square. Close to Tufts, this relatively unacknowledged caf?© offers free wireless and a great, comforting environment. Skip the oh-so-chic atmosphere of Starbucks and relax with a cup of coffee and locally baked goods or a grilled panini. A truly friendly staff plus fantastically nice owners make you feel right at home.
After lupper, your entourage will probably want to rest before dinner, and you'll want to take some celebratory shots with friends (a caveat being that you're still drunk from Senior Week). If you're still looking for a place to go, a lack of reservations may be the self-limiting step. While Sunday night is not the new Saturday, Boston College, Simmons, Suffolk, Babson, Bentley and Brandeis (to name a few) all graduate this weekend, and Boston is going to be saturated with visitors. So stay close to home and explore those restaurants previously off-limits due to budget restraints.
One such restaurant is Gargoyles on the Square in Davis. Featuring large windows and a peaceful ambiance, Gargoyles offers a fusion of culinary styles in a less pretentious setting than similar Boston offerings. Plates like goat cheese spanakopita ($17) and hoisin and honey glazed duck confit ($23) show Gargoyle's true versatility. As an added bonus, it even has live jazz on Sunday nights.
Hopping out of Davis Square and into Inman, you are greeted with a plethora of restaurants. Point yourself in the direction of East Coast Grill. An unflattering outside masks pure gastronomic delight. East Coast has some of the freshest seafood around, and you are in New England! They boast a locally stocked raw bar and creative fish selections like coriander-crusted swordfish, plus a large selection of barbeque chicken and ribs. East Coast Grill is best suited for those loud boisterous families that can't handle the hauteur of elegance (dishes range from $10 to $26) but still want quality.
If you're looking for reasonable but nice, try another hidden gem in Inman Square: Serving fresh Portuguese food, Casa Portugal has plates in the $15 to $20 range and provides large servings. The meat dishes here, especially those involving linguica, are particularly delightful. The best part, however, is Casa Portugal's wine special. At a recent visit, it offered a $10-bottle of wine so good that the new Massachusetts re-corking policy won't be needed.
Above are some of the best that Boston doesn't have to offer, but if you must go into the city, try Sonsie. Located on Newbury Street, Sonsie offers a relaxed yet stylish atmosphere with an outdoor dining option and plates priced at $15 to $30. Sonsie's ever-changing menu offers dishes designed to please moms, dads, dieters and kids. Meat and poultry take up a quarter of the menu, while baked seafood, gourmet pizzas and pasta make up the rest. On a warm Boston spring night (one can always hope), Newbury Street and Sonsie are popular destinations for people-watching and taking in the sights of Boston.
If none of these suggestions tickle your fancy, the Arts and Entertainment section of the Boston.com Web site has hundreds of restaurants categorized by rating, price, location and/or cuisine. So relax and eat up!
Just remember, wherever your stomach leads you, choosing the right restaurant and ambiance is a perk of graduation, but going out and eating with family and good friends trumps all.
