Where to have a rehearsal dinner

[LainerX]

Your mission should you choose to accept it is to help me come up with a

place to have my friend's wedding rehearsal dinner. I've been planning on having it at

Lombardi's in Issaquah, but after several unsuccessful attempts at

getting information and one less-than-desirable encounter with a

condescending prick of a general manager, I've decided that Lombardi's

can bite me.

That said, does anyone have any ideas as to where we could have the

rehearsal dinner? I was hoping for something nice but relatively casual

(i.e. Lombardi's) and preferably in the Eastside, Bellevueish area.

Any ideas?

[MsRamsey]

How many people, H?

[girl chow]

Just off the top of my head, I can think of several elegant places on the Eastside that I know would be fitting for a rehearsal dinner.

If you give me a price range and what kind of atmosphere, size of the party (etc), I can probably come up with some other suggestions ... especially if your friend is on a budget.

These are the usual high-end suspects on the Eastside:

Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar, downtown Bellevue. A really elegant seafood restaurant with lots of space for private parties. I really enjoy this restaurant. It's owned by John Howie, formerly of Palisade. Entrees: $20-$35

Daniel's Broiler, downtown Bellevue. Steak, steak, steak. I'm sure you're familiar with this spot that's a clone of the Lake Union restaurant. Entrees: $25-$45

Szmania's Lakeside, Kirkland. Sister restaurant to the Magnolia spot. Northwest European. The staff is hugely accomodating. Entrees: $18-$30

The Third Floor Fish Cafe, Kirkland. One of my very favorite restaurants on the Eastside. This restaurant has a great view and is an excellent, elegant choice for an event like a rehearsal dinner. Entrees: $25-$40

Yarrow Bay Grill, Kirkland. Fantastic view, food, but I'm not sure what the logistics are for private dining. I know the Beach Cafe downstairs has a sizeable area available for private dining and the prices are less than upstairs (I think the Beach Cafe chef Cameon Orel is every bit as talented as the Bay Grill Chef Vicky McCaffree (formerly of Waterfront). Entrees upstairs: $25-$45. Entrees downstairs: $13-$25

Cafe Juanita, Kirkland/Juanita. At one time, they had a downstairs that could accommodate a private party. I don't recall how many people it could seat, but it's a great atmo and the food is top notch. Somehow, I think someone told me that they were turning that space into a wine cellar, though. ? Entrees: $25-$45.

Marina Park Grill, Kirkland. A decent steak and seafood restaurant, but perhaps not the best location (no parking) and space (cramped) for a rehearsal dinner. Still, I do like this restaurant. Entrees: $20-$35.

Here are some more moderately priced suggestions that might work for you:

Epiros, Redmond. A really nice family Greek restaurant with Friday night parties sporting belly dancing and flaming cheese and tons of Uzo. I love this place. If the invitation list includes lots of fun people in your crowd, then this will be a hit. It's loud and crazy. Entrees: $10-$15.

Cactus, Kirkland. A loud, fun Mexican/Latin restaurant that is a clone of the Madison Park restaurant. They're in the old space that used to be Six Degrees. Not sure if this would be ideal for a large group, but give them a call if it sounds interesting. Entrees: $10-$20.

JaK's Grill, Issaquah. This is the sister restaurant to the West Seattle steak house. Great steaks, fun atmosphere. They have a back section that I would imagine would be a nice place to host a dinner. Entrees: $15-$25.

Typhoon, Redmond. Great Thai with a huge tea selection. Slightly funky atmosphere. Expensive for Thai, but the dishes are decent. Entrees: $10-$20.

Coho Cafe, Redmond. A moderately priced seafood joint with an awesome gathering place for a dinner around a beautiful fireplace. Entrees: $12-$20.

Matts' Rotisserie and Oyster Bar, Redmond Town Center. This is a brand new place (opening this week). The folks who run it are great and the oyster bar is lots of fun. They have a private dining section in the back, although patrons have to walk through that area to get to the bathroom. It's a neat place, though. Entrees: $8-$20.

Ok, your eyes are probably about to glaze over with all this info. I'll be happy to post more if you need 'em

[LainerX]

WOW! Thanks - that was so fast.

I meant to put in more details, but must have forgotten when I posted at 2am.

There will be between 20 and 35 people (still waiting on RSVP's). Lombardi's banquet menu was going to cost ~$15-20 for a meal, not including appetizers and drinks. They were going to offer come up with a menu card consisting of 4 meals of our choice off the regular menu, as well as an unlimited variety of appetizers.

Originally, the bride wanted something with a "Pacific Northwest" flair to it, as many of the guests are flying in from Texas, but since the Texas Contingent has sort of bailed (long story there) I'm not sure that's so important to her anymore.

I hope this helps. If anyone else has more ideas feel free to buzz them off. Thanks!

[col klink]

but since the Texas Contingent has sort of bailed (long story there)

Isn't there always a long story for every wedding?

[girl chow]

Wow, LainerX, that sounds like an exceptional deal at Lombardi's, which is a restaurant I really really like a lot (especially the roasted garlic... when I lived in Ballard near the other Lombardi's, I ate the stuff practically every day). BUT no matter the deal, very poor service is an automatic disqualifer for most of us.

You should consider complaining (after the stress of wedding planning for your pal is over). The president of the company is Diane Symms and I'm sure she would like to know if her manager is being a jerk to potential customers (and that all the local foodies here are now reading about it :)

Anyway, to help you in your search, I've got a few more ideas.

If you want to stick with affordable Italian, there's a cute little Italian place in Redmond called Il Bacio (it's next door to the crazy Greek place, Epiros). They serve great food, have terrific service, are reasonably priced, yada yada yada. Also, in the theme of Italian, there's Grazie's in Factoria. Another fine family place with a reasonable price tag and room for a large party. They could probably beat Lombardi's banquet price, but the atmosphere isn't quite as nice as at Lombardi's (still, it's a nice place... and the owners send their chefs to Italy to study every few years... that's an interesting story in itself).

Also, for Italian, there's a very cute Italian place in Issaquah's Gilman Village called Nicolino. It's small, so you'd basically have to shut down the restaurant for your party, but I really like the warmth of that place. The food isn't as good as Lombardi's, but it is centrally located and still a very good food deal.

Other well-priced restaurants that could accommodate a larger crowd:

Mediterranean Kitchen, downtown Bellevue. Excellent service. Dinner in the $12-$17 range.

Raga, Kirkland. This could be troublesome for a large party. Not everyone likes Indian, even if this is one of the top Indian joints around. Entrees: $10-$17 range.

Hey, have you thought of doing something really unusual? The Bors Hede restaurant at the Camlann Medieval Village in Carnation does these authentic Medieval dinners that are a total kick. It's $17.45 per person (plus drink, tax and tip) and you get entertainment and a good amount of really unusual food. Private banquets are more expensive, but I think their dinners are quite fine for a group event.

The setting is absolutely freakin cool. Wooden booths and benches.. lit by giant candle chandeliers... a really cool fireplace ..almost every detail is pretty darn close to authentic Medieval, including the numerous buildings and the server costumes. The grounds are also beautiful. Lots of trees and pathways for exploring.

I have always wanted to suggest this place as an egullet outing. To see their menus and banquet info, click here:

Bors Hede Restaurant link

The food is very interesting and they make every attempt to make sure it's authentic. They serve some terrific English cheeses and interesting greens and I really liked the salmon in a lemon hazelnut sauce with wilted spinach.

The entertainment is a hoot. The owner (I think his name is Roger?) comes out and plays a bunch of songs (on a lute?) and the kitchen cook comes out and sings too. It might seem a tad dorky (in an endearing way), but it's not slick or Disneyesque or Las Vegas in any way.

Ok, probably more suggestions and info than you'll ever need in a lifetime, but I hope that helps. Planning a reception dinner is what I consider one of the most difficult tasks ever (besides, like, working on a farm or something).