I'll second the Gingerbread Construction Company muffins. The muffins are huge and delicious. The boston creme, lemon poppy seed and carrot muffins are so good. I have never had a muffin from there that I didn't like!

So, we have decided on the Verona in Watertown. We went there the other night for dinner and the food was great and large portions. Went to see the function room which was very nice and cozy. We got the menu to look over. They have a really nice selection of foods at a very reasonable price. There is also ample parking, which was a concern if we had to go into Boston. Will let you know how it all works out in April. Thanks all for the suggestions!

Lizzy's Homemade ice cream in Waltham. All flavors are great! On a nice night the line is out the door and down the street. Once you taste the ice cream, you will see why people are willing to wait.

How about Panera? They have great sandwiches, soups etc. Their bread is amazing and always fresh. They are located at 321 Arsenal St, Watertown...right near the Mall. They do have a menu online.

@cambridgeMike.....If you go to that link you posted, my suggestion was to go to the Stockyard also. We have been going there for years. The food is always good.

My niece has been getting her kids birthday cakes at Donna's Bakery in West Roxbury for a number of years. She just tells them the idea she wants or brings in a picture and the cakes come out amazing. They are so moist. You won't be disappointed!

Stockyard in Brighton has great steak and the prime rib is awesome. Nice atmosphere, big bar and good prices. Worth the drive.

Thanks for the ideas! Anyone else have any thoughts of nice places for this kind of event?

Looking to maybe stay in the Newton, Waltham, Watertown and possibly maybe Boston.. although that could be a parking issue..maybe Natick/Framingham. It will mainly be a 20's and 30's crowd with a few older(parents etc). We are looking for maybe a family style or buffet setting. We are a pretty laid-back kind of crowd. Not looking for fancy, but definitely looking for a nice place with great food! Would like to keep the price reasonable,but not so cheap that the food and atmosphere would suffer. Doesn't necessarily have to be an Italian restaurant either if anyone has any good suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Looking to find a great Italian restaurant for my son's wedding rehearsal dinner in April. We have thought of Maggianos, Vinny T's, Verona and possibly Bertucci's. There will be approximately 40+ people attending. Anyone ever had a large gathering at any of these places? What did you think of the food etc. Does anyone have any other suggestions? We are looking for a nice atmosphere with a separate room from the main dining area that would accomodate this size crowd and also some great food at a good price. Thanks!

I second Carl's in Waltham. It is located at 55 Prospect St. They have absolutely the best steak and cheese around. Huge subs!! They have even been mentioned on the Phantom Gourmet. Nice variety of subs. Well worth the drive. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for the reply. Ended up going there on Sunday for brunch to check it out. They had a nice variety of food. They had the usual eggs benedict, home fries, sausage, bacon, fruit, muffins etc. They also had an omelet/belgian waffle station. Belgian waffles were awesome! Also, they had steak and roast pork along with some veggies and rice. Nice variety of pies and individual chocolate cakes. All in all, pretty good! Little pricey at $16.95, but would definately go again. Bet it would be great in the nice weather to walk around the dock, which we did anyway even though it was a bit cold.

A great Thai restaurant, if you want to travel out of downtown Boston a bit, is Amarin of Thailand in Newton Corner. Nice atmosphere and great food. Well worth the trip.

Hi...Looking for a place in the Quincy Marina for brunch. Has anyone been to the Skyline Bar and Grill for brunch? If so, how was it? Thanks!