<p>It's finally here!! Our D graduates this year after 4 rewarding and challenging years. A job is lined up, so no more checks needed ;). Any advice from earlier grads or grad parents about where to eat? Do parents attend the alumni convocation? Is the presidential reception fun or is this something to skip? Hopefully the weather will cooperate.</p>
<p>Congrats!</p>
<p>And in regards to the weather… well… no way to really predict that :-)</p>
<p>I believe that the presidential reception will be fun, as the president tends to be a fun guy in general. Also, I suspect that with this being the centennial that there will be a lot of “extras”. </p>
<p>What is your D’s degree in? Is her new job in that field? </p>
<p>Again, congrats!</p>
<p>What sort of food are you looking for? Upscale or casual? Texas-specific or otherwise?</p>
<p>^ Why not list all the choices that you have in mind for those of us who will be bringing family from out of state. With all the travel expenses I know we would be looking at the casual options. In addition, I would be interested in any nontraditional places we might go to on Sunday. </p>
<p>We are all looking forward to seeing and hearing from Neil deGrasse Tyson. He can be funny while at the same time so very enlightening. However, my guess is that 3+ hours could be a challenge for many and I imagine I’ll have to have one quick break. </p>
<p>I know it is all going to be wonderful and I am so looking forward to this special road trip. I can remember my late Mother saying the happiest day in her life was when my youngest brother graduated from college. I hear you Mom…</p>
<p>Congratulations to all who will be experiencing this. Also remember that the Commencement will be broadcast over the Internet for family members and friends who are not able to attend the ceremony. The links will go live 20 minutes before scheduled start times and appear on the home page of [Educational</a> Technologies](<a href=“http://webcast.rice.edu%5DEducational”>http://webcast.rice.edu) on the day of the event.</p>
<p>I watched an hour or more of it last year via the webcast and it was really pretty enjoyable.</p>
<p>Well, Reef is a good fancy option, featuring a lot of fresh gulf seafood. My parents took me there a month or so prior to graduation for a celebratory dinner. When we had the extended family in town for graduation itself, we hit up Amazon Grill on Kirby, which is more casual South American restaurant. I’d also recommend the Hobbit Cafe, which is pretty casual and features some good vegetarian options.</p>
<p>Probably someone who still lives in Houston can chime in with some more up-to-date recommendations.</p>
<p>Restaurants for celebratory dinners: Triniti, Haven, Americas, Reef, Brennan’s, Philippe</p>
<p>Nice restaurants: Backstreet Cafe, Prego, Vinoteca Poscol, Benjy’s</p>
<p>Casual: El Real Tex-Mex, Barnaby’s, Goode Company Taqueria, Chuy’s</p>
<p>Nice brunch: Benjy’s, Brennan’s, Hugo’s, Backstreet Cafe</p>
<p>Casual breakfast: Goode Company Taqueria (highly recommend), Black Walnut Cafe, Buffalo Grille, Breakfast Klub</p>
<p>This list just scratches the surface. Houston has a lot of great restaurants. Congratulations!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the feedback - hopefully it will also help others going next Friday/Saturday. Crazymomster: D is an engineer and will work for a multinational company in her field. Echoing Jben, congrats to all the graduates. We’ll all miss D’s Rice years but look forward to all the future opportunities and adventures the Rice experience has given her (and the pleasure its given us seeing her grow and thrive).</p>