Roonytunes

Most places on Main St in Manayunk (US Hotel Bar & Grill, Thomas, Dereks, Le Bus, Kildares, Jakes, Bella Trattoria, Il Tartufu, Chaaba Thai, Sapphire etc.) ....and the Brew Pub has an area in the back that faces the canal that is outdoors.

Aden in Northern Liberties has a private room that can seat that size party. They are BYO too. I've seen them host family parties on Sat nights before.

Last night was my first SK experience and while I already had expectations set from this thread, I will have to say that they were all well surpassed. I am a chocolate freak and the dessert was just decadent. I had to stop myself from licking the plate (I don't think I succeeded though) The veal cheeks were some of the best meat I've ever sampled. There were more wine bottles present than people which only added to the conversation and overall experience. Thank you, Jeff, for organizing this dinner! You really should charge an organizer fee for all the prompt emailing and excellent photography.

I was one of the lucky attendees of this dinner and had a wonderful time. Both the company and the variety of food made for a very memorable dining experience. My favorite tapas dish was the squid in its own ink with risotto althought the duck/flat bread and spanish octopus were right up there. I really enjoyed the red sangria as well - very light and fruity! Thanks, Diann, for putting this together. I also thought it was a great deal for $65 to eat and drink as much as we did. I definitely will be going back soon!!

I am from the Malaysia/Singapore area (born and raised) and this is not an accurate statement. Beef Rendang is usually dry, but can be slightly wet, but should not be a curry of any sort.

What else is REALLY good there? ← The baked salty squid (I think that's what it's called or something akin to that anyway)...yum!

Thanks Tarte Tartin now I won't be accused of being a sneaky PR person...however was going to say that I have had 1 birthday and attended 2 birthdays at Lolita and the wait was not too bad we got there like an hour before we wanted to eat, gave our name & went and had cocktails at El Vez till the hostess phoned...it was not much of a bother and really its the best choice if you feel the urge to go downtown Vietnam has huge flaming cocktails and is the food is soooo reasaonable that it makes up for your bar bill (of course there's always the 'Joint ...what a great place ) ← The main problem I had with Lolita is they apparently do not seat tables larger than 6 on Sat nights. Even after I explained the occasion, they told me there were no exceptions to the rule and the chances of being able to seat two tables of 6 next to each other were not good.

To follow up, we ended up at Los Cantrines/Tequillas after all and it turned out to be a fantastic choice. While they don't take a "formal" reservation, we were told it wouldn't be that hard to get a table for 10+ even on a Saturday in the summer time. The bar area was a little tight for a group to cluster around since it's very linear but we managed. This was a definite advantage over a BYO where this space would have been hard to find. With a party this large, a good 20 min leeway is necessary for everyone to find parking etc, so hovering space is always nice. And it turned out they were kind enough to seat us at our larger dinner table in under 15 mins even though we needed to have our full party present but two individuals got stuck in I-95 traffic due to construction for an extra hour... The banging of glasses for the tequilla shots as well the show of margarita and white sangria pitchers balanced on the waiters' heads really added to the party atmosphere. Appetizers were easy to share - we got octopus salad, ceviche and fancy nachos. Entrees came out fairly quickly and portions were huge. Not to mention, by this point, many of us were quite sloshed and were not sure what we were eating. The waiters did do a birthday slice with a candle and sang, but not before they banged another tequilla shot on the table...and the birthday girl was forced to down it all down. I highly recommend this restaurant for a good party fun vibe.

Another vote for Petit 4 if anyone else is reading this thread for cake, esp wedding cake recommendations. What you got from Aux Petits Delices sounds simply decadent!

I like Aden (Northern Liberties area) with good mediterranean food. It's a BYO. They have a private room that'll seat 15+. White Dog (West Philly) also has private rooms of various sizes and an ecclectic menu.

Thanks everyone!! I know I can always count on you guys for a medley of suggestions. S.Philly is out for this celerbration, but I will keep Tre Scalini in mind for future ones. I will research and call the other center city restaurants mentioned and see what they can do for me.

I'm trying to plan out a birthday dinner. The post-party is occuring at The Walnut Room (17th and Walnut), so I am basically looking for a restaurant in the area, BYO preferable and if not somewhat reasonably priced is acceptable, that will take reservations for a Sat evening @ 7pm. It has to be a fun atmosphere (not too sedate, not too dive-y) with good food - the age range of guests will be from the mid twenties to mid thirties and there is likely to be a constant flow of drinks. My first thought was Lolita, but they will not take reservations for a Saturday. I don't think there is another BYO-tequilla joint in that area. I could do Tequillas, while on the theme of Mexican and pitchers of margarita, but wanted to see if anyone had any creative ideas. Bronzino, Pumpkin etc. are a bit too "grown-up" for this crowd. I have never been to Ciboulette (sp?) Is that any good? A part of me actually thinks I should just throw my hands up in the air and go with Buca Di Beppo although I'd like to think I can do better than a chain! Would appreciate any and all suggestions. Thanks!!

I know Chinatown, but I don't have specifics. I went to a sushi party where the host had said he had got everything he needed to roll all the sushi from Chinatown.....sorry if this isn't so helpful, but it's a start I hope.

Thanks to both Katie and Herb for your suggestions. I was able to work out an arrangement with London Grill for my event that fit all the requirements. I spoke to Stan over there, who was friendly and I'm now looking forward to orchestrating the brunch smoothly!

That's what I suspected, Katie. Okay, if I convince the group that they can spend $20, what options can you think of? At this point, I am open to any cuisine...mainstream, ethnic, whatever!

I would like to host an event with two speakers in a restaurant with a private room in the city. It would be a Sunday brunch type affair. I'm looking at an attendance of about 20 people. I need to keep costs low as well since it's a non-profit organization. Ideally, it'd be great if the restaurant gave two or three entree options with coffee/tea at around the $10 price point. It could be very simple like an omelette or a belgium waffle. I'm very flexible with the menu. Is this at all feasible or am I just dreaming? Anyone have any ideas? Thanks much!

Thanks everyone....I'm glad to hear that the meal was enjoyed by so many. I had a lot of fun putting this dinner together and it was very rewarding to have such a great turnout!

This is a reminder for the Jan DDC dinner. LAST DAY TO RSVP: Mon, Jan 10th We are going to have an Indian adventure at Karma in Old City! Date: Mon, Jan 17th (Martin Luther King day) Time: 6:30pm for cocktails, 7pm for dinner Venue: Karma, 114 Chestnut Street Cost: $25 including tax and gratuity + full cash bar We will have our own private area on the second floor. The dinner will be buffet style. I have worked with Karma to request the menu below. It contains an assortment of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes that represent various regions in India. Spice level will be varied from mild to hot. I have done my best to describe all the dishes. RSVP by emailing me at ap5591@aol.com and let me know how many spots you would like me to hold on your behalf. I have acknowledged all the RSVPs I have received so far. If you did not hear back from me, I did not receive an email from you. As always, there will be a voluntary collection for PHILABUNDANCE after the dinner. Hope to see many of you in attendance. MENU Appetizers: Aloo Papri Chaat (lentil Dumplings, potatoes, chick peas topped with assorted chutney and sauce combinations) Tandoori Gobhi (baked Cauliflower florets with special tandoori marinade) Tootak (tandoori Chicken Wings) Vegetable Samosa (potato filled fried dumplings) Hara Bara Kabab (marinated chicken in coriander, chillies, ginger and garlic) Lamb Seekh Kabab (soft minced lamb kebab) Salad Bar: Sharabi Chana (chick peas salad) Gujarati Carrot Salad Cucumber Salad with Grated Coconut Raita (whipped yogurt with mint and tomato) Assorted Chutneys Main Courses: Chicken Makhani (cooked in creamy tomato gravy, similar to Chicken Tikka Masala) Chicken Madras (spicy South Indian style) Lamb Chettinad (cooked with roasted coconut, chillies and ground spices) Lamb Vindaloo (cooked in hot and sour Goan gravy) Shrimp Masala Saag Paneer (paneer cubes in spinach) Baigan Bharta (roasted eggplant cooked with chef's special sauces) Bhindi Do Piaza (okra cooked in onions and tomatoes) Dal Makhani (lentils in creamy tomato gravy) Rice Breads: Assorted, including naan and roti Desserts: Kulfi (Indian style ice-cream) Gulab Jamun (very popular Indian dessert of brown fried soft breaded balls soaked in syrup)