We need a restaurant for a group of 10. Not your average group. This one includes 70 year olds down to a 6 year old plus a couple of vegetarians. This is a birthday dinner so we would like something fairly special. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Hi Birdie-

This is one tough request!
Here are a few that come to mind... But as I am not vegetarian, I am not sure if any of these places have vegetarian options, you'd have to check their websites:

Old City area: Fork, Tangerine, Adriatica, Buddakan

Rittenhouse area: Valanni, Pasion, Astral Plane

There is also Buca di Beppo - which I have been for a group b-day dinner. It was a fun place for a group with great atmosphere, but the food was quite blah.

You might want to check on chowhound.com. They've got a lot of Phila-area foodies that post regularly, and they might have some ideas, as well.

I worked in Philly for 6 months one time w/a pretty strict vegetarian colleague. I'm not sure I would recommend Buddakan for a vegetarian. It is good Asian seafood, nice but few veg. options. Italian would be good for a group like yours, there would be pasta offerings for the vegetarians, and pasta and meat options for everyone else, and most little kids like pasta too. I will try to find out the name of the two very good Italian places we used to eat in the Old City area and will get back to you.

I second the recommendation for Fork. A great Italian place in Old City is Spasso.

On the Avenue of the Arts (South Broad Street) I also would recommend Upstares at Varalli for Italian.

For upscale Mexican, Tequilas at 16th and Locust Sts. is excellent.

In the Art Museum area a very goood Italian restaurant is Illuminare on Fairmount between 23rd and 24th Sts. A block away at 23rd and Fairmount I also lie the London Grill.

Buca di Beppo near Rittenhouse Square is a rather ordinary southern Italian chain place, similar to an Olive Garden, so I'm not sure that would be appropriate for what you are looking for.


check out www.philadelphia.citysearch.com for more information.

Thank you for all the responses. I did visit chowhound. Adriatica and Fork sound interesting. I'm going to look into them a little bit more but if anyone has opinions on those menus I'd love to hear them. Also any other suggestions. Thanks!

In West Philadelphia near UPenn is a place called POD. They have separate "roomettes" (the pods for which the place is named) where a group can sit apart from the main dining room, although you look out over the main room. The fun thing about the pods is that you can change the color of the lighting -- which might be great fun for a kid. The food is Asian fusion and rather eclectic, but very good and meant to be shared. I enjoyed having the Kobe beef grilled tableside on hot river rocks. The place looks pretty cool -- tres moderne with lots of white plastic and bold lighting. We went with friends, one of whom was vegetarian and he seemed happy enough.