Veg Friendly Restaurant for 60th Bday
My husband is turning 60 in a couple of weeks and we are looking for a restaurant that is vegetarian friendly to celebrate. Half the family are vegetarians and we don't want to go somewhere that is trendy vegan that our kid will probably not like and we don't want a restaurant where the only vegetarian options are salad, pizza and fettuccini alfredo. Does anyone know of a place that can host 22 max. people that has a varied menu for vegetarians and meat eaters alike?
Oct 23, 2019
Parent Replies
How about Gather in Berkeley? https://www.gatherrestaurant.com They do both “snout to tail” and “root to shoot" foods.
Hello,
Do they like sushi?
This place is vegan but it is very fun, and great food.....https://www.shizensf.com/
Less fancy is any italian place, but there is Mama in Oakland, 2 choices: 1 vegetarian pasta one meat pasta...not many choices= less stress https://mama-oakland.com/
Try Gather in Berkeley. They have a great mix of veggie and carnivore options and the food is excellent. Our kids also like it.
I would go with a Mediterranean restaurant that has a lot of delicious vegetarian-friendly options. One that comes to mind is Cafe La Med on College ( https://cafelamedberkeley.com/). They can accommodate your group and have lots of terrific veggie options!
Hi, Have you considered Indian restaurants? They are perfect for vegetarian food. Not sure where you are located to give more specific recommendations.
How about The Slanted Door in the Ferry Building? Lots of (fabulous) vegetarian options, without it feeling like you're dining from the edges of the menu. They can accommodate a larger group - there is either a private room to reserve, or you can reserve the lounge for a larger group "who want a bit of separation from the main dining room". It's a wonderful restaurant worthy of a 'round-number' birthday celebration.
Chinese, Indian, and Cambodian restaurants would all be good choices. I mostly know about Chinese. Most larger Asian restaurants are well set up to accommodate large groups, since part of their business is family and wedding banquets. Sometimes there are private rooms as well. I don't know if they can fit 22 people at one table. Better option is to break the group into 3-4 tables with a few extra chairs, so people can swap and visit. It makes conversation easier
San Francisco has lots of options. We know a good but smaller Cambodian restaurant in Alameda, Phnom Penh Restaurant. There are many Chinese and Indian restaurants on Solano in Berkeley. Be clear about how much spice certain members of the group can tolerate; sometimes we like to order a spread of spicy, medium, and mild.
For that large a group, I'd recommend you review menus and order the meal ahead, otherwise it will be chaos. Plus if you are ordering for that large a group, you can negotiate a better price. Decide if you want banquet style (largish platters delivered in sequence). Sit the vegetarians in one area and the meat eaters in the other (people can and do move around to visit) You could order dishes like vegetarian lo mein, chow fun, stir-fried rice, seitan (wheat gluten), tofu and black mushrooms, stir-fried spinach, chinese broccoli, etc.) for everyone. Decide if eggs and seafood are a viable option. Order a smaller number of popular meat dishes (like mandarin beef, cashew chicken) and have those delivered to the meat-eaters. Order rice for everyone. If you want a cake, you can probably buy one and arrange for them to serve it as well, for a fee.
Sounds like fun. Enjoy!
Gather in downtown Berkeley is good for this! Veggie and meat options, nice atmosphere, and can seat a big group.
Gather in Berkeley has great options for all dietary choices. Great food too!