Need an under $25 dinner in Manhattan for group of 8 with one kosher member

[lindsayr28]

Hi,

I've been put in charge of a group outing, which includes dinner. We have five college/grad students as part of the group, so we need it to be relatively inexpensive. That I could have handled.

However, one of the members of the group is kosher. I know nothing about the kosher restaurant scene beyond the fact that restaurants are divided into , I am BEGGING for your help! As the majority of the group is not kosher, I want to go somewhere they (we) will like.

We can go anywhere in Manhattan.

EDIT: Here are some answers for the add'l details requested:

We would like to sit down for a couple hours, so definitely nicer than fast food. We'll probably be eating around 7. I'm a vegetarian (no fish), but as long as there is anything vegetarian on the menu at all, I'm fine. I remember two requests for "not-Asian" food - I think the students eat a lot of that regularly - but anything else would be fine!

Thanks in advance for any help,
L

[nf99]

Try Cafe K on 48th between 5th & MAdison. Entrees under $20 are plentiful, it's dairy so there will be lots of Pasta options on the menu

[sanekosher]

Also would suggest Cafe U....I think they would also have vegetarian options (u can prob see their menu online), nice decor,etc. It's on the Upper East side-think 98th & Lex. Another possibility is Mike's Bistro & Pizzaria-but not sure of the vegetarian options (u can def see that menu online). It's on the Upper West side, appx 93rd & Amst

[azna29]

I would try Baraca/Olympic Pita. on 38th between 5th and 6th. They are glatt kosher, they have a lot of veggie mezze salads, falafel and grilled eggplant sadwiches for the vegetarian, and falafel, shish kabobs, shawarmas, burgers and sushi. I beleive they are about $15 for a platter so you should be ok pricewise and they have nice seating. Also they make fresh laffa bread on the spot which is really yummy.

[cappucino]

What about Noidue on the West Side? I think you can get something under 25 and it seemed hip and young to me. As for sitting around, they didn't rush us.

[GilaB]

I like NoiDue very much, but at 7, you'll be waiting for a table for a while (no reservations), especially with a bigger group. If you don't mind the wait, it'd be my choice.

[hanistor]

Mr. Broadway...

www.mrbroadwaykosher.com

[The Cameraman]

I second Mr Broadway. Their vegetarian options are weak- they are a traditional deli slash Middle Eastern slash Chinese place- so I recommend a maza platter of some kind. I'm sure the waiter can recommend something, too.

[zsero]

How about one of the kosher vegetarian Indian places on Curry Hill? (Madras Mahal, Pongal, Tiffin Wallah, Chennai Garden)?

[MiriamWoodstock]

I love these places. I've tried Tiffin Wallah and Chennai Garden many times (Tiffin Wallah's been redecorated to be rather hip, if I recall). I don't keep kosher, myself, but it's really nice to keep them in mind for kosher/vegetarian friends.

[GilaB]

While I am a big fan of Chennai Garden myself, not everybody accepts the hechsher (certification of kosher-ness) of the supervising authorities of the Curry Hill spots. (They're open on the Sabbath, so while they're not Jewish-owned, the big supervising agencies won't give them a hechsher as a matter of policy.) Make sure to clear this choice with the kosher-keeping member of your group first.

As a side point, why don't you ask the kosher-keeper yourself where he/she would like to go? He/she will have a better idea of what they find acceptable than we will!

[The Cameraman]

Fast food or something a bit nicer? What time do you think you will be sitting down to dinner? What day of the week? Any other food restrictions, like allergies? What kind of cuisine would the group like, other than "cheap"?

[lindsayr28]

We would like to sit down for a couple hours, so definitely nicer than fast food. We'll probably be eating around 7. I'm a vegetarian (no fish), but as long as there is anything vegetarian on the menu at all, I'm fine. I remember two requests for "not-Asian" food - I think the students eat a lot of that regularly - but anything else would be fine!