Dinners for You and All Your Friends: Feasts Worth Planning Ahead For

The Dump Dinner at Oyster House

Sure it’s fun to order just what you want off of a restaurant’s menu but sometimes the camaraderie of a shared feast is what you’re really hungering for. That’s when a large format meal at one of Philadelphia’s best restaurants is what you have in mind. So gather up some friends and make reservations for these family-style dinners.

Abe Fisher
Center City

Montreal Short Ribs – The feast starts with two courses of small plates before the dry-cured and smoked short rib feast served with housemade rye bread and sides arrives. But make no mistake, this is a dinner that’s all about the meat.
Serves: 4: • Cost: $65 per person • Notice: 7 Days.

Amada
Old City

Cochinillo Asado – Amada’s roast suckling pig dinner has been a specialty of the house since Jose Garces opened his Spanish tapas flagship a decade ago. The pig is presented tableside and then broken down and served with a wonderful array of sides including beans, potatoes, and more.
Serves: 4+: • Cost: $225 for a half-pig, $450 for whole pig • Notice: 3 Days.

Brauhaus Schmitz
Bella Vista

Spanferkel (Suckling Pig Feast) – Bring the entire crew to Philadelphia’s top German restaurant and enjoy a roasted suckling pig stuffed with housemade sausage and paired with herb roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, sauerkraut and Spätzle
Serves: 12: • Cost: $42 per person • Notice: 14 Days.

Schlachtfest (Butcher’s Feast) – Brauhaus’ family-style feast includes roasted pork shoulder, bratwurst and bauernwurst, smoked pork chop, blutwurst, liverwurst and bacon. And then there are the sides, herb potato dumpling, seasonal vegetables, beer braised sauerkraut and the all important German potato salad.
Serves: 12: • Cost: $40 per person • Notice: 2 Days.

Cantina Feliz
Fort Washington

Whole Roasted Suckling Pig – Get Cantina Feliz’s take on the whole roasted pig served with sides of grilled asparagus, plantains, grilled corn, black beans, refried beans, salsa roja and salsa verde.

Serves: 4+: • Cost: $39 per person • Notice: 3 days.

Le Virtu
East Passyunk

Chef’s Table – On Saturdays through September, Joe Cicala is offering an improvised chef’s tasting table served al fresco under the lights of the pergola. The five-course meal showcases the freshest ingredients in traditional Abruzzese preparations. Wine pairings are also available.

Serves: 6 to 12: • Cost: $75-$100 per person • Notice: Reservations required.

Palladino’s
East Passyunk
Tuscan Steak Dinner – This Tuscan feast is centered around the 5-8 pound steak alla Fiorentina, antipasti, pasta cacio e pepe, side of ciambotta Napoletana and affogato for dessert.
Serves: 4+: • Cost: $85 per person • Notice: Note in reservation.

Oyster House
Center City

Dump Dinner – The tables are covered in newspapers and a clam bake lands on the print. The bowls are filled with steamer clams, mussels, potatoes, kale and sausage and topped with lobsters. All of this comes with sides and slaw. A $20 add-on gets 2 hours of all-you-can-drink Narragansett pounder cans, carafes of red or white wine, and mason jars of Kelly’s punch. Also available is a raw bar addition for $15 that includes 3 different oysters, 2 littleneck clams and 2 shrimp cocktail per person.
Serves: 6+: • Cost: $25 per person plus drink and raw bar deals • Notice: 2 Days.

Zahav
Society Hill

Lamb Shoulder Dinner – People flip their lids over Zahav’s pomegranate lamb shoulder. The Mesibah (“Party Time”) starts with salatim and hummus with laffa, then a selection of mezze before the lamb shoulder is served. And if there’s room, dessert is also served.
Serves: 2 to 50 (book a private party to guarantee your lamb): • Cost: $54 per person • Notice: First-come-first-served.