Looking for a place to host a holiday gathering?

Here are a few of our favorites.

Enjoy a French Family Dinner at Bistrot La Minette, 623 S. Sixth Street. Chef Peter Woolsey will serve up a delish, authentic French meal family style so everyone can share a number of dishes rich in flavors and textures. If you haven’t yet given this yummy eatery a try yet, please do. We highly recommend it. bistrotlaminette.com.

And with the NEW Vietnam Café opening at 816 S. 47th Street, we now have a gorgeous space that features affordable dining and the best Vietnamese cuisine. Benny Lai’s new pride and joy features multiple private rooms that can accommodate 12 people or up to 40 people. It’s the ideal place for a fun event in a brand new, gorgeous space. This has to be the hippest, coolest Asian restaurant in the city. Check them out at eatatvietnam.com.

London Grill at 23rd and Fairmount may not be the newest hotspot in town, but it’s still one of our favorites. The gracious hospitality and creative cocktails offered by owner Terry McNally and her staff can’t be beat. And chef Michael McNally always puts out food our friends and family enjoy. Whether you’re looking for a stand-up cocktail reception with a terrific bar menu in a private dinning room or would rather dine over a multi-course, memorable meal paired with complimentary wines, this is one restaurant we never tire of, check them out at londongrill.com.

Meme, Chef David Katz’s intimate 40 seater is a great space for a private party. His open kitchen puts star chef center stage and his soulful cooking is solid, no fuss, no mess. David has a knack for transforming the mundane into the memorable. So if you’re looking for an intimate party space with great food, we suggest you book your holiday party now. Meme is located at 2201 Spruce Street in Philadelphia. memerestaurant.com.

Our suburban Philadelphia favorite is Funky lil Kitchen, a BYOB where Chef Michael Falcone works his magic and helps guests design personalized party menus. Located at 232 King Street in Pottstown, this hot spot is ideal for parties of eight to 30. The open kitchen gives you direct access to the chef. And this chef is happy to provide cooking tips. So if you’re looking to learn more about searing tuna or seasoning a steak, this might be an ideal location for a holiday party. funkylilkitchen.com.

Phillips for the Holidays!

Going to Atlantic City for the holidays? Stop by Phillips Seafood Restaurant at The Pier Shops at Caesars and sample the cuisine of Chef Paul Drew. Sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, and high-end retail shopping make The Pier this gambling town’s finest destination. And Phillips Seafood offers a mouthwatering array of impeccably fresh fish that keeps both the night owls and day-trippers satisfied and revamped to head back to the tables. Click here to make your reservation.

Phillips Seafood Atlantic City
1 Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 348-2273

 

Linvilla Orchards Christmas Tree Sweepstakes

Play the Linvilla Orchards Christmas Tree Sweepstakes and win!

Christmas is coming and we can’t think of a better way to enjoy some holiday fun than to gather your family for a memorable trip to Linvilla Orchards, the best place to cut your own Christmas tree. We have a great selection of more than 30,000 trees! Play Linvilla’s Christmas Tree Sweepstakes: answer a question  for a chance to win some great prizes. The question changes twice weekly, come back and play often for a great chance to win gift certificates, pies, hayrides, or a birthday party for 15 kids. Click here to play along. Linvilla Orchards “I Love That Place!”

Vietnam Café is officially open!

A sizable acquisition of University City’s Italian eatery Abbraccio, has given Benny Lai’s Vietnam Café an enormous amount of extra space to grow. In addition to more restaurant seating, this new expansion will give the once tiny 22 seat cafe an opportunity to establish a banquet facility suitable for private parties, business meetings and other group gatherings from 20 to 250.

At the new Vietnam Café, an off shot of Chinatown’s popular Vietnam Restaurant, designer Jesse Gardner has planned a casual and fun décor of exposed brick and pressed bamboo sticks. Lai is adding his signature menu, authentic Vietnamese cuisine culled from old family recipes.  Diners can enjoy crispy spring rolls, pho soups, broken rice platters and traditional Vietnamese meat, seafood and poultry dishes. The menu will also feature customer favorites like the beef noodle soup.  The beef is lightly cooked then mixed with noodles that swim in a delectable broth with a hint of spice.  After arriving at the table, the beef, engulfed by the noodles, continues to cook.

Lai and Gardner began collaborating in the late 1990s on the renovation of the Lai family’s original Chinatown hotspot, and in 2008 they worked together on the development of University City’s Vietnam Café, just a few doors down from the new expansion. The charm and cozy aura of Vietnam Café has been winning critical acclaim and customer raves since opening. The restaurants have established themselves as neighborhood gems, comfortable places to enjoy affordable, traditional Vietnamese cuisine.

Vietnam Café
816 S. 47th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19143
215.729.0260
www.eatatvietnam.com

Early Prix Fixe Dinner From Bistrot La Minette

Bistrot La Minette Long Table

Sit down to dinner at  Bistrot La Minette before 6:30pm on weeknights and you can enjoy a three course meal for $25 or with wine pairings for $35. The menu will change but for the start of the month you can count on these choices:

Entrée

Crème de Chou-fleur / Cauliflower soup, poatoes, parsley oil
Salade Lyonaise / Poached egg, potatoes, lardons, frisée

Plat

Confit de Canard / Preserved duck leg, haricots verts, pearl onions, potato
Cabillaud au Beurre Blanc / Seared filet of cod, white wine butter sauce, roasted apple, broccoli

Dessert

Gâteau au Chocolat / Chocolate cake, raspberry coulis, vanilla ice cream
Glaces et Sorbets / House-made selection of sorbets and ice creams

Bistrot La Minette

Paw it Forward…

HeavenSent Bulldog Rescue has teamed up with two other bulldog rescues to try to win $10k in “America’s Favorite Shelter” contest.

This is a nationwide contest with some large and well-known shelters competing. (They are currently in 3rd place out of thousands!!)

To succeed, team Bulldog needs your vote!  This takes less than 20 seconds, is free and could save a bulldog’s life.  Vote here for Love-A-Bull Bulldog Rescue in Gilbert, AZ.

Help make a difference at the Polar Bear Plunge

On January 16th, 2010, brave the cold and bear it all.  Take the plunge at the 4th Annual Law Enforcement Polar Bear Plunge. Become one of the thousands  that jump into the frigid Atlantic Ocean to raise money for Special Olympics.

Registration begins at 10 am and the plunge begins at 1 pm.  Join the team at NJpolarplunge.com. Please search the Wildwood Plunge to make a donation. Kindly support Camden County’s Finest as they begin the a year  of raising money for Special Olympics New Jersey.