The requester: A friend

The request: "It's my brother's birthday and the family wants to get together to celebrate. He's a vegetarian who doesn't consider pasta a good alternative; the restaurant needs to be good for groups as we'll be a party of 11; it needs to be good for kids, since we'll have 4, aged 1 to 13; it needs to be on the West Side since many will be coming in from New Jersey; and it needs to be a spot that can take us early, like 5:30, on a Sunday night."

The suggestions: The Chinese/pan-Asian menu at Buddakan is so huge that there will be something for everyone. There's an entire section devoted to tofu and vegetables, and the enormous space has plenty of tables and nooks comfortable for large groups. Landmarc in the Time Warner Center is also good for groups and they are known for catering to kids. They don't have the largest vegetarian choices but there are plenty of entree-sized salads and one of their signature dishes, goat cheese profiteroles, is vegetarian. Everyone will enjoy the Central Park views. If you're in the mood for Indian, Bombay Talkie in Chelsea has a communal table, vast veggie choices, and is stylish enough to feel celebratory. The kids might like the DIY barbecue at Village Korean Do Hwa, whose veggie selections include a great spicy kimchee and tofu stew. Finally, Meatpacking's Fig and Olive has a nice choice of sharable dishes, like crostini and carpaccio (including a delightful zucchini version), plenty of vegetarian options and a space that accommodates groups well.