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.

The requester: A friend

The request: "It's my wife's birthday and I'm gathering friends for a pub crawl. I'm thinking West Village spots within stumbling distance from each other. Super casual. Jeans. Sh*tkickers. Fleece. One or two should have decent food for beer sponge purposes."

The suggestions: If you want to eat first, start at Dublin 6, where the food is quite good, especially the mini lobster clubs, pork empanadas, and beef and Guinness pie. Then walk a half block to the historical White Horse Tavern, where poet Dylan Thomas drank himself to death. Continue three blocks south to Bayard's Ale House, which has a great jukebox, but even better wings. Three blocks further south, hit Barrow's Pub to shoot a game of pool. Head east on Barrow to Barrow St. Ale House for more amusements if that's your fancy--pool, darts, video games. Try to get there early, though, as the crowd can get fratty later on.

Continue one block to a personal fave--the Blind Tiger Ale House, which has a fireplace, cozy atmosphere and a dizzying selection of fine brew. This is another good spot to eat--they serve cheese plates from neighbor Murray's, good chili and sandwiches. Walk a few blocks west to Lederhosen to get your oompah on with German beers and a nice selection of wurst. Then end the night  one block east at either Marie's Crisis (if you're in the mood to belt out showtunes) or Arthur's Tavern (to listen to jazz). Bottom's up!

The requester: A relative

The request: "I'm meeting a fellow attorney for dinner. I can spend some money, but it can't be crazy expensive. He's from out of town so I'd like to take him somewhere cool. Here's the catch: near Grand Central."

The suggestions: Gypsy-trendy Django serves great cocktails at the lively bar downstairs, and modern Mediterranean cuisine in its upstairs dining room. The "Pera tradition" feast at Turkish brasserie Pera offers a great value--and an onslaught of meze and meat. Riingo at the Alex Hotel features a Japanese-inspired menu by Aquavit and Merkato 55 chef Marcus Samuelsson. And it's a good room to talk in. If you don't mind straying a few more blocks north of Grand Central, I really like Pampano for its upscale, seafood-focused Mexican cuisine and its whitewashed dining room. The margaritas are terrific, too.

The choice: "I chose Riingo since I remembered the chef from Aquavit and my guest, from the Bay Area, likes sushi."

The result: "I really enjoyed the rare sushi with pumpkin puree--that was great. Dessert was a little strange, though. I ordered the warm chocolate cake (excellent, but now i need to run five miles...) but at first they brought me out some sort of mousse and seemed mystified that I actually requested them to bring me what I clearly ordered. The room was a little on the quiet side, but it felt familiar and welcoming."

(Photo courtesy of Riingo)

The requester: My neighbor

The request: "I have clients in town from China and Thailand. One of them does not like Western food and does not eat meat. They are staying downtown, but I'm reluctant to go to Chinatown because of the crowds with the lunar new year's celebration. Where can we get good Asian food in the East or West Village?"

The suggestions: If they like Japanese food, En in the West Village is super-authentic, and quiet enough to converse with clients. The expansive menu has great options for vegetarians, like the excellent house-made tofu. Book one of their chic tatami rooms for extra privacy. In the Central/East Village, Chinatown Brasserie also offers a vast menu, great dim sum, and plenty of non-meat options along with an impressive decor.

The choice: "I opted for Chinatown Brasserie because I had read about it when it first opened and the menu appealed to me, but then I forgot about it. Though it's "faux" Chinese, it seems like it's well done."

The result: "Most of the food was truly outstanding, but even better was the front-of-the-house service, well beyond any of the best restaurants I have dined in. My guests were an hour-and-a-half late--on a Friday night! I sat in the cozy front bar and the superb training and kindness of the maitre d' who introduced himself as Dennis really put me at ease. And he sat us swiftly once they arrived. We loved the shrimp and snow pea dim sum; the chopped vegetable and pine nut lettuce wraps; and the barbecued duck spring rolls. The Peking duck was very good, too. Desserts were okay. The chocolate lava was fair, and forget the sundae--it's just three scoops of ice cream with sauce. But there were these dough puffs filled with a warm, coconutty custard that is not-to-be-missed. The most important part--my clients were happy."

(Photo courtesy of Chinatown Brasserie)

I'm often asked for suggestions on where to eat around town from relatives, friends and relatively friendly people who have specific needs. I'm happy to oblige, as long as they report back and let me know how the experience went. (I'd hate to continue recommending a place that didn't live up to expectations). This new featurette, "Tell Me Where to Go," reveals the results.

The requester: My cousin

The request: "We are a group of about 12 coming into town from California to celebrate a 50th birthday. One night, we'd love to eat downtown--somewhere we don't have to get dressed up; somewhere conducive to a large group; with great food, of course; and somewhere we won't get kicked out for being too loud."

The suggestions: If you're in the mood for barbecue, the semi-private alcoves at Chelsea's Hill Country are great for groups, and they put together tastings for around $20 a head with no room fee. Live music adds to the party atmosphere. Barbuto in the West Village offers either a private room or a large table in the kitchen for multi-course, family-style meals for $60 a head with no room fee. For old-school Italian, Marinella on Carmine Street has a back room for big parties where you can order a la carte. If you want a real private affair, tapas-spot Tia Pol in Chelsea offers menus from $45-$90 a person and a private room fee of $250.

The choice: "We chose the kitchen table at Barbuto because we loved the idea of seeing the chefs in action. Also, we thought Italian food would be great for those in our group who don't eat meat."

The result: "Terrific! It seemed like the food never stopped. There were cured meats, salads, appetizers like codfish croquettes; three different kinds of pasta; an amazing roast chicken, pork loin and the biggest scallops I have ever seen, among many other dishes and desserts. The staff was very helpful with wine suggestions. It was a blast--casual, with great food, and no, we didn't get kicked out!"

Want to know where to go? We'll tell you if you drop us an email about your specific needs. (And if you let us know how it went, we'll publish it on the site.)

(Roast chicken photo courtesy of Barbuto)