We actually had co-ed barracks, not in the same room you understand. Just in the same building, unless of course you felt ---- never mind. I wish I was in a barracks with sime FBI guys right now.

Are we going to la varandia?


DS

Appropriate question, Don Smitty...since voting ended on Sunday evening.

Last time I checked the poll, La Veranda was way in front. While nothing's 'set in stone' maybe we should all take a look and see what the final tally was.

Apple

I saw that la virandia was picked by most. Is that the one by the mosholu ship from the movie?


DS

I was thinking about the BB Weekend in August and thought that I'd do some research. So I called La Veranda & Shula's to find out if they could accommodate us or not and this is what they told me:

La Veranda -

They are able to accommodate us and they will give us a private room.

They only need 2 weeks notice for a reservation.

They will let us choose from 'prefixed' menu's. For the list of menu's go here La Veranda Click on the banquet link and look at the

Family Style Menu
Party Menu A
Party Menu B
Party Menu C
Party Menu D

I will post what I found out about Shula's later on today. Got some stuff to do. We really need to decide where we are going on Friday and Saturday night cuz we only have 3 months to go and Summer vacations are coming up and I know I will be on and off the BB all Summer others might be also. Thanks

Thanks, Miggy!!

All those menus look great -- basically comes down to how much we wanna spend, $50-85/pp + liquor, tax, gratuity...

Just letting you all know that Tom Petty is going to be playing at the Tweeter Center in Camden on the 18th. Hmmm. Gives me ideas. I am totally going to that.

Looks nice Mig!! I'll go with whatever you guys want. How many will be in our party???


Patrick, you can't go to the concert. You have to come to meet your BB family.


TIS

Look I don't even need to see anymore menu's, whatever is cheapest is ok with me because it looks like the food is good and there's a decent variety even in P-Menu A.

To Mignon....you are right to want to get this tightened up and due to the amount of people in our party something should be pre-planned reservation wise, so my suggestion to you is to extract a final restaurant decision for both nights and then decide on the menu.

I mean, don't get me wrong it's nice to get everyone's input...but there comes a time when somebody has to start making decisions. After all, it's only food, we KNOW it's good food, and the point again is that we'll all be hanging out together.

So I'll see y'all on the afternoon of 8/19.

Apple

Good work Mig. Thank you for taking the bull by the horns. I do have a question though, and hopefully you can answer it or find out the answer.

Will they let us order off of the regular menu instead of a pre-fixed if we are a large party of people?

In my opinion, and this is just my opinion, there seems to be a much bigger selection from the regular menu, which gives us more choices, especially if there are some who really don't like what the pre-fix menu limits them to, and honestly, ordering ala carte from the regular menu does not appear to be that much more expensive then the pre-fix pried menu.

Just my opinion that we may be better off having more options ordering off the regular menu, so that everyone can eat what they would like and not be limited to what the restaurant;'s pre fixed menu says that they want to serve us.


Don Cardi

Thanks guys. I just want to make sure this weekend goes off without a hitch.

Don Cardi,

Answer to your question they told me when I called is we have to have a 'prefix' menu cuz we are a big group. I don't understand why that is but that is what they said.


Ok as far as Shula's is concerned they said the same as
La Veranda.

Private room
2 week notice
5 prefixed menu's as follow's they faxed them to me.

Menu #1

Salad
Traditional caesar salad with herb croutons and shaved parmesan

Entree

16oz Shula cut New York strip
Grilled 10oz Norwegian salmon with Beurre Blanc
16 oz French-cut chicken breast

All entrees include sautéed mushrooms, peppers A ¼ hash brown on the plate
Warm bread service with all entrees.

Dessert
Perfect Season” 7- layer chocolate cake
Coffee, decaf, ice tea

$55.00pp


Menu # 2

Appetizer (choice of 1)
Colossal shrimp cocktail
Shula’s lobster bisque

Salad
Traditional caesar salad with herb croutons and shaved parmesan cheese

Entrée (choice of 3)

16oz Shula cut New York strip steak
Grilled 10oz Norwegian salmon with Beurre Blanc
16 oz French style chicken breast
10 oz Florida snapper

All entrees include sautéed mushrooms, peppers A ¼ hash brown on the plate
Warm bread service with all entrees.

Dessert (choice of 1)

“Perfect Season” 7- layer chocolate cake
Vanilla CHEESECAKE
$63.00pp


Menu #3

Soup
Lobster Bisque

Salad (choice of 1)
Caesar salad with herb croutons and shaved parmesan cheese
Beefsteak tomato salad with gorgonzola cheese

Entrée (choice of 1)
16oz Shula cut New York strip steak
22 oz Shula cut cowboy steak
Grilled 10oz Norwegian salmon with Beurre Blanc
16 oz French style chicken breast
10 oz Florida snapper

Side dishes (choice of 1)
Stuffed double baked potato with white cheddar cheese
Hash brown potatoes


All entrees include sautéed mushrooms, peppers
Warm bread service with all entrees.

Dessert (choice of 1)

“Perfect Season” 7- layer chocolate cake
Vanilla CHEESECAKE
All entrees served with coffee, tea and iced tea
$65.00 pp

Menu # 4

Appetizer
Chilled ½ Maine lobster

Salad
Vine ripened beefsteak tomato salad with gorgonzola cheese


Entrée
12 oz Shula cut filet MIGNON
16 oz French-cut chicken breast
10 oz Florida snapper

All entrees include sautéed mushrooms, peppers
Baked potato with bacon, cheddar cheese, scallions sour cream
Warm bread service with all entrees.


Dessert
Perfect Season” 7- layer chocolate cake
Coffee, decaf, ice tea
$ 75.00pp


Menu # 5

Salad
Caesar salad with herb croutons and shaved parmesan

Entrée (choice of)
16oz Shula cut New York strip steak
Grilled 10oz Norwegian salmon with Beurre Blanc
16 oz French style chicken breast

Accompaniments (choose 1)
Creamed spinach
Hash browned potato
All entrees include sautéed mushrooms, peppers

Dessert
“Perfect Season” 7- layer chocolate cake
Vanilla CHEESECAKE

Open Bar
1 hour open bar
Fully stocked open bar featuring
J&B scotch, beefeater gin, smirnoff vodka, Bacardi rum,
Sweet & dry vermouth, domestic red & white wine
Assorted imported & domestic beers & soft drinks
$75.00pp

All menu’s charge tax + 21% service charge
21 % service charge is in place of gratuity

I suppose they like to limit their workload for their guaranteed 21% tip...

Hey - I don't think I've ever had a somewhat decent restaurant say "no" to any special requests...

I was wondering if those who are going to stay in Philly for the weekend if you booked the room we held for you? Also I need to know who is coming for Saturday night's dinner so I can have a ball park figure for the reservation. Thanks.

I've made a reservation for Saturday night.

If I recall correctly from earlier in this thread, it's going to be at least 10 people maybe 12 (for Saturday, that is).

If I were pressed to make the reservation, I'd tell them between 10-15 people.

Apple

From what I counted, we will be at LEAST 15.

Personally, I don't go for that pre-fix stuff. If I'm going to go into a restaurant, I don't want them telling me what I have to eat and then basically pay the same price as if I ordered off the Ala Carte Menu. It's just a way to make things easy for themselves and at the same time boost up their profits.

Think about it. How does one justify, on the pre-fix menu, charging someone the same exact price of a 16oz. steak if they choose a chicken breast for their main course? And at the same time tell them this is what they HAVE to order?


Mig, great job. It's a good thing that you found this out in advance. Now at least we can decide if we want to go with one of these places and their pre-fixed menu, or explore some other options.


And if we really have no choice, then it looks to me that Shulas may be the better choice pre-fix menu compared to La Veranda's pre fix menu. But that's just my opinion.


Personally, as I said, I am not too thrilled about a Pre-Fix dinner.

Anyone else here care to post their thoughts about this?


Don Cardi

You DON'T wanna know my thoughts on this!!

It'd be great if we can all sit down together, but beyond that I say we get separate checks. I know what I'd want to order, and it may only be available on an ala carte menu. I like to drink with my dinner and I don't wanna worry about someone getting their nose out of joint because I drank more than them. My dinner may cost more.... Fine. Give me my own check.

You DON'T wanna know my thoughts on this!!

It'd be great if we can all sit down together, but beyond that I say we get separate checks. I know what I'd want to order, and it may only be available on an ala carte menu. I like to drink with my dinner and I don't wanna worry about someone getting their nose out of joint because I drank more than them. My dinner may cost more.... Fine. Give me my own check. [/b][/quote]These are my thoughts as well. Someone may not be a big eater, and shouldn't feel obligated to order a big dinner because that's what everyone else is doing. The restaurant should have no problem in giving everyone separate checks, and we shouldn't feel obligated to order from the pre set menu if there's nothing on there we're really thrilled about.

I think we are dragging this out much more than needed.

Do we need our own room at the restaurant? If we simply made reservations ahead of time, for "X" amount of people, we could order from the menu right???? I'm ok either way really.

Like I said before, I don't care where we end up, but if a vote is required to decide, I'll go with my original vote of the Italian restaurant, not that Shula's isn't good, but simply to go somewhere I haven't been. I don't know anything about Philly or what other places are around there. That being said, I'll go along with whatever.

As far as separate checks,(although I swear Cardi said it was on him :p ) I didn't really think of that, but I think it is probably the best way to go, but again, I'll go along with most anything.

Mig, FYI, I am booked for Fri./Sat.

TIS

Thanks, Don Cardi...needless to say, I haven't reviewed the thread in quite a while !!

To tell you the truth, I don't consider 15 that large of a group. But I'm accustomed to NJ/NY restaurants...in Philadelphia (where WC Fields spent a week one night) that number of people might be considered a major event.

For what it's worth, I would rather we ordered individually as well. It would probably come to less or at least the same amount per person as the lowest price pre-fix at either place.

For christ's sake if it becomes this difficult we may as well just eat at the hotel (or perhaps that burger joint pictured earlier in the the other thread).

Apple

PS - regarding the 'separate checks' thing, I wouldn't mind it either if that's what everyone agreed to...but would never dare suggest it. Too much confusion and although some do end up spending WAY above what they individually ordered, you usually attend these group dinners with an understanding that the check will be divided evenly.

TIS, I'd be more than happy to pick up your share of the dinner bill.

It has to be much cheaper than buying you all those cute little blue drinks! :p

Don Cardi

My feelings: whatever you guys want. If you want one bill, the bill comes, we divide it evenly, tell me a number and thats what I'll give.

Geez, and this is just for Saturday's dinner. Who's gonna start the thread on Friday's dinner. Somebody....anybody, make a decision. :p


TIS

The restaurant would have a shit-fit if we asked for a dozen separate checks!! They would never go for it, because they're still serving one large group, and they need to be assured of their 21% "service charge". They probably also need to account for the room. (I know they did it in Somerset, but they weren't happy -- nor were we )

Splittig it equally is the easiest way; however, we should probably have a separate drink tab if that's possible. Not everyone drinks, or at least not everyone drinks as much as some of us.

Prix fixe or not, I don't care, but I agree with Cardi that it's not very frugal for what you get.

If we cannot sit in the separate room and order from the menu -- we can sit in the main dining room, at 2 or 3 tables, and order whatever we wanted -- and get one check per table. Even if we had our own room, with 15+ people, we wouldn't be seated in such a way where we could talk to everyone anyway -- we'd be at one really loooong table, or 2 separate tables anyway.

Just some thoughts... but as always, I don't care how it works!

Excellent point, TIS!! Aside from yours truly, exactly how many are going to attend only Saturday night dinner?

(raise hands, please...)

While this is definitely becoming interesting reading, I'm almost ready to suggest having the BIG soiree wherever you like and I'll be happy to take part in drinks/appetizers/group photo at the Moshulu.

Apple

But the question still remains, where are we going?


Don Cardi

I can only speak for myself here, I never have a problem splitting everything equally. Yes I might not drink as much as JG, but the sheer entertainment of watching JG get drunk is well worth the additional $$$. :p

"There are things being negotiated now that are gonna solve all your problems and answer all your questions. That's all I can tell you now..."


Don Cardi

I have to side with SC here. I think that if the restaurant doesn't like doing a few separate checks - TOUGH. I think there should be. I agree that there are some people who might order something more expensive, or someone who might have a few more cocktails, etc. I think SC is right on the nose. Like he said, if he wants to have a few more drinks, or order the surf n turf while someone else has an iced tea and a piece of chicken, why should the others feel forced to pick up his share? He's veing fair and equitable, as always.

As for the separate room, that would be nice. We do tend to be a rather loud group (and I am usually one of the loudest, I must admit ), but I've never heard of a restaurant that insists on giving a separate menu for that small a group. It's not like we're 40 people.

As for where we end up, I think that some of us may be afraid to make a decision based on the fact that the debate turned a bit ugly last time we went down this road. I think I've made my feelings pretty clear on where I wanted to go, but I will go along with the majority.

And Mig, was there a special reason that the word "cheesecake" was typed in all caps?? :p

"There are things being negotiated now that are gonna solve all your problems and answer all your questions. That's all I can tell you now..."


Don Cardi

Somerset...wasn't that the land of the half-frozen cheesecake?

By the way, I don't feel that this was ever a 'debate' as much as a confusing discussion. Problem became that there were too many people choosing between too many places. The only reason things got 'ugly' (and even that I would consider a bit strong a term) was that there was too much being thrown out there when a decision should've already been made and announced (for BOTH nights) long before it came to that point.

I have it from a good source though, that there are things being negotiated that are gonna solve all our problems and answer all our questions.

That's all I know right now...

Apple