Best Cheap Group Dinner

Otto
One Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10003

In my broke post-college life, there is nothing I dread more than a big group dinner. Usually a result of a birthday or visitor in town, I always found group dinners expensive and underwhelming. A few years ago, when my brother came to town (visitor=group dinner), I set out on a mission to find a restaurant for a big group that was equally delicious and well-priced. Otto was the answer to this tricky quest. Otto is a Batali restaurant, and even though my brother begrudgingly goes to Italian restaurants, the price was right and I scored a reservation for us and a few friends on a weeknight. The restaurant is warm and inviting; I especially liked the train-station flap board table announcements. The group started with some antipasti, favorites were the Cauliflower "a la siciliana" and the Funghi misti. For main courses our group was pretty much split between pastas (all $10!) and pizzas. For pasta I had the spaghetti alla carbonara (obviously) and also got to try the fusilli con sausage & escarole and taccozzette con stracotto. For pizza our group chose the funghi & taleggio, cacio e pepe, and prosciutto arugula. All of the dishes were solid basic Italian pastas and pizzas, nothing fancy but delicious all the same. Since my initial visit to Otto, I have gone back plenty of times - especially when I am tasked with making a rez for a large group when friends visit or we have something to celebrate - because it is perfect for a cheap group dinner, the Best I Ever had.