All these ideas have been really helpful. I had no idea some of these options existed. I'm pursuing them one by one.

In addition to the ones already on the list, we've discovered that the Adventure Aquarium, Moshulu, and Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel are much more reasonably priced than we would have thought.

Some places, like the Radisson, do have a special nonprofit menu. The options are very limited and much less exciting for a food lover, but the prices are unbeatable.

Thanks for these ideas. They look interesting, and I'm encouraged to see some unusual options!

After some more research, I've pretty much accepted the fact that we're not likely to pull anything off for $50. We will probably either increase our ticket price or cut into our profit, but I'm still on the hunt for a great deal.

Our nonprofit is looking to host its first large scale fundraiser in Philly this fall. At this point, we're planning for an event with cocktails (probably a cash bar), hors d'oeuvres, a seated dinner, and a silent auction for 100-150 guests. (We're definitely open to more creative suggestions if anyone wants to offer them.) We're looking for a venue that would be convenient for guests coming from both NJ and the Western suburbs, and price is definitely a factor since the event is a fundraiser. In our ideal world, we would charge $100 per ticket and retain about half of that amount. So far, my research is making that look like a crazy dream. Does anyone have locations you would recommend with reasonable prices (even if they exceed our $50 wish)?

On January 19th, La Petite Dauphine started offering a Saturday and Sunday evening dessert buffet. For only $18, you can sample anything from their dessert cart with tea and coffee included. It's a BYO, so you can bring a bottle of wine to enjoy as well.

My hubby and I were the only ones there on Sunday evening, which felt a bit awkward at first, but they made us feel welcome and encouraged us to relax and enjoy ourselves for as long as we wanted to stay. They parked the dessert cart next to us, and we tried more than half of the 10 or 11 options by the end of our visit. Everything we tried was well executed, and they had a nice variety of classic French desserts. The owner told us that he orders his desserts from a variety of bakers throughout the city, so he has the freedom to pick and choose what he believes to be the best of each offering.

Overall, we were impressed. The owner was sharing with us his future plans for decor and menus, and I'm looking forward to seeing La Petite Dauphine evolve over the upcoming months.

If you're looking for a sweet outing this weekend, head over to Rittenhouse to check it out for yourself.

I've never had their soups. Thanks for the recommendation!

Now I'm feeling the urge to drive to Montgomeryville...

I've never heard of Bridgets. I'll have to look into it. Thanks!

I thought I should report on our visit to Zacharias Creekside Cafe. I called ahead to see if showing up just for dessert would be a problem. They were slow enough on a rainy Sunday evening that they didn't mind at all. The service was great, and the desserts were yummy. We loved the pistachio cake with sour cherries and dark chocolate. We'll definitely go there again soon to try some other desserts, and I'd like to find time to try them for lunch or dinner as well.

We've never been to Zacharias. I think we'll try it out tonight.

I hadn't thought of the other options either, but they're good ones. I know Wegmans has a beautiful dessert case, but appearance doesn't always translate into flavor in a supermarket. I'm glad to hear Wegmans doesn't disappoint. I love Pumpernick's, but I would normally only think of them for delicious sandwiches and pickles.

Thanks, everyone! I'd love to hear other suggestions. Finding good food around here can be tricky when there isn't time to head downtown.

My husband and I now have about 1.5 kid-free hours on Sunday evenings and want to take advantage of the chance to go out and grab dessert together. Unfortunately, interesting options in this part of Montgomery County seem limited. Any suggestions for places with great dessert where we could go without ordering dinner?

So far, we've thought of Zwahlen's in Audubon, which is delicious but closed on Sundays. I'm also a cheesecake lover and enjoy an occasional visit to The Cheesecake Factory. That's all we've got. Can anyone expand our options?

Thanks for all the great input! We enjoyed trying Surf's Edge, and we'll plan to try some of the other options on our next visit. We can't wait to go back!

Thanks! We'll check out both options for pizza, and I'll look up the other places as well.

So, I've read enough threads to know not to go to Grotto's for pizza, but I've only seen minimal input regarding where we should go. My family will be spending our first week in Bethany Beach at the end of June, and we're looking for a good place to get take out pizza for 12 people. Thanks for any input you can offer!

+6 for Alice. I loved their 3 year aged gouda bread as well. Amazing.

I was at Alice today for the first time. I went for the sticky buns, but I fell in love with the pain au chocolat. His croissant dough may be the best I've had in the US.

I'm looking for people who prepare and deliver quality homemade heat and eat meals on the Main Line. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Hey Glamazonjade, sorry I didn't see this sooner. I go to the market nearly every Sat. Occasionally a few of the vendors miss a week, and those weeks are sketchy for produce. However, the vast majority of the time I'm really happy.

We've been living in Norristown for 6 years and have tried a lot of different pizza shops. We finally found Charlie's, and I'm in love. Their prices are great, and their pizza is delicious. You have to try the red top, a local favorite.

I'd also recommend you check out the Upper Merion Farmer's Market: http://www.uppermerionfarmersmarket.org. I personally think it's better than Phoenixville.

Thanks! I'm not anxious to drive to Ambler, since it's a bit out of my way, but I may have to try it based on your recommendation.

We have a friend coming from out of town for her birthday, and her husband would like us to order her favorite: red velvet cake. I know Roma Bakery in Blue Bell makes one, but I've never tried it. Can anyone offer insight into their red velvet or any other good places to order one in the area? We're in Norristown.

Thanks!

We lived in Sewickley for 4 years until 2001, and I don't remember the Sewickley Hotel as anything special. Has it changed or was I missing out all that time?

Thanks for the blog link. I'm going to try to read through some of it this weekend.

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Sewickley Hotel
509 Beaver St, Sewickley, PA 15143

Thanks! We're definitely going to hit Andora. It looks great. I haven't had time to look at the other 2 yet, but I will soon.

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Andora
1616 Mount Nebo Rd, Sewickley, PA 15143

We're going to be in the Pittsburgh area for several weeks this summer, and I'm looking for feedback on Asiago. We ate there years ago, and I remember loving their onion soup. Is it worth a trip?

I'd also love to hear recommendations on a place to celebrate our anniversary. We'll be staying in the Sewickley/Moon Township area, so anything on the northwest side of the city or downtown would be a good option.

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Asiago
301 Grant St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

OK. Thanks so much for the helpful input everyone. Between this and old board discussions, I have all the info I need. Now we just need to make final decisions. With only a few days in the area and so many great choices, it's going to be tough.

The even harder part is making a lodging decision! I was hoping to get a reasonably priced place so we could splurge more on food, but the rates are so high!

Any advice regarding Bouchard's, The Black Pearl, or Mamma Luisa's? I saw an article listing them among the most romantic dinner spots in Newport. Unfortunately, romance doesn't always translate into great food.

OK, I think we'll definitely do brunch at the Bay Voyage. It looks amazing. Now we just have to sort out options for the rest of the trip. Thanks for all the great advice!

I wonder how many times you can visit Aldo's in a 10 hour period. It sounds great!

All these options look great. I'm anxious to see what else comes along. Would you recommend Castle Hill Inn for dinner only or also for Sun brunch? There aren't many options for a good Sunday brunch around us.

I should add that we're always on the hunt for good bakeries, ice cream shops... any top notch sugar!

We'll be celebrating our 10th anniversary in Newport (with a day trip to Block Island) in June. We're looking for a restaurant with great food and atmosphere for our anniversary dinner and are open to anything for the rest of the trip. I'm embarrassed to admit this when we're headed to seafood heaven, but I'm not a seafood lover and definitely want land based entree options. My husband loves everything. Where do we definitely need to eat?

Thanks for all the recommendations. Keep them coming! My dad does enjoy fish and seafood, but it's not a requirement. I guess we hadn't really decided on a price range. We wanted to get a feel for our options. I'll pay a little more to get a good restaurant, but I can't go too overboard right now. the BYOs may be a great way to control costs.