"Expensive party restaurants often have bad food—call it correlation, not causation—but La Mar is the Peruvian transplant here to squash that claim. With a huge space, ample weeknight reservations available, and a menu stacked with really great stuff, a birthday dinner becomes effortless to plan. Order snacks like flaky chicken empanadas or wonton tacos stuffed with creamy tuna tartare. Share blowtorched Nikkei nigiri highlights hamachi that nearly disintegrates beneath bright sauce drizzles. And because you’re celebrating, browse their long list of pisco cocktails for a toast." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley