Living Large

We all know how big group dinners go: You patiently endure the Venue Arbitrator, the Latecomer and the Picky Eater, only to fall apart when the Check-Splitter has his moment.

Thanks be to Resto, then, for its new Large Format Feasts. The process is simple: Pick a night, pick an animal and eat.

Give chef Bobby Hellen a week's notice and he'll have a whole beast of your choosing slaughtered just for you, then turn it into a custom-made, multicourse menu for up to 18 people.

A whole pig might become a sausage tasting followed by roasted chops and stuffed pig's feet--even dessert incorporates the featured meat. And Hellen will throw in a few Greenmarket sides and surprises to round out the meal.

Pork's not your thing? Ask for a milk-fed baby lamb, a spring goat or your favorite fish. Even a whole-ostrich feast can be yours: "With enough notice, anything's feasible," Hellen says. Plus, you can have your meal paired with large-format beers and wines.

Plan to pay around $65 per person--or leave the dirty work to the Check-Splitter.

Resto, 111 E. 29th St. (between Park and Lexington aves.); 212-685-5585 or restonyc.com