Birthday Dinner Suggestions Request

I'm hoping to gather a group of eight friends to go out somewhere to celebrate my birthday in a few weeks. Two of my friends are expecting twins so I want to be sensitive to their budget, but at the same time I'd like something celebratory. Where's a place with great food at a reasonable ($$) price that would be suitable for a medium-sized group? I'm friends with a number of vegetarians so some options there would be great.

I realize this doesn't give a lot to go on, but restaurants I've liked include Daisies, The Warbler, Lena Brava (too pricey but I loved it), Monteverde (same). I guess I'm looking for something accessible and somewhat more affordable than what I've just listed, while still being festive. Thanks!

If you liked Lena Brava, why not try Cruz Blanca next door? It's definitely more budget-friendly, the beer is tasty, and it's pretty low-key...but everything's still grilled over live fire. I've definitely seen some strollers and kids in there earlier in the night, they have an upstairs which might be a bit quieter, and I've definitely seen groups of 8 there. It's one of my favorite places in the West Loop precisely because of this particular combo of tasty food/price/good beer.

HaiSous Vietnamese (1800 S Carpenter) is centrally located, a small notch less expensive than Lena Brava & Monteverde ($$ not $$$), and has a vegetarian section of the menu. Perhaps worth considering.
http://www.haisous.com/dinner

Anteprima, the Italian restaurant in Andersonville. Terrific food, and very reasonable; Sundays through Thursdays you get almost any three courses on the menu for $32, and it's not all that much more than that on weekends. It can be a bit loud and a bit cramped, but the food and service never fail to impress.

Since you said you like the Warbler, I would recommend the sister restaurant Gather. It's slightly nicer but not particularly expensive and they have a good number of vegetarian options, especially if your group would be game for sharing.

I also would recommend Lula, which is one of my favorites for this type of situation. It has a good amount of vegetarian food and has options at a variety of price points. While the main dining room can be tight, there a few larger tables in the bar side that could be great for a group of 8.

Sun Wah BBQ.

I did my birthday there last month with 40 folks.

I am a vegetarian. Most of my guests were not. There was plenty for everyone.