The recession may be officially over, but that doesn't mean holiday parties will be bouncing back immediately. With that in mind, here are some lively and casual venues that won’t break the bank.

1. The Mandarin Oriental recently made over the Asian-inspired MoZu restaurant into the contemporary Sou’Wester, which has an American menu with a southern lilt. For small lunch or dinner gatherings, the 3,500-square-foot venue has a 12-seat communal table in the main dining room and a 14-seat semiprivate room with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a stellar view of the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial. The homey menu, created by award-winning chef Eric Ziebold of the Mandarin’s CityZen restaurant, includes sautéed pork belly with pickled watermelon rind and chicken with dumplings. MORE >>

Corporate Holiday Parties

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11.12.09 9:00 AM

Againn: A Modern Gastropub in Penn Quarter

The main dining room of Againn gastropub
Photo: Powers & Crewe

Whisk Group, a new Washington-based restaurant management and operations company, opened the gastropub Againn on October 27 in Penn Quarter. Designed by Peter Hapstak of D.C.-based design firm CORE, the 5,600-square-foot venue has a modern, industrial look with the traditional British pub accents. Bright and spacious, Againn features floor-to-ceiling exterior glass walls that open onto the street. MORE >>

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11.03.09 9:00 AM

Birch & Barley: Neighborhood Restaurant Group's New Beer-Themed Venue With Private Dining

The lounge at ChurchKey

The latest addition to the ever-widening hospitality possibilities along the 14th Street Corridor is a stylish 6,500-square-foot venue with an emphasis on beer. On October 20, the Northern Virginia-based Neighborhood Restaurant Group (Evening Star Cafe, Vermilion and Tallula) opened restaurant and bar Birch & Barley and upstairs bar and lounge ChurchKey. Beer director Greg Engert is in charge of the vast menu of 500 beers, including 50 on draft. MORE >>

Neighborhood Restaurant Group

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10.30.09 12:47 PM

Long View Gallery: New Location in Warehouse Space for 400

The lower and entrance hall of Long View Gallery
Photo: Tony Brown/Imijination Photography for BizBash

On October 22, Long View Gallery moved from its town home on 9th Street NW, opposite the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, into an industrial warehouse space one block south. Now available for events, the 5,000-square-foot venue has two flexible halls connected by a gently sloping ramp, 20-foot ceilings, concrete floors, and exposed brick walls. Amenities include seven 20- by 11-foot wall panels for projections, a catering staging area, sound system, and wireless Internet access. MORE >>

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10.23.09 9:00 AM

Kellari Taverna Opens With Private Dining

The main dining room of Kellari Taverna
Photo: BizBash

Open as of October 16, the 7,500-square-foot Kellari Taverna brings fresh Mediterranean and Atlantic catches and traditional Greek cuisine to the K Street corridor in the heart of downtown. Owners Stavros Aktipis and Gregory Zapantis have a restaurant by the same name in New York. The partners brought in New York-based Skordas Design Studio, which used antiqued white woodwork with gold accents for the walls and hardwood and stone tiles for the floors. MORE >>

LOCATION SCOUT

10.20.09 2:23 PM

3 New Northern Virginia Restaurants

The Winter Garden room at Trummer's on Main
Photo: Jen Winter

Northern Virginia has a fast-growing restaurant scene. Here's a look at three of NoVa's newest eateries.

1. Twenty-five miles from Washington in the historic town of Clifton, the trilevel Trummer’s on Main opened in July, offering a menu of creative American cuisine served in four distinct areas. On the ground floor, the 16-seat wine tasting room offers a view of an 8,000-bottle wine cellar. One level up, the 50-seat main dining room has two fireplaces, and the glass-enclosed 90-seat Winter Garden room has a flagstone waterfall. On the third floor, the 50-seat Gallery Room, often used for private dining, is decorated with local artwork. For guests on any level, co-owner and well-known mixologist Stefan Trummer creates seasonal cocktails. The venue is available for full buyout. MORE >>

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10.15.09 9:00 AM

Masa 14 Opens With Private Dining and Tequila Lounge

The main dining room at Masa 14
Photo: BizBash

Washington has its first lounge devoted to tequila, as well as a new restaurant serving creative Asian-Latin fare, both under one roof. On Monday, chefs Kaz Okochi of Kaz Sushi Bistro in Foggy Bottom and Richard Sandoval, owner of Zengo in Penn Quarter, opened Masa 14 along the rapidly developing 14th Street Corridor.

The 3,000-square-foot venue has an industrial look, with exposed brick walls, a soaring ceiling lined with exposed pipes, and a raw concrete floor. Just inside the front door, the 74-seat Tequila Lounge offers a menu of more than 100 tequilas, 14 beers on tap, and specialty cocktails made with fresh fruit and agave nectar. The long, narrow space has bar stools and hightop tables, both covered in rust-colored vinyl. MORE >>

Richard Sandoval

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10.08.09 10:00 AM

Courtyard by Marriott Chevy Chase Opens With Event Space

The lobby of Courtyard by Marriott Chevy Chase
Photo: Courtesy of Courtyard by Marriott Chevy Chase

The upscale shops and department stores that line Wisconsin Avenue in Chevy Chase have a new neighbor. Last week, after a grand opening ceremony on September 22, the new 226-room Courtyard by Marriott Chevy Chase opened with several spaces for events. The 39-year-old property underwent a $35 million renovation and now has a contemporary design and a Gold LEED rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. MORE >>

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10.01.09 1:23 PM

The Reserve Lounge and Restaurant Opens for Events

The ground floor of the Reserve
Photo: BizBash

One of the newest downtown venues attempts the ambiance of an Old World castle. Opened September 21, the Reserve trilevel lounge and restaurant that guests enter through a pair of 11-foot-tall steel-studded mahogany doors. Available for full or partial buyouts for up to 280 guests, all three floors have exposed brick and oak-paneled walls, mahogany hardwood floors, black granite tabletops, and faux-leather low lounge seating. (Level three, a martini lounge, opens in late November.) MORE >>

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09.22.09 9:00 AM

National Harbor Opens Sunset Room for Events

Sunset Room at National Harbor
Photo: National Harbor

On August 13, National Harbor christened its own event venue, opening the 8,062-square-foot Sunset Room. Managed by the Peterson Companies and decorated in neutral shades, the space has floor-to-ceiling windows as well as terraces for views of the Potomac River and Woodrow Wilson Bridge. MORE >>

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