1. Klay Oven Kitchen
Klay Oven Kitchen, a family-owned Indian restaurant, opened a location at the French Market in February. Specializing in more than 25 varieties of freshly ground and roasted Indian spices, the 170-square-foot space is stocked with everything from cumin to fennel, star anise, and cardamom. The venue also serves brewed teas, curries, and bowls and wraps filled with organic vegetables, chutneys, and Indian yogurt. Chefs Hiran Patel (pictured) and Sahil Singh can lead private spice tastings and cooking classes for groups of 12, at a typical cost of $20 per head. The chefs teach participants to create dishes from South India as well as the Bengal and Gurjat regions. Classes typically last around one hour, and end with lunch. Guests leave with spices and take-home recipes.
Photo: Courtesy of Klay Oven Kitchen
2. Up Theater
Open since February 17, Up Comedy Club is Second City's new comedy-cabaret theater in the former Tony and Tina's Wedding space in Piper's Alley. The venue offers entertainment seven nights a week, along with midweek matinees. The on-site restaurant and bar serves traditional Chicago fare such as Lou Malnati's pizza, Vienna Beef hot dogs, and Eli's cheesecake. Available for private shows and buyouts, the space has a 285-guest capacity. For additional fees, staffers can arrange for customized Second City performances lasting 60, 90, or 120 minutes. They can also lead groups through teambuilding activities and workshops in topics such as presentation skills and adapting to change. Classroom-style seating can accommodate 80, 50 guests can sit in a U-shape, and 100 can sit in a banquet-style setting. There are two levels of cabaret-style seating, and booths include the Ambassador East's historic Booth One, which was salvaged from the recently shuttered hotel. (In the Ambassador East's heyday, the hard-to-score booth sat celebrities like Frank Sinatra.) Audiovisual amenities, included with rental, include two wireless microphones, two microphones with stands, a full sound system with a CD player, a stage manager and audio and light technician, two 70-inch LCD televisions, and a central screen for PowerPoint presentations. Other perks include an ushering staff and skirted tables.
Photo: John McCloskey
3. The Centered Chef
The Centered Chef, a two-story culinary studio with a lofty event space, came to the West Loop in October. The 2,600-square-foot learning kitchen has five individual cook stations and can hold 50 guests. Instructors host customized workshops, cooking classes, and activities such as yoga, dancing, and workouts that are designed to "help students take charge of their health," according to a venue rep. The 3,100-square-foot loft space hosts business meetings, cocktail receptions, and teambuilding activities including obstacle courses. Classes typically last three hours, and pricing starts at $125 per head.
Photo: Courtesy of Centered Chef
4. Few Spirits
Few Spirits, a small-batch distillery that produces whiskey, gin, and other liquors, opened in Evanston in 2011. The venue hosts tours and tastings, and can accommodate private groups of up to 25. The tour leads guests through the distillery floor, where a distiller encourages guests to ask questions. The activity costs around $20 per head, and hosts can purchase bottles of liquor for tastings or take-home gifts.
Photo: Courtesy of Few Spirits
5. Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort
New teambuilding activities at the Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort include cooking classes with chef Carol Buckantz. Menu items and recipes can be customized for each client, and past classes have covered how to prepare crème brûlée. Participants divide into teams or groups to prepare their dishes. Depending on the size and complexity of the menu, most classes last around two hours. Pricing begins at $85 per person, and the activity is available to groups of 12 to 150.
Photo: Courtesy of Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort
6. Give Me Some Sugar
Previously specializing in at-home cooking classes, Give Me Some Sugar opened a Roscoe Village studio in November 2011. New teambuilding activities include Sugar Wars, which can accommodate groups of 12 to 14. Led by pastry chef and company owner Alessandra Sweeney or another chef from the Give Me Some Sugar team, the activity lasts for two hours and costs $45 per person. Participants are given pre-baked cupcakes and must decorate the treats to match a particular theme. At the end of the activity, each team presents its cupcakes to the judges, and a winning team is named.
Photo: Courtesy of Give Me Some Sugar
7. Nacional 27
Liz Samples, in-house mixologist at Nacional 27, leads groups through private mixology classes at the sleek River North restaurant. Geared toward groups of 15 to 50, the classes can take place in the bar area or in the new private dining room, which opened in February. The classes are available on weekdays in the afternoon or early evening and cost $25 per guest with a $75 bartender fee. Each guest gets two cocktails and passed tapas. To add an element of teambuilding, hosts can opt to add the Cocktail Creation Table, which is stocked with liquors, fruit purees, fresh juices, and garnishes. Groups divide into teams to design and name a cocktail using ingredients from the table; the professional mixologist then judges and names a winning cocktail. There is a $250 Creation Table Fee per 25 guests.
Photo: Courtesy of Nacional 27
8. Bottle & Bottega
Launched in 2009 as a mobile business that brought painting supplies to offices and event spaces, Bottles & Bottega opened a brick-and-mortar location in Lakeview in March. The venue's new teambuilding activities include custom mural design, which caters to groups with as many as 80 guests. Before the event, hosts consult with venue reps to select a theme or specific design for the mural. Professional artists then sketch it on to separate panels. On site, guests spend an hour mingling over wine and snacks, which hosts must bring in themselves, before dividing into teams to paint specific panels. After about two hours, groups combine their panels to complete the mural. The activity costs about $40 per person, with additional fees for the mural design and the canvases. The activity can also take place off site to cater to larger groups.
Photo: Courtesy of Bottle & Bottega
9. The Poison Cup
The Poison Cup, a cozy, art-filled wine shop in Lincoln Park, now hosts blind tasting competitions. Venue reps give a brief lesson on how to identify types of wine through sight, smell, and taste, then participants test their new skills in sessions that typically last one hour. The tastings can accommodate as many as 10 guests at $15 per person, plus the cost of the wine. For groups with 10 to 40 guests, the venue can be reserved for two hours. Two-hour events begin at $350 (plus the cost of the wine), and staffers can also bring in cheese and charcuterie trays.
Photo: Courtesy of the Poison Cup
10. Zed 451
River North restaurant Zed 451 is now offering seminars in wine-and-cheese pairing. Able to accommodate groups of four to 80 guests, the activity begins with a 30-minute introduction and is followed by a cocktail reception that can last for three hours or less. Participants learn the characteristics of two to four wines, then learn about the cheese-making process for the artisan cheeses that the wines are paired with. The restaurant's chefs and wine manager lead the activity, and the cost is $30 to $50 per person (before tax and gratuity).
Photo: Courtesy of ZED451
The Pedal Pub
The Pedal Pub is—you guessed it—a pedal-powered pub. With 16 seats, the quirky ride’s rental fee includes a driver who takes groups on pub-crawls through neighborhoods such as Ukrainian Village and the West Loop. Guests cannot drink while the vehicle is in motion, but hosts can supply food and beverage to be consumed while it's parked on private property. The Pedal Pub is available April through October, and fees for two-to-three hour outings typically range from $160 to $190 per hour.
Photo: Courtesy of Pedal Pub
1. The Pullman Barn at Chicago Botanic Garden
The Chicago Botanic Garden's new Pullman Barn is open June through October. Situated among grasses and flowers, the rustic structure can seat 50 or host cocktail receptions for 80, and rental fees include picnic tables and benches. Fire pits are available for an additional cost. Culinary Landscape's catering menu focuses on Southern-inspired picnic fare such as jalapeno-cheddar corn muffins with whipped honey butter, barbecued shrimp, s'mores, and bourbon cocktails mixed with peach iced tea.
Photo: Jennifer Kathryn
4. Sal Seven at Public Chicago
Ian Schager's Public Chicago hotel, which opened in October, has several meeting spaces that cater to smaller groups. On the second floor, the 252-square-foot room referred to as Sal Seven holds eight-person conferences. The room has a boardroom table made of rift-cut oak, white linen drapery and window sheers, a private bathroom, a coat closet, and a fireplace.
Photo: Courtesy of Public Chicago
The interior can host dinners for 100.
Photo: Rick Aguilar/Rick Aguilar Studios
