How about an airplane in flight as a venue for an event? When Entourage returned from a yearlong hiatus, HBO needed a dramatic way to launch the fifth season of its flagship comedy. A typical screening and after-party didn’t seem to fit with the show’s expensive campaign and jet-set vibe, so the marketing team came up with the idea of an on-brand airplane. HBO approached Virgin America, which fit with the show's aesthetic. The airline was about to debut a new flight service between New York and Las Vegas, so the pair agreed to a joint promotion. The result included a private Virgin-hosted party inside a JFK airport hangar, photo ops with the show’s cast and Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson, an in-flight premiere of the season opener, and an after-party at the Playboy Club in Las Vegas.
Public Services Wine & Whisky, which specializes in unique, world-class wine and whiskey, opened in September. With 3,800 square feet of space, it holds as many as 150 guests. The upscale American venue features hand-painted 15-foot ceilings, hardwood floors, and marble counter tops. Food choices are limited, but the venue works with Revival Market Catering for private events.
JW Marriott has opened its second location in Houston, this time in the 104-year-old Samuel F. Carter Building on Main Street. JW Marriott Houston Downtown, a $82 million luxury hotel with Pearl Hospitality, opened in November and has 16,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. It's also notable for housing the first Spa by JW, the brand's new spa concept. The 328 rooms include executive and presidential suites, long-term apartment suites, and four spa suites, and its on-site food and beverage outlets are the seasonal Main Kitchen and the 806 Bar & Lounge.
The boutique Hotel Derek in the Galleria finished a two-year, multimillion-dollar renovation this fall that overhauled its 312 guest rooms, 10,000 square feet of meeting space, and pool deck. It also added a whimsical, unique amenity: an outdoor movie wall where the hotel regularly screens films for guests. The hotel commissioned a cow-print mural on its eight-story parking garage, with space for the movie projections outlined in gold, lasso-style rope. The property's meeting space includes the 4,800-square-foot Bravo room, which seats 360 banquet-style or holds 500 for receptions, and the chic pool deck that holds about 75 people for receptions. The property also has two penthouse suites available for events. Its new restaurant, Revolve Kitchen & Bar, serves Texas-style cuisine in a stylish space—think jewel tones and black-lacquer pool tables.
With a name referencing Barcelona, BCN Taste & Tradition serves modern Spanish cuisine from chef Luis Roger in a sophisticated setting. Located in a converted 1920s-era home in Montrose, the restaurant maintains original architectural details of the home, including wood floors and a white brick fireplace while exclusively featuring artwork by Spanish artists on the white walls. There is seating for 54 on the main level with an addition 10 seats at the bar. Private dining is available upstairs in two dining rooms that seat 25 total. BCN opened in September.
A glamorous 1920s-style venue, Prohibition SupperClub & Bar opened downtown in October. Once the Isis Theatre, the 8,000-square-foot space will once again host performances, this time from the vaudeville and burlesque troupe Moonlight Dolls. Original details include wrought-iron stairs, balconies, and black-and-white marble flooring that complement new features such as cream-colored circular booths, crystal chandeliers, and an open-air kitchen. Waitstaff stay on theme, dressed in flapper outfits and suits with suspenders and hats. The theater seats 90 on the first floor and 30 upstairs. For receptions, the space holds 200 people. The restaurant seats 60 in the dining room and 18 at the bar. A private booth for 12 is available for small groups.
Located in an arts-and-crafts-style bungalow on the Menil Collection campus, Bistro Menil opened in late September. The café—originally envisioned by architect Renzo Piano 25 years ago but finally created under Stern and Bucek Architects—includes environmentally sustainable design materials such as reclaimed wood and recycled elements and natural light. The fare is a mix of American and European-influenced dishes, and the space has three dining areas: the main dining room, called the Vue Room, seats 68; the private Prive Room seats 24; and the patio seats 40. The bar area has eight bar stools with room for additional guests at a standing bar.
The modern Italian restaurant Radio Milano opened in CityCentre in October with a menu featuring many ingredients sourced from Texas farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. The two-story dining room has a bar at street level that opens to a terrace with table and lounge seating. The dining room is located on the second floor. The entire restaurant seats 165, and buyouts are available Sunday through Thursday. The restaurant also offers private dining for as many as 70 seated guests.
Pico’s Mex-Mex now has a second location, 30 years after it first opened on Bellaire Boulevard. Located in the Upper Kirby district, the 8,800-square-foot Mexican restaurant debuted in September and has ample space for private events. The main dining room can be arranged to seat 100 guests, while the semiprivate Fiesta Room seats 50 or holds 65 for receptions. The Tequila Room seats 30 or holds 24 in a conference setup. The Sun Room, named for its abundance of natural light, seats 60 or holds 80 for receptions. The bar holds 60 people for receptions, and a patio seats 50 or holds 80 for receptions.
Houston’s first legal whiskey distillery, Yellow Rose Distilling opened in September in Uptown. The 10,000-square-foot space offers a warehouse-style setting that has two spaces for events. The distillery seats 120 or holds 400 for receptions, and a tasting room is outfitted with a custom 18-foot bar, a flat-screen TV, and audio and video inputs. The room seats 40 or holds 60 for receptions. Events can include a tour of the distillery.
Devotees of the paleo diet will find menu items created for them at the new Upper Kirby district restaurant Ruggles Black. A collaboration from chef Bruce Molzan and restaurateur Neera Patidar, the eatery mixes Asian flavors with French American cuisine. It opened in August and seats 92 people inside and 50 outside.
Cordua Restaurants opened its fifth Churrascos location in late September in the Champions area in northwest Houston. The 5,100-square-foot Latin American steak house seats about 200 guests with an additional 50 seats on a covered patio. The restaurant was designed by San Francisco-based MBH Architects.
Bowlero, a 40-lane bowling alley from Bowlmor AMF, opened in May in the Woodlands. The 45,000-square-foot sports and dining complex includes multiple theme bars, a full-service kitchen, an ice cream parlor, and games such as shuffleboard, foosball, beer pong, and cornhole. The decor includes vintage pieces such as ski-lift rocking chairs and a reclaimed Airstream trailer.
TopGolf opened its second Houston-area entertainment complex in April. Located between downtown and The Woodlands, TopGolf Houston North is a three-level, 65,000-square-foot venue with 2,900 square feet of dedicated private event space. The facility includes 102 hitting bays with a 32-inch LCD TV at each bay, a full-service restaurant, three bars, and a rooftop terrace with fire pits and cabanas. For buyouts, it holds 1,200 people for receptions but has options for smaller groups as well.
Moody Gardens Hotel Spa and Convention Center in Galveston finished a $20 million renovation in May that saw upgrades to the entire property. The renovations touched the 103,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, 418 guest rooms, spa, and food and beverage outlets including Shearn’s Seafood & Prime Steaks and the new Café in the Park.
Springbok, an upscale sports bar and South African restaurant, which opened in July, is named for the country's famed rugby team and the antelope native to the region. Located in a turn-of-the-century downtown building, the space features dark woods, leather seating, and decor such as rugby shirts from around the world. The first floor seats 100, including at a 35-seat bar that connects to a patio. A second-floor event space called the Texas Lodge holds 75 people and has a 50-person terrace with its own bar.
Following a $15 million renovation that finished in the spring, the former Renaissance Houston Hotel is now the DoubleTree by Hilton—Greenway Plaza. The 388-room property has nearly 27,000 square feet of meeting space; the 5632-square-foot Century Ballroom is the largest and seats 800 theater-style or 520 banquet-style. The property's dining options include Bistro 59 and Edloe's Lounge.
Open since 1972, the bar Marfreless has long been known for its bright blue front door and no signage. Now under new management, the River Oaks venue underwent a complete renovation and reopened in January. The ground level holds the bar, while an upstairs lounge is available for private events. It seats about 50, including two small V.I.P. areas, and holds 100 people for receptions.
True Food Kitchen—a mini chain of healthy, eco-friendly eateries from Fox Restaurant Concepts—opened in late July. The Galleria-area location offers vegan, vegetarian, organic, and gluten-free options and caters to other specialty diets. The venue seats 145 indoors and 58 on its patio.
Owner Kevin McElroy named Pimlico Irish Pub after his father's old pub in Dubin and used its photos and memorabilia in the design of the new space. The 2,100-square-foot pub holds 91 people inside; a second-story patio offers downtown views.
Common Bond Café & Bakery, which opened in May in the Montrose neighborhood, comes with a haute cuisine pedigree. Chef Roy Shvartzapel has worked at famed restaurants such as El Bulli, Balthazar, Bouley, and Bouchon Beverly Hills. The menu features more than 50 baked items as well as sandwiches, salads, sides, coffee, tea, and wine. The bakery seats 80 indoors and 20 outdoors.
Sylvia Casares, who has two locations of Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen, is opening a third restaurant called Sylvia's on Eldridge on August 17 that will feature menu options beyond enchiladas. The restaurant will seat approximately 150 diners. The private room will seat about 25 and the patio about 50.
