The New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge is slated to unveil its redesigned ballrooms and meeting space on Wednesday, the latest chapter in a $43 million renovation to the borough’s largest hotel. Other improvements to the downtown Brooklyn property include a redesign of the M Club Lounge and the industrial-chic Bar. Overall, the hotel has more than 40,000 square feet of meeting space. The renovations, including renovations to all 667 rooms, are slated to finish in 2016.
One of the most anticipated restaurant openings is Jams by Jonathan Waxman. The restaurant, a reincarnation of the chef’s 1980s-era restaurant, opened at 1 Hotel Central Park in August. Like the original, it serves California-inspired farm-to-table cuisine, fitting in with the hotel’s eco-minded mission. Natural light from the two-story windows fills the 110-seat dining room, which was designed by AvroKo. White oak, exposed brick, and visible ducts add to the relaxed yet upscale atmosphere.
Located below STK Downtown is One Manhattan, a private event space. The meatpacking district venue, accessible via a private entrance, features a dance floor, a DJ booth, a main bar, and a separate lounge called the Marble Room. The space has audiovisual equipment including three drop-down screens and a sound system. The venue holds 200 guests for receptions and can be divided into several private rooms.
The Mexican restaurant Hecho en Dumbo debuted a new look in early July. Located on the Bowery, the eatery features colorful hand-painted floors, exposed brick, and wooden ceilings. The menu offers chef and co-owner Danny Mena’s inventive tacos and entrées such as barbacoa grilled baby lamb ribs. The beverage menu has an extensive margarita list and other classic and house cocktails. The dining room seats 45 or holds 70 for receptions; the space also has a 14-seat bar and an eight-seat chef’s counter. Next door is the restaurant’s private event space, a lounge and performance space called Salon Hecho. The space has its own look with curved banquettes, antique lamps, and a mix of marble and wood tabletops. It seats 40 or holds 70 for receptions.
Big Deal Casino—a 13-table gaming room with craps, blackjack, roulette, poker, and baccarat—opened in May just north of Madison Square Park. The casino, which uses play money, has a contemporay feel with white walls and red and black accents. In addition to holiday parties, the venue is available for teambuilding events, receptions, and social events and also offers classes on how to play the games. The space holds 150 for receptions.
Hailing from Japan, the restaurant Yakiniku Futago opened this summer in the Flatiron district. The stylish eatery features yakiniku—or grilled meat—and can pair meals with craft cocktails, sake, or wine. The main dining area seats 64; a 10-seat private dining room is accessible behind a soundproof curtain and features its own glassware and dining ware.
For a holiday party in the Hamptons, the Sagaponack winery Wölffer Estate Vineyard has opened a restaurant in nearby Sag Harbor. Under the direction of chef Deena Chafetz, Wölffer Kitchen serves Mediterranean-influenced American cuisine, that, naturally, pairs well with wine. The restaurant, which opened in July, seats 60 in a dining room with wood tables, cozy banquettes, and a vibrant mural based on the summery design of the winery’s popular rosé. The winery also hosts holiday events.
The critically acclaimed Empellón Cocina from chef Alex Stupak finished a renovation in July. The new look at the East Village Mexican eatery comes from Glen & Company Architecture and features exposed wood beams, glossy white tiling, and colorful Day of the Dead paintings. The restaurant seats 65 or holds 100 for receptions; a chef’s table in the open kitchen seats four guests.
A beer garden and restaurant, West End Hall opened on the Upper West Side in July. The concept, from KES Hospitality and the Lure Group, offers a welcoming interior that mixes old and new, such as the space’s rediscovered original terrazzo floor and vintage mirrors that hide LED televisions. The menu features classics such as bratwurst and sausages, pretzel bites, and mussels, as well as extensive bottled and draft beer options. Beer geeks can marvel at the flux capacitor, a tool that regulates the gas blend of each beer. In warmer months, the space also features an open-air backyard garden that has heat lamps. The venue holds 250 inside and 100 outside for receptions.
Vaucluse, an Upper East Side brasserie from Altamarea Group, opened September 2. Chef Michael White and Marea executive chef Jared Gadbaw collaborated on the French menu, and Meyer Davis provided the interior design. The restaurant is split into two dining rooms that each seat 80 and offers seating in its bar and a lounge. A private dining room on the lower level seats 12 at one round table and includes space for a pre-dinner reception. Additionally, the restaurant has a townhouse available for private events. It seats 32 or holds 40 for receptions. Its amenities include full audiovisual equipment as well as a separate entrance.
The 85,000-square-foot Venue One North Shore opened in May. Located in the former Berto Center, the event space is intended to serve corporate headquarters in the area, including Kraft Foods and Allstate. It has both indoor and outdoor spaces, and can seat 1,200 guests for dinner or hold 1,500 for receptions.
Imperial Lamian, a high-end Chinese restaurant, opened in River North in March. The main dining room seats 120 and offers a view of the open kitchen, where chefs make hand-pulled noodles. The private Imperial room seats 30 guests and has a 96-inch projector for presentations, while the semiprivate Ming Room seats 40; the Ming and Imperial rooms can be combined to seat 70 guests. On the private-dining menus, popular items include Jasmine tea-smoked ribs and Wasabi crispy prawn.
On the 24th floor of Hyatt Centric the Loop, Aire opened in May. The rooftop bar and lounge has contemporary decor and 360-degree city views. It also has open-air fireplaces and shade umbrellas. The menu offers small plates and specialty cocktails as well as beer, wine, and champagne. The venue has 90 seats or can hold standing receptions for as many as 200 guests.
Leña Brava, a new concept from acclaimed chef Rick Bayless, opened in the West Loop in May. Inspired by the live-fire cooking techniques used in Baja, California, the restaurant serves fare cooked over an open hearth and a wood-burning oven; it also has a raw bar and expansive wine and mezcal lists. An upstairs private dining room is set to open in mid-June. The room has its own bar, and seats 30 guests; it can also expand to fit more seats. Bayless has also opened a brewery, Cruz Blanca Cervecería, next door to the restaurant.
Joy District opened in River North in April, and has several options for private events. On the first floor, the front bar holds cocktail receptions for as many as 30 guests, with room for food stations including an ice-cream-sundae bar. The semiprivate Back Cove seats 12, while the Elevator, a semiprivate table surrounded by vintage elevator doors, seats 10. The first-floor mezzanine is equipped with flat-screen TVs, a fireplace, and lounge furniture; it seats 50 guests. The second floor holds 200 guests for receptions, while the second-floor mezzanine can hold 70. Finally, the 3,000-square-foot rooftop space offers interactive stations with items such as cotton candy or raw-bar selections. Other items on the catering menus include deviled eggs, sushi, and truffle-ricotta tortellini.
Spin, the ping-pong social club co-founded by actress Susan Sarandon, opened a Chicago outpost in March. The 16,000-square-foot venue was designed by the Rockwell Group and has graffiti wall murals, one-of-a-kind light fixtures, and seating areas filled with Mid-century furniture. Spin has two full bars, three private lounges, and a "center court" with stadium seating and 20 ping-pong tables. On the ground level, a patio can hold outdoor ping-pong games in the warmer months. Areas can be roped off for private groups with mesh copper curtains, and staffers can arrange black lights for glow-in-the-dark games.
Legendary comedy club The Second City unveiled a 25,000-square-foot expansion in February. The new space holds the Harold Ramis Screening Room, which has 50 seats. There are also two cabaret theaters with 55 and 45 seats each, as well as open bleachers and communal work spaces. The onsite restaurant and bar, 1959, serves sharable plates and changes its menu seasonally; the bar area can hold receptions for 100.
Inspired by Las Vegas nightlife, Fremont opened in River North in December and is now available for private events. For buyouts, the venue can hold 600 guests. Its first floor can hold receptions for 200 guests, and its second floor accommodates 375 guests for cocktails. There are also smaller spaces available for private and semiprivate functions. Each floor is equipped with a DJ booth, and the second floor has a stage. Other features include audiovisual equipment, three full bars, and a retractable roof. On the catering menu, options include platters of Japanese-style fried chicken, raw bars, and cocktail tasting stations.
Green Street Local opened in the West Loop in March. The eatery serves comfort food with a twist, such as fried chicken served with glazed doughnuts and calamari crusted in Cap'n Crunch. The 5,000-square-foot venue has high ceilings, high-top seating, and a wall covered in green plaid acoustical panels. The upper level can hold 60 guests for cocktails or seated events for 30. A patio, open seasonally, can seat 25 guests.
Public House, a gastropub in River North, recently underwent a renovation that was unveiled in March. Updated features include new lighting and decor, as well as new audiovisual equipment. The space now has plasma televisions throughout and a 30-foot video wall. The West Bar area seats 125 or holds 300 for receptions, while the East Bar seats 85 or holds receptions for 150. The Deck section now has a full-service bar and can seat 44 guests or hold 65 for receptions. And the smaller Library can seat 16 or hold 25 for cocktails. Public House's new menu items include baby back ribs, bologna sliders, and braised-chicken tacos.
