With planning for corporate and office holiday parties underway, these new and recently updated venues provide suitable options for company festivities. The venues, which include bars, lounges, restaurants, private rooms, a spa, and hotel event spaces in Chicago, can accommodate small and large groups for Christmas, Hanukkah, or holiday parties of any type.
The Berkshire Room, a craft cocktail lounge, opened in River North's Acme Hotel in June. With soaring ceilings, vintage terrazzo floors, and a bar made out of leather pelts, the venue can hold standing events for 110 or seated functions for 75. Noted mixologist Benjamin Schiller oversees the drink list, which contains sections for "cocktails," "barrel finished cocktails," and "dealer's choice." The last option allows guests to design their own drinks by choosing a base spirit, a flavor profile (examples include "smokey" and "fruity") and a type of glassware. There's also a menu of 1940s-inspired snacks, including caviar and cucumber sandwiches; the single dessert option is a chocolate souffle with charred bourbon-barrel ice cream.
Lao 18, a modern Chinese restaurant, came to River North in June. At 8,000 square feet, the sizable venue has a private dining room that seats 90, as well as a main dining room, a front lounge, and a bar area. Decor includes an entry wall made from antique Chinese roof tiles, strands of "bubble" lights, and a cloud-shaped ceiling installation. The menu offers common and more adventurous Chinese dishes, including Shanghai jelly fish, Chinese sour-pickle-and-sole soup, and steamed spare ribs.
Owned by brothers Caleb and Enoch Simpson, Endgrain came to Rosce Village in June. Filled with Caleb's craftsman woodwork, the 1,180-square-foot eatery combines a casual vibe with high-end menu items. Enoch, who's had stints at Green Zebra and Nightwood, is the chef, and menu items change daily. Dishes may include beef-rib pot pie, fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits, or trout with lemon-olive-oil polenta. A selection of "Enoch's Doughnuts," made with his own flour blend and local eggs, come in flavors such as bacon-butterscotch and Nutella-milkstout, and the restaurant is also known for its biscuits. The venue is available for private events, and can host seated functions for 50 and standing receptions for 60 to 75.
Aloft Chicago City Center sprang up in River North in June. The 227-room hotel is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified and has 2,000 square feet of event space. Each meeting space is stocked with a 50-inch flat-screen TV that can hook up to laptops and DVD players. The largest meeting space is the 1,857-square-foot L Ballroom. It holds a hollow-square conference table for 60 or seats 155 theater-style. The ballroom can also hold banquets for 100.
In the same LEED-certified triplex as Aloft Chicago City Center, Fairfield Inn & Suites Marriott River North opened in June. The 180 rooms offer ergonomic work spaces; there's also a full-service business center, a fitness center, and complimentary continental breakfast with grab-and-go options. The venue has 2,558 total square feet of meeting and event space, and the largest space is the 1,919-square-foot Lower Level. The space seats 180 theater-style or 120 for banquets.
The final hotel in the new River North triplex with Aloft and Fairfield Inn & Suites is Hyatt Place Chicago River North. Event space totals 3,190 square feet, and the largest room is 1,919 square feet. The room seats 120 at rounds, 180 theater-style, or 60 boardroom-style. Each of the 212 rooms has free Wi-Fi. There's an on-site fitness center and complimentary breakfast service known as the "Kitchen Skillet," which serves breakfast sandwiches and more.
Inspired by the family table and its owners' Calabrian heritage, J. Rocco Italian Table & Bar came to River North in May. The casual spot offers house-made pastas, pizzas, and multiple kinds of meatballs, while an on-site hydroponic garden grows lettuces and herbs. The space has two levels decked with dark wood tables and exposed brick walls. On the first floor, a family-style table seats 12. A soon-to-open bar area on the second floor will host private events for as many as 80 guests.
Davanti Enoteca opened in the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in River North in July. The wine bar serves menu items inspired by the Italian countryside with a focus on handmade pastas. The rustic venue has a private dining room that seats 25 family-style. The restaurant also provides catering for all functions held within the hotel, plus room service. Bonus tip: The local doughnut shop Glazed & Infused has a walk-up window that operates out of the enoteca.
In Roselle near the Schaumburg Convention Center, 8000 Miles opened in June. With a semiprivate dining room that seats 30 or holds receptions for 50, the venue specializes in Chinese and Japanese small plates. The space is decked with modern light fixtures and reclaimed wood and metal finishes, and the event space has banquettes and a slatted-wood enclosure. Hosts can work with staffers to create custom menus, incorporating dishes such as pineapple-chicken cashew fried rice and chocolate-banana wontons.
At the top of the John Hancock Building, the Signature Room offers 360-degree views of the Chicago skyline. The venue has a new executive chef, Rosalia Barron, and launched a new private dining menu in August. Items include seared sea scallops and bananas Foster; a polenta action station is also newly available. The venue hosts cocktail parties for 50 and seated dinners for 200; hosts can also rent out the entire 95th floor to host receptions for 500 or seated dinners for 320.
