Here's a look at the best new and renovated venues in Chicago such as corporate event venues, party rooms, conference centers, restaurants with private rooms, unique venues, and more. These event and meeting spaces can accommodate groups large or small for fall entertaining including business dinners, cocktail parties, conferences, and private and corporate events.
Parliament and the Kensington opened in River North in August. The lounge and rooftop spaces are available for buyout and hold 688 or smaller groups. At Parliament, the lounge, guests can order bottle service at tufted leather banquettes. Central V.I.P. booths are situated under a sparkling chandelier, and the space is accented with lacquered gold fixtures. Accessed via a glass elevator inside Parliament or through a separate back alley entrance, the rooftop Kensington offers views of the city skyline, pillowed banquettes, and raised greenery separating the seating areas.
Buzzed-about restaurant Travelle opened in the Langham Chicago hotel in August. Designed by the Rockwell Group, the 125-seat restaurant has an 81-seat bar. The beverage program was inspired by the corporate culture of the 1960s and includes mobile bar carts, allowing servers to prepare martinis and Manhattans table-side. Seating combines custom and mid-century pieces, and the focal point is a backlit wall with a 30-foot digital art display. A wine room with a tasting area and Chicago River views can host wine tastings for 10. A chef's table next to the expo kitchen seats eight. Chef Tim Graham, a veteran of Tru, serves Mediterranean-inspired fare including flaming chicken saganaki with pita "balloons" and the "Seafood Elevation," which offers bowls of shrimp, oysters, lobster, and King crab in separate bowls on a custom stand.
Three Dots and a Dash—named after the Morse code for V, which was short for "victory"—is a new cocktail lounge with a tiki theme. Open in River North since July, the space is underneath the country-western-theme Bub City. Decked with tiki dolls and a tiki bar and scored with retro island music, the space has a private dining room that holds 20. The entire venue is also available for buyout and holds 240. At the bar, mixologist Paul McGee shakes up tropical libations using fresh juices, house-made syrups, and a collection of 150 rums. Served in unusual vessels such as ceramic conch shells or hollowed-out pineapples, drinks include "Bunny's Banana Daiquiri" and Planter's Punch. Bites include crab rangoon, coconut shrimp, and "Luau Chips" with pineapple guacamole. The tiki mugs are available for purchase and make for fun parting gifts.
River North's nightclub and lounge the Underground reopened after an extensive renovation in August and hosts events for as many as 400 guests. The expanded space, which hosts events from brand launches to fashion shows, has two separate areas. In the Club, an elevated DJ booth is backed by a 40-foot digital video wall that can be customized. The Lounge also has a DJ booth and offers plush seating and a mixology and champagne bar. The venue offers customized lighting schemes and is equipped with televisions for DVD loops and microphones for presentations.
Renowned Latin American chef Gaston Acurio partnered with VBD Group L.L.C. to open Tanta in River North in August. Serving Peruvian fare, the menu includes cebiche prepared with fresh fish, lime, yellow chili, plus ingredients such as peanuts, coconut milk, and ginger. Other offerings include Peuvian sashimi and street foods such as empanadas. The beverage program centers on cocktails made with pisco, including the classic Pisco Sour. The multilevel space has several options for private events. The main dining room seats 108, including seats at the bar and ceviche bar. An upstairs private dining area and lounge seats 30 and hold 60 for receptions. There's also a rooftop space with landscaped garden walls; it can hold cocktail receptions for 90 or seated dinners for 50 with a mix of high and low tables. Though the rooftop space is currently seasonal, management is exploring options for tenting it in the colder months. The venue is available for buyout. The entire space can hold 270 for a reception or seat 112 without the rooftop or 162 with the rooftop.
The partners behind Jimmy at the James New York have opened a second location in Chicago. Jimmy at the James Chicago, open since August, is tucked discreetly behind the new Burke's Bacon Bar. With decor inspired by 1970s cocktail lounges, the space is decked with a walnut paneling, bronze surfaces, and chrome accents. It seats 40 or holdd standing receptions for 50. Cocktails are the focus here, and are served in sleek, gold-rimmed glasses and prepared with house-made and local ingredients. Drinks include the Grilled Pineapple Mojito and exclusive-to-Chicago concoctions such as the A1-sauce-infused "Dirty Little Secret" martini. There are also snacks available, including goat cheese fondue and lobster dumplings. To complete the retro vibe, local designer Maria Pinto was commissioned to design the staff uniforms, which are midnight-blue ensembles inspired by Bianca Jagger.
Brunswick's, an upscale bowling alley, will open a location in Buffalo Grove this fall. At 56,000 square feet, the space includes two event rooms, 32 bowling lanes, a 5,000-square-foot eatery with 130 seats inside and 50 on the patio, and a laser tag arena. Each area is available for private events, and Brunswick's can host functions for groups of 10 to 700. All rooms are equipped with audiovisual amenities suited to meetings and presentations, and food and drink packages are available. Menu items are pulled from the in-house restaurant Tavern '45, and include hand-stretched Thai-red-curry-chicken pizza, Vietnamese pork-belly tacos, and house-made meatballs. The beverage program offers handcrafted cocktails, wines, and local craft beers. Brunswick's is a chain with outlets in other cities; the Atlanta location, which looks similar to the projected one in Buffalo Grove, is pictured here.
The esteemed MK the Restaurant recently underwent a renovation. Unveiled in late July, the restaurant's new interior has a custom bar made from wood and glass. In the lounge, a new window banquette offers a view of the Chicago skyline, and a new "bar bites" men includes fried salt-cod fritters, crab toast, and farmer's market hummus with sesame crackers. In the main dining room, pear-wood paneling and trim work outline curvilinear fixtures, and new fabrics feature tone-on-tone, geometric shapes. Upstairs, a private dining space can hold seated dinners for 50 or cocktail receptions for 75. The space offers views of the Chicago skyline. Staffers work with event hosts to create customized menus with optional wine pairings, and can also assist with sound equipment, linens, and floral arrangements.
Fame opened in Wicker Park in July. With an interior designed by Antonio Ballatore of HGTV Design Star, the venue showcases works from national artists. Its food and beverage program, overseen by chef Sammy D, centers on craft cocktails and unusual bar bites such as Tuna "Nachos," made with diced pokey tuna, plantain chips, and roasted pineapple salsa. The entire venue can host events for 75 to 100; it can also be divided for smaller functions for groups of eight to 30. Amenities include a DJ booth with equipment, an iPod and iPod dock, four flat-screen TVs that can play DVD loops or videos, and customizable lighting.
The Ornot Gallery opened in Wicker Park's Ready Coffee (get it? Ready or not?) in July. Devoted to showcasing the work of local artists, the space also hosts private functions. Event planners can rent out the entire 5,000-sqare-foot space—which includes the coffee shop and the gallery—for a food-and-beverage minimum. Delightful Pastries provides the catering, and the menu includes truffled deviled eggs, baked brie, and mini B.L.T.s. The space hosts standing receptions for 80 and receptions with round-top tables for 60; it also holds schoolroom and theater-style setups for 80. Audiovisual amenities include a microphone and speaker set, a screen, and a riser stage. The venue has a refitted vintage cigarette machine, dubbed the Art-O-Mat, which vends miniature pieces of art for $5 each.
