Here's a look at new Chicago hotels, conference centers, restaurants, private rooms, and other spaces to open for events this summer. The new and renovated Chicago venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, conferences, meetings, and more.
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.
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 CervecerĂa, 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.
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.
