Buyers, merchandisers, and retailers from all corners of the globe visit Chicago's Merchandise Mart throughout the year. Here are three venues for entertaining groups, all a stone's throw from the Mart.
From the owners of Blue Plate catering, Bluprint opened last July and is the first (and, thus far, only) full-service restaurant and lounge within the Merchandise Mart. The venue's decor pays homage to the modern design featured in the surrounding showrooms. Highlights of the space include an illuminated glass bar, glowing walls, and sleek tables that appear to float. Groups can dine family-style at communal tables, hold meetings in a private room that seats 20, or rent out the entire space for as many as 192 guests. The menu of contemporary American fare offers upscale snacks like truffle and Parmesan fries with roasted garlic aioli and short rib potstickers. The Postmodern Blu, a blend of berry-flavored vodka, blueberry Schnapps, and lychee liqueur, headlines the specialty cocktail list.Open since February, Cityscape Bar anchors the southeast corner of the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza's 15th floor. Wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows, the bar peeks out onto the neighboring Mart and overlooks the Chicago River. Cityscape's specialty cocktail list runs the gamut from a classic Maker’s Mark old fashioned to the froufrou pomegranate rose martini. Food is of the fancy-appetizer variety, with offerings like roasted duck tamales and yellow fin tartare. A fabric-enclosed corner offers private seating for 10, while the entire space, which recently hosted a charity fashion show for the Illinois chapter of the Pajama Program, can accommodate as many as 100.
Meaning “sour sweet” in French, River North restaurant Aigre Doux has a name that reflects the culinary talents of its coupled-up co-owners. Pastry chef Malika Ameen oversees sweets; her husband, Mohammad Islam, takes care of savories. (Ameen and Islam met in the kitchen of the Ritz-Carlton Chicago; they also both worked as chefs at Hollywood's Chateau Marmont before opening Aigre Doux in January 2007.) In their minimalist River North restaurant—dolled up with chandeliers and marble floors—the couple churns out dishes like lamb with truffled grits and sticky toffee pudding topped with mascarpone sorbet . A semiprivate room off the main dining room seats 30, while a private room on the lower level features its own fully-stocked bar and seats 60. Groups can opt for personalized party menus or multicourse dinners paired with boutique wines. The restaurant is just across the street from the Mart.
From the owners of Blue Plate catering, Bluprint opened last July and is the first (and, thus far, only) full-service restaurant and lounge within the Merchandise Mart. The venue's decor pays homage to the modern design featured in the surrounding showrooms. Highlights of the space include an illuminated glass bar, glowing walls, and sleek tables that appear to float. Groups can dine family-style at communal tables, hold meetings in a private room that seats 20, or rent out the entire space for as many as 192 guests. The menu of contemporary American fare offers upscale snacks like truffle and Parmesan fries with roasted garlic aioli and short rib potstickers. The Postmodern Blu, a blend of berry-flavored vodka, blueberry Schnapps, and lychee liqueur, headlines the specialty cocktail list.Open since February, Cityscape Bar anchors the southeast corner of the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza's 15th floor. Wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows, the bar peeks out onto the neighboring Mart and overlooks the Chicago River. Cityscape's specialty cocktail list runs the gamut from a classic Maker’s Mark old fashioned to the froufrou pomegranate rose martini. Food is of the fancy-appetizer variety, with offerings like roasted duck tamales and yellow fin tartare. A fabric-enclosed corner offers private seating for 10, while the entire space, which recently hosted a charity fashion show for the Illinois chapter of the Pajama Program, can accommodate as many as 100.
Meaning “sour sweet” in French, River North restaurant Aigre Doux has a name that reflects the culinary talents of its coupled-up co-owners. Pastry chef Malika Ameen oversees sweets; her husband, Mohammad Islam, takes care of savories. (Ameen and Islam met in the kitchen of the Ritz-Carlton Chicago; they also both worked as chefs at Hollywood's Chateau Marmont before opening Aigre Doux in January 2007.) In their minimalist River North restaurant—dolled up with chandeliers and marble floors—the couple churns out dishes like lamb with truffled grits and sticky toffee pudding topped with mascarpone sorbet . A semiprivate room off the main dining room seats 30, while a private room on the lower level features its own fully-stocked bar and seats 60. Groups can opt for personalized party menus or multicourse dinners paired with boutique wines. The restaurant is just across the street from the Mart.
Cityscape Bar overlooks downtown Chicago.
Photo: Michael J. Kardas
Bluprint's sleek, modern decor was inspired by the surrounding showrooms.
Photo: Nick Merrick/ Hedrich Blessing
Cityscape Bar offers impressive views of the skyline.
Photo: Michael J. Kardas
Seated dinners for as many as 60 can take place in Aigre Doux's private room.
Photo: Courtesy of Aigre Doux
