A few weeks from now the trees along Michigan Avenue will be bright with lights and the store windows will glisten with holiday gifts. Every restaurant and hotel will be brimming with revelers enjoying their company parties. The best locations are booking right now! This year, plan ahead to have a great holiday event. Is your company the type to linger over 6 courses with wine pairings or more likely to order cold beer and pizza? No matter your tastes, the holidays are a time to celebrate and appreciate the people who make your company run all year long.
If you like the old swanky classics, Rosebud’s Ballo Restaurant offers a wine room for private parties accommodating up to 30 guests. Located at 445 N. Dearborn, Ballo is the ideal juxtaposition of a great Italian restaurant and fun-loving nightspot. The beat of the music, sparkling disco ball and plasma screens covering the walls set the party mood inside this unique space, converted from a 50′s diner.
Chicago’s new glamor scene is at David Burke’s Primehouse inside River North boutique hotel, The James, at 616 N. Rush. Dinner highlights include steaks dry-aged in their onsite salt cave and dishes like the spicy “angry lobster”. The “cheesecake lollipops” are the notable dessert. After dinner, everyone can relax in the J Bar, with deconstructed cocktails like the signature “James” served in a glass coated in a raspberry candy shell. The innovative dishes, modern design elements and video art installations will give your guests great memories.
Enjoy the stunning views of the Chicago River and city skyline and hold your celebration at Fulton’s on the River, 315 N. LaSalle. They offer seven distinctive spaces for private events including the plush “Murdoch Lounge” for a casual event or cocktail party, the “Main Branch Room” with windows overlooking the water or the “Riverfront Room” with access to the outdoor veranda.
Hub 51, named for its location at 51 W. Hubbard, has a lounge called “Sub 51″ on its lower level that doubles as a private-party space. This popular new restaurant from Lettuce Entertain You creatively blends entertainment, nightlife, and dining with fun nuances like quirky comments on the menu and the beer tap in the hostess booth.
For a sophisticated affair, hold your event at the Courtyard Marriot – Magnificent Mile . The chefs and staff of the chic restaurant, Viand, will cater your party in an event space in the Marriot or in Viand’s private wine library. Colleagues and guests from out of town or the suburbs will find it convenient to stay overnight at the hotel and indulge in the great holiday shopping on Michigan Avenue.
Why not call your favorite place and see if they provide rooms or menus for special events – most do! Restaurants like Shaw’s Crab House offer party menus featuring shrimp, lobster, seasonal crab dishes, sushi and regional oysters on the half shell. La Madia at 59 W. Grand has a private wine and pizza tasting room for you and your guests to enjoy their artisanal pizzas and their full global wine list. Creative and festive options abound in Chicago! Wherever you go this season, raise a toast to each other to recognize your accomplishments in 2008. Happy holidays.
