Are you sick of going to the same ol’ dingy banquet hall for your annual holiday bash? We scoped out the amenities at these new spots; one of them should please your company’s persnickety party planner.
Gotta work: Tavern at the Park
Each of the three private dining rooms at this Loop spot is fitted with flat-screen TVs with PowerPoint and DVD capabilities (free), so the boss can go over the year-end projections during dinner while you daydream about how great it will be to sleep late the day after Thanksgiving. You can also rent the entire second floor, which seats 100; AV equipment here comes with an additional fee. Room capacities: 8-100, including a 24-person skybox with fab views of Millennium Park Menu packages: $39 lunch (per person); $55-$70 dinner. Options include chicken pot pie and rotisserie chicken at lunch and a double-cut pork chop at dinner. Extra charges: $100 staffing fee, sales tax and gratuity. Food and beverage minimums: $650-$10,000, depending on the room size
Gotta cheer: WestEnd Bar & Grill
If your crew prefers NFL or NBA games to PowerPoint presentations, head to the private dining room at this Near West Side bar. You get your own room fitted with four 50-inch TVs. Wannabe DJs can hook up their iPods during commercial breaks. Room capacities: 22 seated or 45 for a reception. There’s also a semi-private space that seats 45; reception, 80. Menu packages: $7 per person for a three-hour non-stop appetizer or pizza buffet: stone-fired thin-crust pizza (sausage, pepperoni, fresh garlic and more) or apps such as Reuben rolls, mini-cheeseburgers and quesadillas. Customized dinner packages also available. Drink packages: $40 or $50 (per person) for three-hour bar packages Extra charges: Tax and gratuity. Food and beverage minimum for the semi-private area: $2,000
Gotta have meat: Rosebud Prime
We think this Loop restaurant is the best looking of the Rosebud offspring, with wood and leather accents and showy chandeliers. Plus, there’s a swank staircase leading to the private dining area on the second floor. You can reserve the semi-private balcony overlooking the main dining room, or the Glass Room for a quieter atmophere. Room capacities: Glass Room seats 35 or 45-50 for a standing reception. Balcony seats 30; reception, 40. The entire second level can be combined to seat 70; reception, 120. Menu packages: $25-$45 lunch (per person); $49-$129 dinner. Lunch entrees include broiled lamb chops and petite filet mignon; dinner options include New York strip steak and brick chicken. Extra charges: Tax and gratuity
Gotta mind the bottom line: Emerald Loop
If your boss says there’s no cash for a soiree, host your holiday party in this Loop bar’s semi-private dining room on a Saturday night in November, when the Irish spot is offering a special $15 three-hour bar package for 30 or more guests and waiving the food and beverage minimum. Room capacity: 45 seated or 65 for a reception Menu packages: $9.50-$32.95 (per person). Entrees include shepherd’s pie, chicken curry, fish and chips, and New York strip steak. Drink packages: $25-$35 (per person) for a three-hour package Extra charges: Tax and gratuity. Food and beverage minimums starting at $2,000 apply Wednesday through Friday.
Gotta have eye candy: Room 21
Host your holiday soiree during the day at this Near South Side spot so you can drink in the opulence of Jerry Kleiner’s bordello-esque decor without the nighttime bustle; go for the private dining room at night to keep the crowds at bay. Room capacity: 150 at lunch; 35 seated or 45-50 for a reception at dinner. Menu packages: $30-$35 (per person) lunch; $55-$75 dinner. Lunch options include almond-crusted trout and roasted pork loin; pan-seared salmon and filet mignon at dinner. Drink packages: Range from $13-$19 (per person) for one-hour to $45-$75 for five hours Extra charges: Tax and gratuity. Food and beverage minimums: $2,000-$2,500
