The Chicago Venue Report
Epic
JUST FOR SHOW Near major expo centers, these new venues are ideally located for off-site events and afterparties. Here’s where to host …
800. Amenities will include a parking lot, a new kitchen, and elevators with built-in bars. Taste America will be the exclusive beverage provider, and can arrange for catering from Lettuce Entertain You restaurants such as Tru and Ben Pao. Hosts are also welcome to bring in vendors of their choosing. (1200 West 35th St., 312.644.0606)
An Art Show for 50 Less than three miles from McCormick Place, Three Peas Art Lounge opened in the South Loop last April. The venue houses a café, a lounge, and a 1,100-square-foot art gallery that can host receptions for 50. Rental fees include a bartending staff, and hosts can select caterers from a preferred list that includes Stefani and Michael’s. (75 East 16th St., 312.624.9414)
Dinner for 800 Slated to open in October, the Bridgeport Arts Gallery is a 10-minute car ride from McCormick Place. The 18,000-squarefoot space will host seated dinners for more than
An Intimate Cocktail Party Across the street from the Merchandise Mart, American restaurant Gilt Bar opened in February and unveiled its lower-level cocktail lounge in May. Decked with candles, antique mirrors, and tufted leather sofas, the underground space can host private events for 50. The drink list offers throwback options like punch bowls and Hemingway daiquiris. (230 West Kinzie St., 312.464.9544) A PowerPoint Presentation A fiveminute walk from the Merchandise Mart, Epic
Gilt Bar opened in December. In a former mill building, the contemporary American restaurant has several areas that can host events, including a mezzanine with seating for 50 and a 58-inch TV that can hook up to laptops or DVD players. Also available for buyout, the sprawling venue can host cocktail receptions for 600. (112 West Hubbard St., 312.222.4940)
Two new spaces are easily brand-able and can be built out to meet an event’s specs. Local production company Event Creative owns Venue One (1044 West Randolph St., 312.327.0111) in the West Loop. The event space hosted its first function—a benefit for the Museum of Contemporary Art—in May. With views of the downtown skyline, the venue has three levels, each with 12,000 square feet of raw space. The second floor can seat 500 with a dance floor and a stage, and the first floor can seat 400 with a similar layout. The entire venue can be bought out to host receptions for 1,000. Preferred caterers include Limelight, while Event Creative handles production and decor. Last September, special event space Logan Square Kitchen (2333 North Milwaukee Ave.,
54 bizbash.com summer 2010
Logan Square Kitchen 773.342.2333) opened in a 1913 building in its eponymous neighborhood. The LEED-certified space features exposed brick walls and eggplanthued drapes. A shared-use commercial kitchen, stocked restaurant-style appliances, and a walk-in cooler allow chefs to cook on site. The venue can host dinners for 75 and receptions for 100.
Venue One
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF EPIC, BIZBASH (GILT BAR), JOSH SEARS (VENUE ONE), INGRID BONNE/BEST FRIEND PHOTOGRAPHY (LOGAN SQUARE KITCHEN)
Signature Touch