The Directory A selection of resources from our comprehensive online directory of event and meeting suppliers and venues
New Venues CLUBS & LOUNGES OPENING SOON BOMBAY SAPPHIRE LOUNGE
In 2009, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County announced its partnership with Bacardi USA and the construction of the Bombay Sapphire Lounge. On the ground floor of the Carnival Tower of the downtown Miami property, the 2,800square-foot lounge is decorated in the brand’s signature blue and is currently open for private events before it debuts to the public in October. The open layout of the lounge can host 60 inside, with an additional 50 on the Arsht Center’s 1,500-square-foot Parker and Van Thomson Plaza outside. (1300 Biscayne Blvd., 305.576.8888 ext. 325) LA FEE VERTE
La Fee Verte, a 1920s-style Parisian burlesque club, opened in June in Miami Beach. This 4,000-square-foot private nightclub derives its name, which means “the green fairy” in French, from a 1920s nickname for absinthe. The club, which can host about 220 people, specializes in absinthe cocktails and feature burlesque dancers nightly. There are two event areas for groups: the semiprivate Betty Page room for 18 people and a second-floor V.I.P. room for 30. (912 71st St., 305.865.5955) ROOFTOP LOUNGE
Rooftop Lounge opened atop the Townhouse Hotel in Miami Beach in August. The 5,000-square-foot lounge can accommodate 250 for a reception, with expansive city views. Seating for 80 is composed of white wood chairs and loungers topped with gray and red cushions. There is also a communal table for 12, and catering is provided by the hotel’s Bond Street Sushi restaurant. (150 20th St., Miami Beach, 305.534.3800)
LET’S SKATE ORLANDO
Local restaurateur George-Eric Farge, the name behind George’s in the Grove, opened his second namesake restaurant in July. The 3,000-square-foot casual eatery can seat 75 in its main dining room. There’s also a semiprivate room which can seat 25, and space for an additional 50 outside on the sidewalk and patio. (1549 Sunset Drive, Miami, FL, 305.284.9989)
In July, Let’s Skate Orlando opened its 25,000-square-foot facility in Winter Garden. The activity venue can accommodate nearly 500 people, with space for as many as 300 roller skaters on the rink at a time. There are also five themed rooms around the rink, including rock star- and the princess-themed rooms, which hold 10 to 30 people each. There is also reception space that can be combined with the disco room to host as many as 75 people. (14207 West Colonial Drive, Winter Garden, 407.614.3812)
OPENING SOON GREENHOUSE FLORIDA
PEABODY ORLANDO
Greenhouse Florida is scheduled to open in October at the Village at Gulfstream Park shopping and entertainment center in Hallendale Beach. The 10,000-square-foot bilevel venue has a 65-seat restaurant—serving organic, local, and seasonal dishes until 2 a.m. daily—on the first floor and a second-floor nightclub accommodating 500 people. Greenhouse feature ecofriendly details like bamboo flooring and LED lighting. (801 Silks Run)
The expansion of the Peabody Orlando will be complete in November. Open since July, the property has 300,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and entertainment space and 99 breakout rooms. Also on site: a new tower of guest rooms, a new restaurant and bar, and a 22,000-square-foot spa. The largest new space is the pillarfree 55,000-square-foot grand ballroom, which can seat 4,700 or host 6,200 for receptions. The venue is connected to the Orange County Convention Center by two covered walkways. (9801 International Drive, 407.342.4000)
GEORGE’S ON SUNSET
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Host a Business Lunch Positano Ristorante opened in Doral in July serving classic Italian cuisine. The restaurant is decorated in a geometric style with all dark wood and white elements. The dining room can seat 92 amid a mixture of booths and four-top tables. There’s also a patio seating 22. The menu is comprised of classic Italian dishes, including various meat and fish carpaccios as starters, main courses like linguine carbonara and tortellini panna and prosciutto, and tiramisu, panna cotta, and ricottina for dessert. (2475 NW 95th Ave., Suite 10, Doral, 305.594.2828)
CRUISE SHIP NORWEGIAN EPIC
The Norwegian Epic arrived at the Port of Miami in July. The 1,081-foot cruise ship, the largest in the company’s fleet, is in port on Saturdays. There are multiple restaurants, performance spaces, and entertainment options, including an ice bar, a 259-seat comedy club, and a steak house. Ideal for meetings, the Epic Theater can host 681 amid graduated rows of plush chairs. (7665 Corporate Center Drive, 866.625.6338)
ACTIVITY VENUES
HAVANA’S CUBAN CUISINE
Cooper City got its first Cuban restaurant in June with the opening of Havana’s Cuban Cuisine. The 2,400square-foot restaurant can seat 80 people in its open dining room. The establishment specializes in classic Cuban cuisine like picadillo criollo (ground beef simmered in tomatobased Cuban sofrito) and masa de cerdo (pork chunks served with a guacamole-style avocado sauce) mixed with Argentine grilled meats and Mexican spices. (8600 Griffin Road, Cooper City, 954.530.1400)
ENTERTAINMENT VENUE IMPROV COMEDY CLUB & DINNER THEATRE/FAT FISH BLUE
This space reopened in July after the closing if its Church Street location. The new venue has partnered with the adjoining Fat Fish Blue restaurant, which opened in August, to form a combined dining and entertainment venue. The attached venues span 14,000 square feet and can accommodate 700 guests. The Improv’s 325-seat theater has three levels of seating at four-top tables. A 500-square-foot private room is just off the lobby. Fat Fish Blue seats 80 at dining tables, 35 at the bar, and 100 on a covered patio. (9101 International Drive; Improv Comedy Club: 407.480.5233; Fat Fish Blue: 407.480.2000)
IL MERCATO CAFÉ AND WINE SHOP
In July, Il Mercato Café and Wine Shop opened in Hallendale Beach. The 60-seat international eatery specializes in global cuisines with healthconscious components, mixing classic Italian dishes like spaghetti with French specialties like duck confit. The restaurant lists 70 wines handselected by the in-house sommelier and priced at $99 or less; an additional list of high-end wines is available. (1454 East Hallandale Beach Blvd., Hallandale Beach, 954.457.3700) TASTE GASTROPUB
This Delray Beach eatery, open since April, features an expansive candy bar. The 4,500-square-foot space, designed by James Beard Awardwinning chef Allen Susser, is divided into three areas: an indoor bar and lounge for 38, a dining room for 18, and a back garden with a waterfall and bar for 33. There is also sidewalk dining for 20. Buyouts are available for groups of 125 for receptions. (169 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach, 561.274.4444)
RESTAURANTS ANTHONY’S COAL FIRED PIZZA
This Italian restaurant opened at Millenia Crossing in June. The 2,600-square-foot restaurant has an open floor plan that can accommodate 123 people in its dining room and at a marble-topped bar. There are currently plans to add outdoor seating for 24 in the fall. (4048 Eastgate Drive, 407.352.2030) DRAGONFLY MODERN IZAKAYA & SUSHI
This 5,900 sushi restaurant opened an Orlando location in the Dellagio Town Center in July, joining its sister location in Gainesville. The venue includes a 90-seat main dining room, a 22-seat sushi bar, a 32-seat private dining room, indoor and outdoor bars, and a 2,300-square-foot patio. In addition to sushi, the restaurant specializes in food prepared on a robata grill, a Japanese grill that heats up to 1,000 degrees. (7972 Via Dellagio Way, 407.370.3359) INDIA BLUE
This 15,000-square-foot Indian restaurant opened in July. The bilevel restaurant can seat 280 on its first floor— which can be divided into three spaces—and 155 upstairs including the private room for 40. There’s also a covered patio for 120 and buyouts are available for 440. (8282 International Drive, 407.363.5333)
HOTEL
THE WATER CLUB MIAMI
MITCHELL’S FISH MARKET
JW MARRIOTT MARQUIS
The 12,750-square-foot eatery on the IntraCoastal Waterway opened in May and combines upscale dining with casual relaxation at its more than 13,000-squarefoot pool and deck area. The venue can host parties of 14 in its private dining room to large receptions of more than 1,000. There’s also a private wine room for 48. (3969 NE 163rd St., North Miami Beach, 305.944.8411)
The 7,700-square-foot restaurant, open since June, can accommodate 270 people. There is a private room seating 48, or hosting 100 for a reception, and 3,000-square-foot patio for 80. A portion of the patio can also be used for a prefunction space for events hosted in the private room. (460 North Orlando Ave., Suite 122, Winter Park, 407.339.3474)
The 313-room hotel opened in July with 80,000 square feet of space, including a 20,000-square-foot ballroom. There are two entertainment floors with a Jim McLean Golf School, a 10,000-square-foot NBA-approved basketball court, and a virtual bowling alley for groups. (345 Ave. of the Americas, 305.350.0750)
ZUMA
RESTAURANTS THE FORGE
Landmark Miami Beach restaurant the Forge, which closed last year for renovations, reopened last spring. The main dining room doubled in size and now has 130 seats, while the Forge Bar seats 36 and provides full dinner service. For private events, the wine cellar can seat 22, a board room seats 16, and the library seats 40. There is also a courtyard for 100. (432 Arthur Godfrey Road, Miami Beach, 305.538.8533)
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German chef Rainer Becker opened the first U.S. location of Zuma in May inside the Epic Hotel. The 8,500-square-foot Japanese restaurant offers access via private dock as well as the hotel’s main entrance, and is able to seat 198 throughout its main dining room, bar, lounge, and sushi bar. There are two private rooms for groups of eight or 12. There is a 68-seat terrace. (270 Biscayne Blvd. Way, 305.577.0277)
VIA NAPOLI PIZZERIA
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In August, Via Napoli Pizzeria opened at the Epcot Italy pavilion. The 9,760-squarefoot restaurant can seat 250. The restaurant specializes in southern Italian dishes and oven-baked pizzas from its three woodburning ovens, each named for Italy’s active volcanoes and adorned with a face sculpture with an opening at the mouth for the pizzas. There is also a covered patio for 50. (1770-A Ave. of the Stars, 407.560.8047)
PHOTO: COURTESY OF POSITANO RISTORANTE
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA
ORLANDO