VENUE: Marquee Grill & Bar (Photo Credit: Stephen Dux Photography)
From serious barbecue joints to sprawling steakhouses and lavish hotel ballrooms, Dallas has a venue for everything from a luxe client dinner to a fully produced party. Heres a selection of five top spots from the event experts at BizBash.
For Semi-Private Dining: Marquee Grill & Bar
The first restaurant to open in the tony Highland Park Village in 10 years, the 7,000-square-foot Marquee debuted in spring 2011 and is primed for the shopping centers upscale clientele with sleek decor courtesy of Zero 3 Inc. Architecture and Interior Design. Restaurateur Brian Twomey reeled in Top Chef All-Star contestant Tre Wilcox (formerly of Abacus) to helm the open-air kitchen. The entry-level dining room, with its slim booths and light wood accents, is available for full buy-out and can accommodate 70 seated. Upstairs, three semi-private spaces are available for events. The sunroom and its adjacent balcony can seat 30; the grill can seat 65; and the bar and adjacent balcony (which overlooks the Village Theatres marquee) can hold 125 standing. New York mixologist Jason Kosmos spearheads the bar menu, which is doled out by white-coated bartenders. (33 Highland Park Village, 214.522.6035, marqueegrill.com)
For an Art-Filled Meeting Space: Stay ZaZa Art House and Social Gallery
Uptowns Hotel ZaZa debuted its newest facet, an event space located adjacent to the hotel on McKinney Avenue and Leonard Streets, in late 2010. Housing an ever-changing gallery of artwork from local artists, the raw space is available for meetings, social events, and art exhibits for as many as 150 guests. Dragonfly Modern American Kitcehn, the hotels in-house restaurant, handles catering. (2332 Leonard St., 214.468.8399, hotelzazadallas.com)
For Private Screenings: Highland Park Village Theatre
Originally built in 1935 for $100,000, this theater reopened after a two-year, $5 million makeover in late 2010. Also the work of Twomey, the theaterlocated adjacent to Marquee Grill & Baris available for conferences, meetings, and screenings. Two private screening rooms are on-site: The Red Room seats 16 in oversized executive chairs, while the Living Room is more casual with sofas for 12. The two main theaters have stadium seating for 184 and 96, respectively. Wilcox handles concessions, and his Marquee kitchen will cater events held in the theater. (32 Highland Park Village, 214.443.6035, hpvillagetheatre.com)
For an Upscale, Authentic Mexican: Komali
In early 2011, chef Abraham Salum, owner and chef of well-known restaurant Salum, opened Komali, an authentic Mexican restaurant located next door. Aiming to serve up the antithesis of Tex-Mex, Salums menu highlights regional cuisine from Oaxaca, Guerrero, Veracruz, and Central Mexico. Located in Uptown, the upscale restaurant was designed by Julio Quinones and features a mosaic fireplace, sisal-covered walls, and an outdoor patio and bar. Full buyouts are available. (4152 Cole Ave., Suite 106, 214.252.0200, komalirestaurant.com)
For Post-Meeting Cocktails: Dee Lincolns Tasting Room & Bubble Lounge
This glitzy, 4,000-square-foot restaurant and lounge is helmed by Del Friscos Double Eagle Steakhouse co-founder Dee Lincoln, who also has a Tasting Room & Bubble Lounge location in Cowboy Stadium. The concept focuses on wine, champagne, cocktails, and menus of food meant for sharing. The Rosewood Court location in Uptown specializes in private events: the second floor can accommodate 100 and four semi-private cubbies can seat 10 guests each. Also on site is a cigar-friendly patio. (2101 Cedar Springs Road, 214.979. 9463, deelincolnstastingroom.com)
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