Newsletter Extra

After the decision to have a party, where to hold a party is likely the next question.  Certainly, having a party at one’s home is the most flattering setting, but not always feasible for many reasons – from size of your home to time available for preparation.  A relatively impromptu party, such as entertaining a client or friends unexpectedly arriving from out of town, leaves little time for planning. As an alternative, inviting a couple or two for a casual dinner or Sunday brunch at a local restaurant is less challenging for the working hostess or busy housewife. It also allows the host and hostess to devote all their time to their guests and uninterrupted conversation.  It is always a treat to try a new restaurant as the setting, or one where you know that the environment will be comfortable and the food delicious.  If the restaurant is new, you might to try it out prior to inviting guests. To add the home touch before an evening event, consider having a drink at your home before going on to the restaurant.

Beyond that, the size and the occasion – and cost – are the major influences.  For smaller parties, we love to explore the restaurants with smaller rooms, where a dinner party or a birthday lunch can be privately accommodated and the chef and service will be outstanding.  There is the convenience of the setting, food and service -- and lack of expense in providing the environment.  Often, for parties in restaurants, small centerpieces might be the only additional cost beyond the invitations. For private rooms, there are many listed in our Source Section on Restaurants, and we encourage you to peruse the list.  Just a few to mention are Stephen Pyles, Al Biernat's, Ocean Prime, Nosh, Mercury Grill and Arcodoro & Pomodoro.  Highland Park’s new Marquee Grill has private spaces that will work for parties, and the chic and instantly popular Bistro 31, one of the “hottest” new restaurants, has announced an upstairs private entertainment space will open in late January. Marie Gabrielle Restaurant & Gardens works well for a smaller party, which can be expanded with the use of the outside gardens for cocktails and the enjoyment of their fabulous view of the Dallas skyline. Other restaurants to consider that will accommodate parties on their days or times of closure are Salum, Abacus, Nonna and Bijoux, to name only a few.

Hotels are next on the list, and some of the smaller hotels have both private rooms and small “ballrooms” that are splendid for the grand birthday party, honoring a debutante or bride, or for the smaller wedding.  We particularly like the Stoneleigh Hotel with its sophisticated penthouse rooms, the imposing Adolphus Hotel and the trendy Joule Hotel for those events.  The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek has a variety of elegant smaller rooms such as the Sheppard King Suite, which can accommodate up to 100 guests, and the Hunt and Burford Suites, in addition to its gracious ballroom and adjacent promenade.  Moving up in size are the grander and larger hotels, such as the Ritz-Carlton, the Rosewood Crescent Hotel and the Hilton Anatole that are the frequent scenes of Dallas’ high profile charity events and large weddings.

Special parties are well-adapted to Dallas’ many unique venues, for which we pause to make a comment.  The non-profit venues are dependent on venue rentals to support their missions.  This is increasingly important with the current constraints on their budgets in this economy. Among our favorites are the Hall of State, the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Meadows Museum and Arlington Hall at Lee Park.  The Arts District has a wealth of special sites and interesting spaces – the Meyerson Symphony Center, the Winspear Opera House and the Wyly Theater, the latter two known as the AT&T Performing Arts Center.  The Contemporary Museum in the Design District is a new entry on the scene.  The Dallas Women's Museum had a great atrium space, and we have sadly lost that museum to the economic turmoil.

There are many special sites, such as the Fashion Industry Gallery and Gilley's Dallas, conducive to utilizing one’s own imagination or using a theme to create the event.  We encourage you to review the special sites in our Source Selection on Venues.

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