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Location, Location, Location

Grandmas 80th birthday. A newly minted college graduate. Wedding rehearsal dinner. !ere is always a reason to celebrate. But planning a fancy gathering at your home can

be stressful. !eres that one crazy aunt who will have a snarky comment about your cooking, and your dogs hair just wont seem to disappear. Or maybe your home is under construction or simply too small. How about a private room at your favorite restaurant

instead? Weve got details from 21 local restaurants that are ready to make your next event a memorable one, sans stress, dog hair and opinionated relatives.

AEJO1180-1 Uptown Park Blvd., 713-963-9032, anejotexmex.comCAPACITY !e Diablo Room accommo-dates 12.COST Varies call for details AMBIANCE Crushed red velvet and black lacquer walls with a large crystal chan-delier over a pristine white dressed tableFEATURES WiFi, zoned ACNOTABLE GUEST Grand Marnier master distiller Patrick Raguenaud

ARCODORO5000 Westheimer at Post Oak Blvd., 713-621-6888, arcodoro.comCAPACITY Four di"erent spaces accom-modate 10 to 250COST Varies call for detailsAMBIANCE See our events packageFEATURES Bar, four screens, AV capabil-itiesNOTABLE GUESTS Prince, President George H.W. Bush, Larry KingMOST UNUSUAL REQUEST To pack an entire meal for 20 for a private plane that evening

BACKSTREET CAFE1103 S. Shepherd bet. W. Gray & Allen Pkwy., 713-521-2239, backstreetcafe.netCAPACITY Two upstairs private rooms,

each with a capacity of 35 to 40; the Solarium on the main #oor accommo-dates 44.COST Depends on the room, night of the week, menu, number of guests. A deposit is required. Call the restaurant for details.AMBIANCE !e upstairs private rooms have a garden-room feel, with beadboard and grass-cloth wallpaper, woven chairs and crank-out casement windows with plantation shutters. !e Solarium overlooks the restaurants Vieux Carr-style patio though French doors and has cushioned banquette seating on one wall. FEATURES WiFi, available screenMOST UNUSUAL REQUEST One time a couple wanted to bring a live koala bear to their event.

BRASSERIE MAX & JULIE4315 Montrose Blvd., 713-524-0070, maxandjulie.netCAPACITY One room accommodates 30, one room (with doors) accommodates 15 guests COST No charge for the room, just the food, beverages and serviceAMBIANCE !e room is surrounded by bottles of wine.FEATURES HDTV, WiFi, room is located

on the second #oor with access on the balcony

BRENNANS OF HOUSTON3300 Smith St., 713-522-9711, brennanshouston.comCAPACITY !e Chef s Table accommo-dates four to 12. COST Lunch is $60 per person ($105+ with wine pairings); dinner is $80 per person ($155+ with wine pairings)AMBIANCE Round table, white table-cloth, leather chairs. Allows a full view of the kitchenFEATURES Interaction with chef Danny TraceNOTABLE GUEST Actor Lee MajorsMOST UNUSUAL REQUEST Once a guest asked if he could go into our in-house butcher shop and make his own sausage.

BRENNERS ON THE BAYOU1 Birdsall just off Memorial Dr., 713-868-4444, brennerssteakhouse.com/bayouCAPACITY Red Room (14), Garden Room (25), Loft (54 seated, 60 recep-tion) and Blue Bar (100 seated, 120 reception)COST Pricing ranges from $1000 to $7500, depending on the size of the event.

Research by Ashley Lopez

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AMBIANCE !e Red Room resembles a vintage parlor and provides an intimate setting. !e Garden Room features gardens and waterfalls in a panoramic setting, good for socializing and net-working. !e Loft boasts a functional "replace and private balcony over-looking Bu#alo Bayou. And the Blue Bar is an outdoor lounge with private bar, soft seating, "re pits and grand view of the four-acre property.FEATURES !e Red Room has a 42-inch $at-screen TV.MEMORABLE EVENT For a Hawaiian luau, we roasted an entire pig over an open "re. Authentic hula dancers and "re dancers performed to live Hawaiian drummers.

CARMELOS RISTORANTE ITALIANO14795 Memorial Dr. bet. Dairy Ashford & Eldridge, 281-531-0696, carmelosrestaurant.comCAPACITY Up to 140COST !ere is no rental fee for Carme-los private dining room, just the cost of

BRENNANS OF HOUSTON

http://www.louisianafoods.com

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food and wine consumed. AMBIANCE Italian piazza note the lighting and intricate Italian village structures on the walls.FEATURES WiFi and a projection screenNOTABLE GUESTS Actress Morgan Fair-child, astronaut Alan Bean

COPPA OSTERIA5210 Morningside at Dunstan, 713-522-3535, coppaosteriahouston.comCAPACITY !e Dough Room accommodates 12COST $1,000 minimumAMBIANCE 10-foot custom wood dining table that doubles as a pasta and dough-baking table. Private sound system and projector, surrounded by 60-quart dough mixer, pasta extractor and other kitchen appliances. FEATURES Completely enclosed by soundproof glass with a 360-degree view of the dining room MEMORABLE EVENT A Halloween host wanted to have a Texas Chainsaw Massacre party with body parts all over and the mixer full of blood. We politely said no.

HUBBELL & HUDSON BISTRO24 Waterway Ave., #125, The Wood-lands, 281-203-5641, hubbellandhudson.comCAPACITY 10 to 90 peopleCOST $55 to $125 per person, depend-ing on menuAMBIANCE !e private dining areas are warm with a modern twist.

FEATURES Wine wall, modern "replace, TV for guests useNOTABLE GUESTS ZZ TopMOST UNUSUAL EVENT For a private

party, we booked an aerial bartender suspended from the ceiling pouring Champagne.

KENNY & ZIGGYS2327 Post Oak Blvd. north of Westheimer, 713-871-8883, kennyandziggys.comCAPACITY !e Schmooze Room can accommodate 65.COST Dinners start at $30 per person.AMBIANCE Decorated with Playbills and Broadway show posters. Lighting of room is adjusted accordingly for party theme. White linens and black napkins are used on the tables. FEATURES HDTV, WiFi, podium, wireless microphone, DVD player, CD sound system NOTABLE GUESTS !eyre all notable.MOST UNUSUAL REQUEST We recre-ated a couples "rst date for their 50th anniversary.

KIRANS4100 Westheimer just east of Mid Lane, 713-960-8472, kiranshouston.comCAPACITY !e Polo Room seats 55.COST Menu pricing per guest

A Halloween host wanted to have a Texas Chainsaw Massacre party with body

parts all over and the mixer full of blood.

We politely said no.

HUBBELL & HUDSON

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varies, beginning at $45 per guest. Room charge varies per night of the week and number of guests. Call for details.AMBIANCE A sun-!lled room with a view of palm trees from a full wall of windows. Green granite "oors, paintings of polo players and vintage polo equipment. Can be set up in a variety of ways including long tables, semi-circle or round tables. We are closed for lunch so the entire restaurant is available during those times for larger parties.FEATURES Projector, screen and micro-phone. #e Polo Room can be com-pletely separated from the main dining with its own entrance.NOTABLE GUESTS Renu Khator (president of the University of Houston), a Supreme Court judge of India, Bill White, Indian celebrities, famous athletes and other well-known chefsMOST UNUSUAL REQUEST A guest requested a live DJ to perform during their event during our dinner service!

LE MISTRAL1400 Eldridge Parkway north of Briar For-est, 832-379-8322, lemistralhouston.comCAPACITY #e Chef s Table (10), Wine Cellar (12)COST $700 bill minimum on Friday and SaturdayAMBIANCE #e Chef s Table is in a private room o$ the kitchen. It has a

white marble table and a view of the kitchen through one-way windows. #e Wine Cellar has soft lighting in a room designed to evoke a wine cellar and has

a view of the dining room.FEATURES WiFiNOTABLE GUESTS Former Houston Rocket Clyde Drexler, CEOs and other top executives from the oil and gas industryMOST UNUSUAL REQUEST #ere was a couple who wanted to have a very small wedding ceremony (six people total) in the Wine Cellar and asked to have the table cleared out during the ceremony. After the wedding they wanted to dine in it, so we had to set the table back up.

MOCKINGBIRD BISTRO

mockingbirdbistro.comCAPACITY #e Wine Room is an exclu-sive private room that can accommo-date 72 guests for a seated event and 125 for receptions, while the Balcony is a semi-private room overlooking the restaurant from the mezzanine level. It accommodates 10 to 25.COST A deposit of $25 per person for luncheons and $50 per person for din-ners is required to reserve either room. AMBIANCE Mockingbirds interiors can

Angelo Ferrari, an Italian tenor opera singer, held a

wine dinner at Mockingbird and asked if he could sing between courses. It was

amazing!

LE MISTRAL