SITE: L'Orangerie
ADDRESS: 903 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069
PHONE: 310/652-9770
WEB SITE: www.lorangerie.com
VISUALS & VIBE: Tucked behind tidy hedges, L'Orangerie features tile murals, custom-made wall fixtures and French windows, as well as an orange-tree-lined patio. Every week, floral designer Jose Cobb and a crew of three take a minimum of five hours to prepare the restaurant's fresh seasonal floral arrangements, which can reach heights of 12 feet.
EVENT AREAS: 2,000-square-foot main dining room with space for 145; adjacent 50-guest-capacity atrium with sliding-glass roof; 1,100-square-foot garden patio. Clients may rent the entire restaurant or specific areas for special events.
ON THE MENU: Eggs in the Shell with Caviar; Wild Turbot from Brittany with a Salt Crust; Chocolate Souffle.
BAR STARS: Champagne Framboise with fresh raspberry juice; Champagne Rose with rose petal syrup.
WHO'S HERE: AOL Time Warner; Wells Fargo; Senator John Kerry; Jackie Chan.
SITE: Nine
ADDRESS: 440 W. Randolph, Chicago, IL 60606
PHONE: 312/575-9900
WEB SITE: www.n9ne.com
VISUALS & VIBE: Located in the Chicago building known as Randolph Place, 13,500-square-foot Nine includes a main dining room with a silver-leaf-domed ceiling, plus a first-floor lounge featuring terrazzo floors and limestone walls.
EVENT AREAS: Private upstairs Ghost Bar, with room for 250 standing or 150 seated; private 70-guest-capacity dining room with a retractable wall that can create two rooms, each with space for 27. The entire restaurant can be rented out for groups up to 800.
ON THE MENU: Grilled Baby Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Mint; Grilled Filet Mignon with Béarnaise Sauce; Chocolate Mousse Cake.
BAR STARS: Ghostini (Absolut, Midori, splash of sour); Mojito (Bacardi, mint, lime, splash of soda); Veuve Clicquot champagne.
WHO'S HERE: Corporate groups; wedding rehearsal dinners and receptions; fund-raisers.
SITE: The Sea Grill
ADDRESS: 19 W. 49th St., New York, NY 10020
PHONE: 212/332-7606
WEB SITE: www.restaurantassociates.com
VISUALS & VIBE: The Sea Grill takes advantage of seasonal scenes, offering a view of the rink at Rockefeller Plaza during winter, and opening onto its Summer Garden during warmer months. With its location near convention hotels, flexible space and contemporary design, the restaurant is geared toward both social and corporate events.
EVENT AREAS: Interior with space for 130 seated diners or 200 reception guests; adjoining garden and interior concourse space. For groups up to 2,000, clients may buy out the entire restaurant, adding the Summer Garden and the adjacent Rock Center Café.
ON THE MENU: Portobello Fries; Maryland Crab Cakes with Scallions and Roasted Shallot Sauce; Key Lime Pie.
BAR STARS: Cosmopolitan; Apple Martini; Kir Royale.
WHO'S HERE: Fortune 500 corporations; wedding and bar/bat mitzvah parties; post-awards-show groups.
