Activity Planner Arrival: Category: All Arts & Crafts Auditions Awards Shows/Banquets Black History Month Cabaret Charity Events Classes for kids Classes for parents Comedy Concerts Cultural Arts Dance Earth Day Easter Fairs/Festivals Father's Day Film Food and Drink Fourth of July Fun for Kids Fundraisers Galleries Halloween2009 Historical Holiday Celebrations Lectures/Debates Library Events Literary Marathon Memorial Day Mother's Day Movies Museums Museums/Art Galleries Music Nature/Outdoors Nature/Outdoors Open Houses Parades Passover Sample Sales Scavenger Hunts Shopping Signings/Appearances Sports Sports St. Patrick's Day Story Hours Street Fairs Thanksgiving 2009 Theater Theater Tours Trade Shows Valentine's Day Departure: It?s an embarrassment of riches, a dilemma of excess. When throwing a party in this fabulous city of ours, the hardest part of choosing a venue is narrowing the field ? deciding where to not host your gathering. Size matters: theirs and yours. Cramming too many guests in too small a space isn?t intimate, it?s uncomfortable. On the other hand, too big a space feels cold and awkward. Like Goldilocks, you need to find just the right fit. Do you want a room with a view, a room worth viewing, or a blank slate you can personalize? Do you want to convey romance, lively fun, or quiet congeniality? Do you envision a lively cocktail party with dancing, or an elegant sit-down dinner? Before you begin your search, try to imagine what you want the party to look like when it is in full swing. Director of Special Events for Myriad Restaurant Group (Tribeca Grill, Nobu, Centrico, and others) Catherine Hackett also suggests you get a fix on the number of guests you?ll have, and your budget. That way, if the restaurant has an event professional, he or she can help create a party catered to your specific needs. The involvement level of the party planner may vary by restaurant, but at higher end restaurants, the client sets the level of involvement. ?We try to help with ideas, and we offer a list of vendors with whom we?ve worked in the past that the client may or may not choose to use.? But, says Hackett, there are certain things you should really rely on the event professional for. When it comes to room set-up, ?We?ll suggest a floor plan that allows for the comfort of your guests, helps create the ambiance you?re after, and allows for the smoothest and most efficient service.? Pay attention if the restaurant has a list of vendors with whom they?ve worked; it makes your life easier when they already have a congenial relationship. Most restaurants set a minimum food and beverage requirement, which should be stated early on in your initial conversation. By all means, ask costs throughout, and let the planner know when the numbers climb too high. Truly, it?s about more than the food and décor when you host a party at a restaurant. Whether your event is a kid?s birthday party, a bridal shower, or a gathering of colleagues, the same issues arise. To find the best venue for your needs, ask around. Talk to friends and colleagues about events they?ve hosted, and what the restaurant was like to work with. Was the service professional, courteous, and timely? Were there surprises on the bill? To get you started, here are descriptions of a few restaurants with party spaces. Terrace in the Sky 400 W. 119th St., 212-666-9490; www.terraceinthesky.com You?ve seen our skyline a million times. But there?s something about being perched above it, drinking wine and nibbling on foie gras and other decadent pleasures that?s just so sublimely irresistible. Revel in the outrageously solicitous service, the impressive menu, and the fact that the accomplished staff has far more experience throwing parties than you ever will. Tribeca Grill 375 Greenwich St. at Franklin St., 212-941-3900; www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com The grandaddy of downtown sophistication is every bit as cool today as it was when it opened 15 years ago. Two rooms give you options for events large (120-150) and small (40-50), and the menus are customized for your event. Chef Steven Lewandowski?s market-driven menu combines forces with Wine Spectator?s Grand Award-winning wine list to make your party as good as they get. La Prima Donna 163 W. 47th St. btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves., 212-398-3400 Venetian pageantry and opulence lend a festive party atmosphere to your gathering before it even begins. Two private rooms, one of which seats 35 and the other 75, and a special catering menu indicate this is a place that takes its parties seriously. The menu features accessible fare that is sure to please, including pizza margherita, gnocchi with pesto, shrimp with garlic and wine, and veal parmagiano. La Carne Grill 340 Lexington Ave. btw. 39th and 40th Sts., 212-490-7172 You don?t have to keep kosher to like the dry-aged steaks at La Carne Grill, but you?ll love their glatt kosher standards when hosting a combined gathering of kosher and non-kosher guests. For non-carnivores, there?s also sushi bar and menu offerings of poultry and vegetarian options. Private party rooms can accommodate up to 200 people, as well as smaller groups. Bottega Del Vino 7 E. 59th St. at Fifth Ave., 212-223-2724 You?ll have three well-appointed private rooms to choose from at this outpost of the famous Veronese wine house. The imported Italian furnishings set the stage for this shrine to wine. (You can even host a fete in the subterranean wine cellar.) It?s the perfect setting for a party in honor of your favorite oenophile. Dave & Buster?s Times Square 234 W. 42nd St. btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves., 3rd flr., 646-495-2015 Take the opportunity to create your own experience inside this new ? they opened in April ? Times Square complex. They offer a wide variety of buffet options ? they can host a small cocktail party with hors d?oeuvres, large breakfast and lunch meetings, or formal sit-down dinners ? as well as team-building activities, a ?Newlywed?-type game, and the ?Million Dollar Midway,? with video and interactive gaming. Maya 1191 First Ave. 64th St., 212-585-1818 Once upon a time, Mexican food was nothing more than tacos and guacamole. Then along came talented chef, Richard Sandoval, who opened Maya to rave reviews in 1997. New Yorkers discovered the lively, exciting flavors of Sandoval?s native Mexico, and a love affair began. Here, in a newly renovated yellow- and terra cotta-colored space that combines traditional and modern Mexican elements, you can host an event with one of the special party menus, or work with the restaurant to customize your own. Whether you use a private room for a party of 40 or the entire restaurant for 165 people, it makes a warm, casual, and sophisticated setting for your soiree. Reader Feedback - 0 Replies Be the first to kick-start this discussion Join the discussion To register, please click here Archives: New York City Dining - Authentic Greek, Italian & Japanese Favorites Downtown Dining - Great Restaurants Below 14th Street Victor?s Cafe: Traditional & Creative Cuban Cuisine New York City Dining - Simply Sensational Dishes at Simply Pasta New York City Dining - Mars 2112