Our family loves this place so much that our daughter decided to have her wedding here several…read moreyears ago. They did a great job of working with the caterer and us and in setting up the kitchen and tables in the pavilion along with parking and a shuttle bus that the hotel across the street provided. Everyone in attendance loved the setting and the mansion. Thankfully the weather cooperated and the whole ceremony, dinner and reception went off without a hitch. The pavilion will hold a hundred guests comfortably while the guest count will drop for a reception inside the mansion. I believe no matter which you choose the party will end at 11 pm at least that was the policy about five years ago. For the Grove part of the estate, hiking the trails is easy with lots to look at. There are several buildings and workshops along the way. I liked the blacksmith shop the best. Now we've taken our grand daughter here and she loved the reptile house! Go figure! There are 'events' during most holidays with lots to look at and buy.

We had our wedding here and it was just stunning. Deborah and her team were amazing to work with…read more Helped us anytime we needed it while planning a wedding from out of state. Gorgeous day as well - everything turned out beautiful. And they recommended the best vendors.

I learnt about the Winnetka Community House when we went to the North Shore Art League for the…read morefirst time to attend the opening reception of their new exhibit -- "Summer Open".  The art league is located on the second floor of the Winnetka Community House.  The Community House was completed in 1911, and it has been expanded several times since.  That's why it was interesting for us to enter a historic building that's over 100 years old, but discovered a modern extension where the art gallery is after climbing a flight of old-fashioned stairs. Apparently, the center hosts many performing arts programs that include dance, theater, music and more.  When we were viewing artwork of the exhibit, a friendly elderly actor of the center greeted us while taking a break on a comfy couch.  We could hear music rehearsal in the theatre when we passed by. They also have education programs, youth sports programs, a full-service fitness center, classes and lectures -- all kinds of activities that help enrich lives of residents of not just Winnetka, but of the broader North Shore. When I read their Yelp reviews, I learnt that the center is even a popular weddings and events venue!  It is truly a versatile community house! As a privately supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Community House is not funded through tax dollars.  It's good to know that donations are 100% tax deductible.

We're so grateful to have found Community House Winnetka! Of all the venues in the Chicago area,…read morethis venue felt like "us" - plus the venue was so affordable compared to the Chicago market. Sahra, the venue coordinator, was such a great communicator which was such a relief because we were planning this wedding from out of state. She was so responsive to our questions and kept everything running smoothly with our vendors on our wedding day. While this venue is a community center, our wedding felt completely private. Any locals in the community who happened across us while taking photos in the early afternoon were so kind and respectful, and our wedding ceremony and reception was completely private. The fact that this venue also has an indoor space to be used as a back-up plan in case of weather also gave us peace of mind. The venue has so many cute areas for photos, and the courtyard was absolutely stunning. So grateful to have found this place!

Our venue for the 'Be My Elite Yelp Community Event' just happened to be here at The Crystal…read moreBallroom & Lounge which was beautiful as expected! Cool facts that I adored about the ballroom is that the owners got married here in 1969, the venue used to be a hotel (The North Shore Hotel), it also used to be military barracks, and its age being 102 years old. Good Lord, I aspire to look as good as The Crystal Ballroom & Lounge if I reach 102 years old. One of the nearest parking garages (525 Church St) was easily accessible to the ballroom, and affordable costing $3.00 for 2 hours, or $5 for 3 hours which Kesha C (Yelp Chicago North Shore Community Manager) mentioned in her message about the event. The venue fit our 90s/Valentine's themed event where some Yelpers dressed up in relation to the 90s, and some dressed up entirely. I ended up wearing a denim jacket, an MTV (Music Television) t-shirt with stonewash jeans, and glittery high-top sneakers which had a fashionable retro-like vibe. Like Toni Collett stated: "A life without glitter is no life at all.", hehe. I must say the wait staff was amazing! On top of there being a buffet, there were also staff coming around with drinks and appetizers on a tray. Out of what I picked out from the buffet, I really enjoyed the pesto pasta which nearly had me going for seconds. Along with our event (Be My Elite Yelp Community Event) itself, coming to The Crystal Ballroom & Lounge was the highlight of my day off from work that I surely enjoyed. Thank you, Crystal Ballroom staff for your collaboration with Kesha C (Yelp Chicago North Shore Community Manager) and CM's (Kate M, and Mirella K). ~Blessings~ Thomas G

We had our wedding reception Fall 2021 at the Crystal Ballroom. We fell in love with this venue…read moreright away when we visited and heard the sweet story about how the owner renovated it to surprise his wife for their anniversary. The decor reminded me a classic elegant movie. The planning process was a little stressful, but Amy was super friendly and really seemed to want to make us happy. The food was tasty, but I wish we could've tried more of it before choosing our menu. (We could only try 2 entrees and none of the super long hors d'oeuvres list. They also didn't have photos to look at, which would've been a decent alternative to trying the food.) On wedding day, the servers took away my plate before I ate any of it, after I specifically asked them not to. And they also told my grandmother there were to to-go boxes. I understand if I wasn't the bride, but that was pretty frustrating considering the amount of money we spent on the reception.

We hosted our Quinceañera at the Highland Park Community House, and the Art Deco ballroom couldn't…read morehave been more perfect. The light-and-airy space comfortably fit 150 guests across 19 60" tables without feeling crowded at all. The layout worked seamlessly: the DJ took the stage, the center became our dance floor, and a separate room accommodated our bar and photo booth. The caterer was a food truck and they used the adjacent kitchen for staging. An antique entry table was ideal for gifts and cake. We received so many compliments on how elegant and sophisticated everything looked!

We had the absolute best experience having our wedding reception at Highland Park Community House…read more Truly, it was perfect. We attribute that to the fact that Wendy, HPCH's Executive Director, is such a gem of a person, so easy to work with, very communicative, doesn't nickel and dime you, allows for flexibility, is accountable, and makes you feel at ease every step of the way. It's very clear that the operation at HPCH is smooth and positive because you feel it as a client. Wendy and HPCH made our vision and dream to have a 70s disco themed wedding reception a reality, and we wouldn't have been able to pull it off without Wendy and the HPCH team. Thank you for everything you did for us to make our event life changing and memorable. Please run, don't walk, to schedule your next event at Highland Park Community House. You will not be disappointed!!!

It does not get better than Anna Rouhates. WOW- THIS WOMAN IS A LIVING LEGEND. My husband and I…read morewere looking for an amazing venue to host our wedding of +600 guests. We were first concerned with whether or not we would find a venue that would accommodate that many people considering that we also needed space for a dance floor. Well, we came to Anna and we told her that we didn't wish to serve alcohol at our wedding but to compensate for the lack of alcohol by having steak, salmon and chicken served instead (yes, you read right, three different options). Anna was very fair in her price to us but I'll admit, I didn't love the venue. I wasn't crazy about it and I couldn't picture my wedding taking place here. So with all honesty, my husband and I shopped around to other venues. We found out rather quickly that a. most places can't accommodate +600 guests and b. a lot of venues charge you even more per person if you're not serving alcohol because that's how they make up for the profits lost from alcohol. One thing that no venue had was Anna. Anna was a professional at all times, she was kind spirited, very calm at all times, honest, trustworthy and reliable. I knew that I could place my trust in her and that I would not be disappointed. So despite the fact that I wasn't 100% crazy on the place, Anna won me over. We signed a contract with Anna regarding our party and she explained to us what is included in our package. She was upfront and honest at all times- no hidden fees, no surprises, etc. Transparency is key in all aspects of life but even more important when it's your wedding. My husband and I met with Anna a couple of times during our planning period to discuss various details. During our first visit, we discussed how we would like the room to look like, decorations, table settings, etc. Anna promised that the dance floor would be replaced and that the ceilings will be renovated before our wedding. In addition, she put us in contact with our florist, Pam. During our second visit, we taste tested the food we would serve at the wedding. The first time we taste tested the food, it was just my husband me and my in- laws. The food was delicious but we were all so indecisive about the chicken. We also chose six different appetizers to be served to our guests as they pour in. Appetizers: - bruschetta - pizza bread - spanakopita - Cucumber rounds with salmon mouse - stuffed mushroom with crab cake - fried shrimp with cocktail sauce Main entree: Soup: cream of chicken Salad: garden salad with house ranch Entree: chicken w/ fresh basil and sun dried tomatoes and filet mignon medium well. Family style salmon, family style pasta w/ marinara, Malibu blend vegetables and oven brown red potatoes In addition, my husband and I did not wish to have alcohol served in our food but the cooking staff was patient with us and adhered to all of our requests. Most people only have one taste test but not us. We asked Anna if we could come back but this time with my mom and my sister- in - law. The food was just as delicious the second time around but this time we settled on the chicken choice and we added pasta to the menu. Anna gave us a really reasonable price for the pasta. She had so much patience with us and our big Monte-Bosnian family. We are truly grateful to her. All I can say is, Anna didn't disappoint because our wedding venue was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. We were absolutely blown away by the beauty of the space- it looked completely transformed!! I couldn't believe it was OUR wedding. The appetizers were slowly served. After my husband and I took our seats, we sat down and had dinner. There was no delay in dinner- everything went as smooth as possible. The best part was the cake cutting- it was just all amazing!! We HIGHLY recommend Anna and Bristol Palace venue for all types of occasions. Wedding, baby shower, engagement party, retirement- you name it, Bristol is the place! Thank you Anna for making our dreams a reality and being the best person ever!

When I started looking for venues to get married, I was adamant that Olive Palace Banquets was NOT…read morewhere I would be getting married. But fate and God had other plans. I met Shafi Bhai and was super skeptical of everything going the way I wanted. But him and his staff were wonderful and my wedding was a dream. Not only did it feel like a fairytale to me but to my guests as well. The hospitality was beyond amazing, and the FOOD!!!! Almost a year later EVERYONE STILL talks about how GOOD the food was!!! All in all, what I was fully expecting to be a 2/10 experience was in reality a 12/10 experience and I wouldn't change it for anything. Thank you to Shafi Bhai and the amazing team I had behind me to make it all come to life!

We booked The Liven Room for my son's birthday party, and it was perfect…read more The space is bright and clean, with modern decor and a cozy vibe. They offer 4 large modern, farm tables with beautiful thonet style chairs, 4 bistro tables, a cool mid-century modern couch, and lots of smaller, benches for your use. The owner even has 2 additional tables for a buffet set up (should you need them). The layout and furniture available allow you to set up for any type of event. It is helpful that the space is at the end of the mall site and there is plenty of parking for all guests. The Liven Room was very family friendly, ADA accessible and the owner even provided a high chair for our son. The Liven Room was clean and well-stocked with a microwave, a coffee maker, and a small fridge. It was helpful that we could bring in our food and drinks and have them chill before serving to our guests. The bathroom was clean and also well stocked. Per COVID, we felt safe because Michelle cleaned and sanitized the space before we arrived. We also felt comfortable using our own COVID guidelines for our guest's safety while entertaining. Michelle, the owner, was extremely knowledgeable about decor and helped us set up the day of. She was also very responsive with questions and concerns. Thank you, Michelle. I highly recommend The Liven Room and working with Michelle.

A great space for events! Easy to get to, lots of parking available and very adaptable for a wide…read morerange of guests. We held a baby shower for about 35 people and it was a perfect space for our event. Bringing in your own food and drinks made this a very affordable option and we were able to customize the space with our own decor too. Michelle is great to work with, quick to reply to questions and made the process of reservation and preparation super easy.

Exceeded our (extremely high) expectations at every step, turn, and touchpoint!…read more We worked with the AMAZING Teddy and Sarah and from the start knew we were in the right place, space and best of hands. First of all, Firehouse is charming as all HECK. This isn't your drab hotel ballroom where partition walls, lighting rigs and bunches and bunches of flowers can barely start to cover the lack of character. This space has personality and soul, every last inch. Classic Chicago neighborhood setting, we didn't want to leave the beautiful courtyard space. Everything about the venue is built to make your guests feel at home, comfortable and intimate to the party. Did we mention the firepole?! Best entry ever for a groom to make. We can't recommend enough - Teddy and Sarah listened to all our thoughts/concerns/ideas and custom built a space and flow that complimented the night in every possible way.

DO NOT consider a winter wedding here, and absolutely DO NOT expect transparency or flexibility…read morewith any hiccups in their formula. Also, they apparently blocked my account on Zola -- I can't find them in a search when I'm logged in anymore. Thankfully I was able to leave a review without being logged in, and am also sharing here. TLDR: they can't accommodate winter weddings, despite including those months as available on their website, and they aren't transparent about their inability to do so. They can only provide half a venue, with 40% decreased capacity, but still expect you to pay full price. I was appalled by their poor communication and business practices throughout our experience trying to book them for our January wedding. -- -- The issues started when booking a tour -- their availability is challenging if you work a day job, and we were also limited with my partner's 24/48 shifts for the city. But I rearranged my work to accommodate their schedule. The day of the tour we received a vague cancellation with 3 hours notice, saying they would work with our schedules to get a new tour on the calendar. They very much did NOT work with our schedules, declined several options I requested that would work without us making major concessions on our end, and only offered a small window later than their once-a-week evening slots. We were once again rearranging our schedule to work for theirs after their cancellation. When we finally had the tour, I'll admit it's a gorgeous venue. We were excited about booking there, but concerned about how they'd handle January events. Since their website includes Jan in their off-peak season rates, I figured they had a plan for accommodating cold weather (they have a tent for the yard, but it's insufficient for temps under 30 degrees and that's a heavy gamble for evenings in January). They didn't seem to have any ideas outside using that tent. They do have an upstairs to the venue that reflects the ground floor footprint, so I asked if they would include these in the base rate (they're usually an add-on expense) because we were losing space in the yard. They said they would "compromise" by including just one of the rooms, but would reduce capacity to only 70. We had been straightforward that our guest list was 80-90, and their website advertises up to 120 guests for a buffet or cocktail reception, which was our plan. I understand they don't do a ton of events in the winter, so I thought maybe they just didn't have a well-designed plan for colder months and we could find a way to work one out. But they refused to work with us to expand capacity beyond 70 guests AND made no concessions on price. I have no idea what they would have done had we moved forward and temperatures were too cold for a tent (leave our guests shivering? cut our guest list week-of? at the door?) -- I asked and and they couldn't answer. On top of it all, they made me feel like I was a problem for having these concerns. At the end of the day, I can't believe that a venue would expect clients to pay full price for half a venue and 40% decreased capacity, especially in a season they admit having little to no bookings. They clearly do not want business in their winter months, but will jerk you around for a month pretending they do.

Sooo, let's talk about the most luxury restaurant I have ever been. This Pavilion Restaurant &…read moreLounge made me feel so good last Saturday. We had a surprise party for our good friend so we booked a large table for 15 people in advance. The interior looks even more impressive than exterior. I loved it! It was my first time there. One more interesting thing - most of the guests there were just Russians/Ukrainians. And that makes you feel like at home. The food was sooo delicious. The banquet was ordered in ahead so we got bunch of a yummy stuff: smoked salmon, shrimp & avocado salad, fried potato & mushrooms, boiled potatoes & meat, nice sandwiches, "blinchiki" with caviar, vegetables, fruits, sweets and etc etc etc..Oh my God, it was amazing!!! We are so thankful to our friend for an invitation. Furthermore, there was a live Russian/Ukrainian music!!! I remember this eve forever. Highly recommend!

Visited the restaurant on a non-event day because my mother received a gift certificate. Only one…read morecertificate can be used at a time, btw. I tried borsh and chicken dumplings. I had high expectations based on how their website looks like and the pictures here on yelp. In reality the restaurant mels were basic but delicious.