We LOOOOOVE restaurants.  Just in case you didn’t know.

In fact, Foodie Registry came from our love of restaurants – we wanted to continue our date nights exploring new restaurants in Chicago after our wedding but knew we’d be broke, so we registered for them!

www.vivalasvegasweddings.com

We even got married in a restaurant – Fulton’s on the River in Chicago.  Not only did the urban decor and skyline backdrop provide exactly what we wanted in a venue, but working with a restaurant made almost everything easier, from menu (theirs!), to furniture (theirs!), to linens (theirs!).  We loved how simple it made planning for a lot of details, and our wedding ended up being everything we hoped.

So, being fans of restaurants in general, and restaurants as wedding venues in particular, we posed the question to the LunchDate crew of wedding planners:

What is your favorite restaurant venue in your town for wedding receptions?

I tend to favor smaller receptions, and there is no better place, in my opinion,  for a small and intimate wedding reception in Chicago than Volo Restaurant and Wine Bar, and their acclaimed cabana patio. With a converted barn space in the back of the gorgeous garden, great food and superb wine selection, this place is a perfect spot for a wedding reception. The polished and knowledgeable  staff does not disappoint either.
-Tatiana Abramova, The Bride Scoop (Chicago, IL)

If you are planning a small wedding in Napa Valley I recommend Brix Restaurant (www.brix.com)  it overlooks the vineyards and mountains and has such a beautiful garden setting. The food and service are also impeccable. Conveniently located near Yountville, the food mecca of Napa and home to the best hotels and restaurants in the valley.  Cheers!
-Angela Nelson, Lulu Events (Napa Valley, CA)

We love the warm, chocolaty interior of Spruce http://www.sprucesf.com  Swanky, elegant, luxe ambiance meets phenomenal food and service in one of San Francisco’s most charming neighborhoods. Perfect for the “city chic” couple looking for a sophisticated soiree.
-Kim Oliff, Always RSVP Event Design and Coordination (San Francisco Bay Area, CA)

Frontera Grill & Topolobampo – Excellent Food, Great bar area for cocktail hour, dinner in Topolobampo and dancing in Frontera Grill.  Hidden gem – Rick Bayless’ wife can create the floral for your reception, regularly designing pieces for the restaurant.
-Marcia Hemphill, An Urban Affair (Chicago, IL)

I have always loved the Foreign Cinema.  The food is delicious, the setting is romantic, and you can’t go wrong with a classic movie projected overhead.
-Hazel Bourget, Blu Bungalow (San Francisco, CA)

I simply adore ZED451!  The restaurant is warm and welcoming but still edgy and contemporary.  The food is to die for and the entire concept is different and exciting.  Whether on the rooftop deck or in the fireside room, your guests are sure to have an unforgettable evening.
-Heather Lynne Vickery, Greatest Expectations Special Events & Weddings, Inc. (Chicago, IL)

It really depends on the size of the wedding and the budget but three restaurants come easily to mind for Chicago weddings.  Carnivale ~ great space, vibrant colors, funky decor, amazing food, good for bigger weddings.  Mastro’s ~ elegant, gracious, subtle, superb food, good for smaller weddings or second weddings.  Smith & Wollensky ~ awesome views, fabulous food, unique layout, outside space available, good for not so big weddings.
-Claudia Antony Zompa, AS YOU WISH EVENTS (Chicago, IL)

I just adore Ella  and Next Door by Mulvaney’s. Both are a foodie’s dream – and both have fantastic spaces for a beautiful wedding ceremony and reception. Ella would be a chic, modern space with yummy New American food from one of the top Sacramento Chefs. Next Door by Mulvaney’s has a larger indoor space with a beautiful outdoor patio to host your guests – and be served by one of Sacramento’s best catering companies and restaurants.
-Kate Miller, Kate Miller Events (Northern CA)

The Salt House in San Francisco. Beautiful space – exposed brick, high ceiling, modern fixtures – and delicious, fresh food. Best for a smaller wedding though (80 guests or fewer).
-Laurel Anderson, Esla Events | Planning + Design (San Francisco, CA)

Hands down Carnivale! Their Samba Room is perfect for a smaller wedding with 150 guests or you can also buy out the entire Restaurant for 780 guests. When you run the numbers it’s very reasonably priced for the menu and libations offered.
-Alexandra Jusino, Exquisite Designs (Chicago, IL)

I love Estate! I think it is such a pretty venue and the food is delish! They do such a great job with service and everything else! They make the planning process very easy because they know what they are doing!
-Kelly McLeskey-Dolata, A Savvy Event (Sonoma, CA)

Foreign Cinema in the Mission is a gorgeous and totally unique place to hold a San Francisco wedding.  There is an outdoor courtyard which is perfect for ceremonies, and you can project images or films onto the tall concrete wall during dinner.  And of course the food is amazing.
-Lauren Geissler, Downey Street Events (San Francisco, CA)

Some of Allure’s favorites are Zed451 Rooftop which is perfect for receptions as the space is intimate and classy.  The Wit and The Patio at Trump Tower are great outdoor locations with breathtaking views of the city and the lakefront especially on a bright, sunny day!
-Monica Sehgal Sharma, Allure Event and Meeting Productions (Chicago, IL)

Most of the restaurants on the peninsula are not perfectly equipped for a reception and many of our clients opt for weddings in their garden.  However, there are several venues in San Francisco that are interesting and unique for receptions and my personal favorite is Foreign Cinema for the variety of spaces and fabulous backdrop that accompanies a wedding – built in entertainment!
-Isabella Sikaffy, Florabella (Menlo Park, CA)

I once attended a wedding reception at Greens in San Francisco. Located on the waterfront at Fort Mason with plenty of nearby parking, fantastic food (even for non-vegetarians) and a gorgeous view. It was a perfect evening.
-Stacie Tamaki, The Flirty Guide (San Jose, CA)

John Ash & Co in Sonoma County is a wonderful dining experience, but also has amazing outdoor views of vineyards, vegetable gardens open air dining on the patio and is attached to Vintner’s Inn which is a lovely place for guests to stay.  In my opinion it has the best of everything and the most amazing sales person, Cathy Reynolds, who will jump over backwards to accommodate the Bride and Groom.
-Alice Grisez, Grisez & Co. Event Design (San Francisco, CA)

What do you think?  What is your favorite restaurant wedding venue?

As you might expect, lots of Foodie Registry partner restaurants can handle weddings like a champ, so we wanted to provide this handy list as a reference:

Do you have a question you’d like posed to the LunchDate crew so you can see your question answered on our blog?  Submit it HERE.

Are you a wedding planner/consultant and want to be included on Foodie Registry’s weekly LunchDate blog feature in the future?  Submit your info HERE.

We are pleased to announce the official launch of Foodies Feed – Foodie Registry’s non-profit gift giving program!  Foodies Feed allows users the ability to register for select food and hunger-related charitable donations alongside their gift certificate options.

We here at Foodie Registry are extremely excited to launch this new program, and help couples incorporate social good into their wedding.  With the growing popularity of standalone charitable gift registries, we hope Foodies Feed offers couples another way to give back to their communities through their registries.  (And we do believe we are the first registry to provide users both gift and donation options!)

Our initial Foodies Feed non-profit partners include:

The New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYC):  The New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH) represents more than 1,200 nonprofit soup kitchens and food pantries in New York City and more than 1.4 million low-income New Yorkers who live in households that can’t afford enough food. The coalition works not only to meet these residents’ immediate food needs but also to enact innovative solutions to help society move “beyond the soup kitchen” to ensure economic and food self-sufficiency for all Americans.

God’s Love We Deliver (NYC):  God’s Love We Deliver is the tri-state area’s leading provider of nutritious, individually-tailored meals to people who are too sick to shop or cook for themselves.

CityMeals (NYC):  Citymeals-on-Wheels works to ensure that no homebound elderly New Yorker will ever go a day without food or human company. Citymeals funds 30 community-based agencies that bring weekend, holiday and emergency meals to homebound elderly New Yorkers who can no longer shop or cook for themselves.
Greater Chicago Food Depository (Chicago):  The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago’s food bank, is a nonprofit food distribution and training center providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community. The Food Depository distributes donated and purchased food through a network of 650 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters to 678,000 adults and children in Cook County every year.

Green City Market (Chicago):  Green City Market’s mission is to improve the availability of a diverse range of high quality foods by providing a marketplace for purchasing sustainably grown food and to educate, promote, and connect farmers and local producers directly to chefs, restaurateurs and the greater Chicago community. Green City Market supports small family farms and promotes a healthier society through education and appreciation for local, fresh, sustainably-raised products.

Food Bank of the Rockies (Denver):  FBR’s reach extends from Denver across Northern Colorado and Wyoming, providing food supplies to more than 1,100 hunger-relief programs.  In its first 30 years, FBR has provided nearly 392 million pounds of food to our member agencies, which translates to more than 306 million meals for people in need.  They are a member of Feeding America.

To learn more about Foodies Feed, visit our Foodies Feed page!