Big Rock Italian Chophouse in Birmingham has been a long time coming. The Italian restaurant, cigar lounge, and club had a much-anticipated opening in July—so anticipated, in fact, that neighbors stopped in almost daily during renovations to check progress and ask when it would be up and running. It is set in the iconic Grand Trunk Western Railroad Birmingham Depot previously occupied by Big Rock Chophouse.
Owned by Cameron Mitchell Restaurants of Columbus, Ohio, the eatery is offering a classic Italian menu. “It marries the premium steakhouse experience with that upscale Italian culinary tradition,” says Susan Simich, Big Rock Italian Chophouse sales manager and VIP concierge for its on-site The Rock Cigar Club. The restaurant presents three private rooms accommodating up to 30, 36, and 60 attendees respectively, and its luxurious cigar club also doubles as event space. Big Rock is just one of many newer venues offering food and event space across Michigan.
Cicero Hospitality Group of Bloomfield Hills opened Bell Bistro, also in Birmingham, last November in space previously occupied by Mad Hatter Bistro. Bell’s contemporary American menu features international influences, along with seasonal dishes. “The lower level accommodates up to 30. It’s great for private events,” says Amy Vardijan, Cicero Hospitality Group’s director of marketing and events. “Anything over 30 requires a buyout, and then [the capacity is] roughly from 65 seated to 100 strolling.”
In addition, Cicero Hospitality Group opened Adelina on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit. The restaurant offers traditional Italian fare with some contemporary Mediterranean twists. “We offer group dining—we have the main dining room, as well as a banquette area with half-booth seating that is great for groups of up to 30,” Vardijan says.
Saint John’s Resort over in Plymouth recently debuted the luxurious gathering space The Monarch. At 24,000 square feet with capacity for up to 1,500 guests, it’s designed for galas, large conferences, and similar-size events. The Monarch is adjacent to a 7,000-square-foot courtyard that provides a separate outdoor gathering area. Executive Chef Terence Tarver, Executive Sous Chef Travis Waynick, and Executive Pastry Chef Kaitlyn Huber lead the culinary program. Tarver says The Monarch has its own “chef’s dream kitchen,” overseen by a separate staff. “There is a wide range of food options,” he adds, citing examples of all-vegan menus, retro candy tables, liquid nitrogen ice cream displays, and more. “Or, we can do a 100% custom menu.”
A little over an hour north in Frankenmuth, The Station 100 is expanding its rooftop to serve the public as well as host private events with an indoor/outdoor setup and full food and beverage capabilities. Elia Brunner, the restaurant’s owner and general manager, says between 30 and 45 guests can be accommodated. “We regularly host corporate, association, and other private events,” she notes.
On the other side of Michigan, Grand Rapids boasts three newer, fun restaurants. Gimme’s Par & Grill opened last November as a full-service restaurant with a bar and golf-simulation bays with Trackman technology, enabling traditional course play on virtual versions of real-life courses. “Within that technology it also has [other] games,” says founder and Managing Partner Sam Stover. Several of the simulators offer a multisports component, complete with football, baseball, soccer, and more.
Silva, another newly opened restaurant in Grand Rapids, is now fully operational with dining, event space, and recreation, featuring bocce ball as its signature pastime. “Our culinary team offers many options designed to meet the needs of any event, from elegant multicourse dinners to casual strolling receptions,” says Jada Shaw, who handles marketing and social media at the restaurant. “We’re equipped to host everything from corporate meetings and team-building outings to networking mixers and large-scale celebrations.” The Big Room event space hosts up to 1,500 standing or up to 600 seated. Silva’s Bocce Parlour is a semi-private space with lounge seating, bocce ball lanes, and courtside rail seating. Other gathering areas include a lounge adjacent to bocce ball courts and private rooms with audiovisual capabilities.
Grand Rapids’ Mines Golf Club rolled out Gypsum Grill & Event Center late last year with event space accommodating 250 guests, a covered patio, and an outdoor bar. “We had an outdoor pavilion space before,” says Mackenzie Kauppila, the club’s event sales and center coordinator. “We tore that down and built an entirely new building for this.” She describes the menu as “polished casual.” Mines Golf Club owner Chris Sobieck says, “Right now on our menu you can get wagyu steak, swordfish, mussels, and handhelds. And the menu changes four times a year—[there is] something for everybody, but it’s all made from scratch.”
Near to Holland and Allendale, Pigeon Creek Golf Course in West Olive debuted Pigeon Creek Event Center at the end of 2023. “The two owners decided, ‘We have all this space, let’s do more with it,’” says Venue Manager Courtne Ellis. Its capacity for 250 people is augmented by a large outdoor patio, and a kitchen supports a roster of seven catering vendors. “We do have quite a few corporate holiday parties and other [events that] need big spaces,” Ellis says. “We’ve also done some charity and chamber events.”
In Kalamazoo, Burdick’s Bar & Grill (formerly named Old Burdick’s Bar & Grill), located within the Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center, underwent a complete interior demolition and rebuild and is set to reopen this fall. Tim Rayman, CEO of the eatery’s operator, Greenleaf Hospitality Group, says the menu also has been reimagined to feature elevated sports-bar favorites. “Think handcrafted burgers, house-made pizzas, crave-worthy appetizers, and a full-service bar,” he adds. Two private dining rooms accommodate from 20 to 50 attendees. Groups also might incorporate the restaurant’s new duckpin bowling into their schedule.
In the Upper Peninsula, planners looking to host in Marquette might take notice of recently opened Slabz Bar & Grill in the Ramada by Wyndham Marquette—residents and tourists certainly have, as evidenced by fully booked reservations many evenings. Ana-Marija Dolaskie, owner and managing director of the eatery’s operating company, Munising-based Deployed Capital, says the menu was influenced by family-style dining in the Balkans. Signature dishes include bison burgers, whitefish ravioli, gyros, and crab truffle macaroni and cheese, alongside drink offerings like bottomless mimosas and espresso martini towers. Spaces include three banquet rooms holding up to 30 guests each, as well as the Peninsula Ballroom seating up to 200.
cameronmitchell.com
cicerohg.com
gimmespar.com
golfpigeoncreek.com
minesgc.com
oldburdicks.com
saintjohnsresort.com
silvagr.com
slabzgrill.com
thestation100.com
