Tracy London was planning a baby shower for her Francophile colleague. “I wanted to have a Parisian theme for her,” said London, Crescent Drive. “So I thought of Mel’s Petit Café.” The party in the café’s lower dining room featured crepes and other French-themed food catered by owner Melanie Streitmatter. “Melanie is wonderful to work with,” said London. “She was so responsive. She asks lots of questions about what you want at your event, and she tries to make sure you get what you need.”

Similarly, Marian Huq needed a place to hold a Christmas luncheon for 20 members of the Mt. Lebanon Newcomers and Neighbors Club. Time was short — just two weeks. Luckily, she called Houlihan’s and found she could secure a reservation for the weekday date she wanted. “I was very fortunate,” said Huq, Parkridge Lane. “I would recommend booking several months ahead! But they did a very nice job for us, and I was really happy with the lunch.”

These are just two of the many places in town that offer handy spaces to rent for parties, meetings, receptions, seminars and any other group gathering. Reasons to move parties to outside sites include a lack of space at home, not wanting to cook and clean for a big group, and the complete service provided by many restaurants.

The following is only a sampling of spaces available for rent in Mt. Lebanon. In addition, almost any restaurant will rent out its entire space for the right price.

Mediterra

292 Beverly Road

This café-and-gourmet-store offers a back room that seats 20. Although only available during business hours, the space has a glass door that may be open or closed, according to the host’s wishes. Food is available from Mediterra’s regular menu or from a separate catering menu, served buffet style. There is no charge for renting the space, but there is a minimum charge for food of $300 per hour on weekdays and $500 per hour on weekends. Cocktails and bakery items may be included in that total. Outside items like cakes are allowed, although Mediterra’s own cakes are also available. Owner/manager Nicole McLean says that the space accommodates showers and brunches easily, as well as baptism parties.

Houlihan’s

Galleria, 1500 Washington Road

The Allegheny Room here holds up to 50 for a sitdown meal or up to 60 for a buffet or cocktail reception. There is a room charge of 4 percent of your bill. “A lot of places charge a flat fee, but ours is actually more cost-efficient because it’s based on the number of guests and the food and beverage total,” said Karen Shaffer, sales and events coordinator. Party hosts may put up pre-approved decorations and bring their own cake, for a modest fee. The room also has a 52” flat-screen TV and HDMI cable, which makes it ideal for seminars; one of the local school boards meets here on a monthly basis, Shaffer said. Houlihan’s offers banquet menus for both lunch and dinner, and cheese, fruit and veggie platters for cocktail parties.”

Mitchell’s Fish Market

Galleria, 1500 Washington Road

The Captain’s Quarters here is a completely private room that holds 10-12, and there are two semi-private rooms that hold up to 30 and 50, respectively. These latter spaces are created by walling off part of the larger dining room. “Nobody will be walking through,” sales and events coordinator Michele Rachwal said. “We make it as private as possible.” There’s no fee to book the room, but there is a food and beverage minimum based on the date and time the space is booked. The restaurant provides a dedicated waitstaff for your party, including bar service.

Caliente Pizza & Draft House

329 Castle Shannon Boulevard

This casual pizza restaurant offers two private spaces upstairs from the main floor. One holds up to 80 people and has its own bar; the other holds up to 35 and provides bar service, but does not have its own bar. General manager Anton Zupanzic reported that Caliente’s does an active business in kids’ birthday parties, sports team gatherings, and bridal and baby showers, among others. Food is available from the regular menu, starting at $8.99 per person, which includes unlimited extra large, one-topping pizza, soda or water, for a minimum of 20 people; adding, say, salad or breaded zucchini is extra. He recommends reserving several weeks in advance.

East End Brewing

651 Washington Road

Recent events held at this taproom of a well-known brewery include gatherings for teachers from the high school and for veterans during the Memorial Day parade. When you book here, you pay a rental fee of $250 for the entire space (maximum capacity: 100), which is then closed to the public, plus a charge for food and drinks. Sicilian-style, thick-crust pizza is the headliner here, including a build-your-own option, and the space is surprisingly kid-friendly. A big bowl of salad or hummus is an add-on, according to manager Travis Floyd. Beer, of course, is always on tap.

Bravo Italian Kitchen

Galleria, 1500 Washington Road

Bravo offers two smaller rooms for private parties. One holds up to 10, the other 15-17, although sales director Allison Sweeney said that overflow can be accommodated in tables nearest those rooms. Bravo offers a banquet menu served plated or family style. There is no room charge, only a minimum for food and beverages. The rooms have their own dedicated waitstaff during parties. “We are very dedicated to creating unforgettable special events,” said Sweeney. “We really want to create that
memorable experience.”

Mel’s Petit Café

431 Cochran Road

Melanie Streitmatter, a native of France, offers catering from the café’s menu, which features crepes, panini, salads, quiches, and baked goods. A buffet table in the lower dining room accommodates up to 40 guests. This eatery is also one of the few that will rent its space to those who want to bring their own food, for a per-person fee. “We’ve had people bringing their own food and just buying the cake from us, and people who want us to supply the whole thing or just want to buy a dozen cookies and coffee,” according to Streitmatter. The only drawback: since she rents out the whole space, parties only take place after her regular business hours. That generally means evenings or late afternoons on Sunday.

The Yard

Galleria, 1500 Washington Road

Party throwers can reserve space for up to 40 guests, separated from the restaurant by frosted glass doors. Owner David Ondik said that private parties tend to fall into “B” categories: birthday, baby shower and baptisms. You can order from the regular menu or from a catering menu. He is also willing to just rent the space, although outside food, except for cake, is not permitted. “We’ll work with them if they’re flexible.” said Ondik. He encourages inquiries via The Yard’s website.

Mt. Lebanon Rec Center

Mt. Lebanon Park

The Community Center offers two rooms located on the second floor. One holds 150 people, overlooking the park ($84/hour for residents), and the smaller one holds 75 ($74/hour for residents) and overlooks the main ice rink. Both may be subdivided for a lesser price. Rooms must be reserved in advance, and rental time includes set-up and clean-up. You must provide your own food and beverages, but there is a warming kitchen available. In addition, the Pro Shop Party Room ($52/hour for residents) on the first floor near the ice rink holds 30 people; use of that room is included at no charge for private skating parties.

Jade Grille

610 Washington Road

If you’ve ever longed to entertain in a vault, this is your spot. This Chinese restaurant still maintains the huge vault that was part of its former life as a bank. There is comfortable seating for 12 around its long table — perfect for a small dinner or meeting, although perhaps not ideal for those with claustrophobia. There is no charge for the space, and food can be ordered off Jade Grille’s regular menu. Manager Justin Liu says the space is allotted first-come, first-served, and advises that you book as soon as you know the date for your gathering. The vault can get a bit stuffy in the summer, because it doesn’t have ventilation, but fans can be brought in. There is no minimum charge for using the vault.