Black on Burlington

Every Wednesday I attend BNI (Business Networking International) meetings at Black on Burlington. The first two times driving here, I had some difficulties finding it since the entrance is actually not on Burlington, but rather tucked away off of E 14^th St with almost an «alleyway» entrance. (That’s what we’d call it in Iowa!)
Don’t give up, you won’t be disappointed! The space can be large or intimate, depending what your needs are. They decorate to meet the clients needs; my fave for our meetings is almost «rustic charm». The sliding barn doors, brick walls, thick bartop (or beverage station), and square tables allow this to be pulled off effortlessly.
However, recently I saw pictures of several wedding receptions held here & was completely amazed. The room was transformed into pure elegance, even ball-​roomesque for one couple! Up until now I hadn’t even thought about if I were to get married where my reception would be, but while looking at these pictures, I could see it here!
And I haven’t even mentioned the best part: there is a phenomenal catering company right inside the building — Above & Beyond Catering!
I teach people recipes & how to cook for a living, therefore you’d think I’d encourage you to prepare your own food instead of using a caterer… And unless it’s for multitudes of people, I usually have! Until I met Melissa Strub, the Operations Manager for Above & Beyond.
WTO even meaning to, she taught me to see the need for catering differently. Above & Beyond does all of the typical events of all sizes (but *I believe* they prefer «smaller» ones; wedding receptions, office parties, rehearsal dinners, anniversary celebrations, etc).
The AHA moment came when Melissa told our BNI that they «tailgate». They go to the PARKING LOT of your chosen sporting event with any food you want, even a grill, and set your tailgate up (with delicious food & decorations!). Of course you could pick up the food beforehand (this is true for any event-​even Thanksgiving dinner). But wouldn’t it would be nice to have someone taking care of all the thought & work so you can enjoy yourself? Especially before the big rivalry, or the annual family game day, or when you & your college friends, spouses & kiddos meet at the Homecoming game once every 5 yrs… whatever the case — having someone take care of it once in a while actually does sound quite nice.
And the food, wow… the food is terrific! Last week we were served a traditional «summer bbq», probably my first time to say that even the potato salad, cole slaw & baked beans were impressive (& had me getting 2nds)! Every week our meal is completely different; from exotic marinades, homemade salad dressings, creative pastas… To traditional rotisserie chicken, pot roast, or Mac n cheese!
Great idea to have them inside this event space. I would also like to acknowledge all of the work Black on Burlington has done to help with the acoustics during our meeting. They are a rather new location, we’ve been there for about a year & *might be* one of the first groups like this to meet there weekly. The combo of eating lunch & high ceilings made it hard to hear some people a few tables over. Whenever we’ve addressed an issue a solution has quickly been found, such as the sound absorbing curtains & ceiling drapes that work perfectly. Thank you!

It’s hard to find at first, tucked away in a nondescript light industrial warehouse area. The interior is nice for small events. Like the square tables of 8 rather than the usual rounds. They do take up more floor space so not as many tables will fit. Neat bar area off near the back of the space.
There is a pressing need for more event space in the metro area, and Black is working hard to fill that need.

I attended an author event here last night. I was really impressed with the space and am suprised it’s not already on Unilocal.
It’s a beautful open space with high ceiling, lots of exposed brick and a polished cement floor. I left a personal item at the event and they were very quick in responding to my inquiries so I could stop by and pick it up. I would love to attend another event here, whether it’s a business event, wedding or party.