A large order of panorama with a side of excitement

When choosing an interesting and unique setting to host an important catered business meeting or family social this spring, you may not think of sweaty men or women running after a ball during your main course.

It is unlikely you will comb the society pages in search of a venue where several men — some with teeth missing and quick tempers — swing big wooden sticks in the general direction of each other.

However, you may be pleased to learn that you can host a professionally catered social or business event in a luxury skybox at Washington’s Verizon Center (formerly MCI Center) — home of the Washington Wizards and Mystics professional basketball teams and the Washington Capitals hockey team.

The arena houses 114 executive suites with panoramic views of the facility — most leased for terms of one to three years.

If you are planning a singular event, the Crown Royal Suite, commonly referred to as the “party suite,” can be booked to accommodate comfortably up to 100 guests. Suffice it to say, it is popular.

The No. 1, available-for-booking-on-short-notice attraction is the “Acela Club, which is a unique space,” says Sheila Francis, director of event and venue public relations for Verizon Center.

“The mayor has had events here, and many others use it for a variety of events, from receptions to press conferences to business luncheons. … It comfortably seats [up to] 350 people.”

If you are not particularly a fan of sporting events, “you can book the Acela Club when the arena is dark,” Francis added, meaning when there is no event scheduled in the arena area of the center.

Unfortunately, “performance stages [and other rigging] usually block the view from the Acela Club side of arena, so it’s closed to outside, private events during concerts.”

But if you can be a little flexible on dates, there is a good chance you can book the space for your catered spring event on relatively short notice.

Washington’s Levy Restaurants, part of a nationwide chain of fine-dining establishments, is the exclusive caterer for the Acela Club and all Verizon Center suites. Levy also does the cooking for the arena’s four themed “mini restaurants.”

In the Acela Club, “you can order anything that is available on the various menus throughout the center,” Francis says.

Verizon Center Executive Chef Michael Snead says, “Food is the major star of a great event. It has to shine for the gathering. And the food has to go above and beyond expectations to delight all of the senses … how it is presented, the aromas that tempt the guest … and, of course, the taste!”

If you are planning an elegant sit-down dinner, the chef recommends:

First course
Signature crab cake, jicama slaw and lemon aioli
Wine selection — Brancott sauvignon blanc, Sonoma

Intermezzo
Passion-fruit granita served in a frosted martini glass

Salad
“Wedges” salad — wedges of romaine, radicchio, iceberg, baby fris�e and Napa cabbage with blue cheese, red onions, tomatoes, creamy buttermilk blue cheese dressing
Wine selection  — Ruffino Lumina pinot grigio, Trentino, Italy

Main course
Pan-seared scallops; roasted corn risotto, braised spinach and oven-dried tomatoes
Wine selection  — Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve chardonnay, California

Southern-style grilled chicken — applewood-smoked and grilled breast of chicken with tasso ham, cheddar grits and grilled vegetables
Wine selection  — Gary Farrel chardonnay, Sonoma

Steak and lobster — center-cut filet mignon and grilled lobster tail
Wine selection — MacMurray pinot noir, Sonoma

Sweet endings
Peach and raspberry crisp; vanilla-bean ice cream
Wine selection — Jekel Riesling

If you were to host a reception at the center, Snead’s menu features:

Iced ceviche bar
A trio of ceviches — shrimp ceviche Veracruz, scallop ceviche Yucatan and snapper ceviche Diablo — presented on ice and accompanied by crisp tortillas and crackers
Wine selection — Chandon blanc noir

Baby twice-baked potatoes
With Parmesan, cream, chives and truffle oil
Wine selection  — Buena Vista pinot noir, Carneros

Ham and cheese “lollipops”
Ham and cheddar cheese on grissini bread sticks
Wine selection  — Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages, Sonoma

Mini char-grilled cheeseburgers
With shredded lettuce, tomato, red onion and secret sauce on a sesame-seed bun
Wine selection  — Jacobs Creek Reserve Shiraz, Australia

Anitipasti assortiti
• Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus
• Pecan-raisin crostini with poached-pear gorgonzola
• Goat-cheese and caramelized-onion tart
• Braised leek and walnut tart with Cabrales
Wine selection  — Kenwood sauvignon blanc, Sonoma

Farmhouse and artisan cheese table
With an assortment of fresh seasonal fruit, lavosh crackers and flat breads
Wine selection  — Concannon Petite Sirah, Livermore Valley

Francis says Verizon Center caterers specialize in “corporate breakfasts and lunches on game days” as well.

For more information on booking private events at Verizon Center, visit www.levyrestaurants.com /Levy/PartiesEventsAndCatering/SeGroup6/MCI+Center.htm or contact Jodie Speicher at jspeicher@levyrestaurants.com.