I am thinking of this less as a definitive list than a starting point for what I hope is an ongoing conversation. Post right here anyplace you think others should know about it. The list below badly needs some budget options.
Thanks again to Zippy for telling us about how she does what she does. Like I said when I introduced her, not everything she does for her groups will make sense for you. It's essential to remember that she's running a business. I think her take-away step is insisting that the person who arranges her group's meal is both present and visible when she arrives.
Aldo's Ristorante Italiano -- Private dining options run small, medium, and large. The barrel vaulted wine cellar, shown in the photograph, is a favorite of Cal Ripken. The second story Library and Milanese Room, each hand-worked by chef Aldo Vitale, are for grander entertaining. And it all won't necessarily run as expensive as you think.
The Capital Grille --The downtown steakhouse has a handful of private dining options, and the restaurant will customize menus for dinner-planners. One of Zippy Larson's go-to options, the groups she takes to Capital Grille for lunch get a choice of three entrees. Keeping things simple is never a bad idea.
Dalesio's of Little Italy -- Another restaurant on Zippy's circuit. The groups she brings here dine from a menu she sets in advance. I haven't been here for a while, but they must do something right to keep this tough customer happy. So, if you go, tell them Zippy sent you.
Feast at Four East -- Kind of a cheat, because the inn and its resident restaurant don't precisely overlap. Sandy Lawlor is the chef either way, though, and a succession of lovely parlors and other private rooms make this Mt. Vernon inn a good choice for rehearsal dinners, farewell parties, and other random life events.
Ikaros -- The last of Zippy's regular destinations to make this (alphabetical) list. Her groups' meals at this Greektown mainstay always begin with a shared selection of appetizers that's placed on the table within seconds of rears hitting the chairs. Smart.
Meli -- I'm thinking of the louche lower-level Minoan room at this Fells Point restaurant. Equipped with a sound system and stage, it should be considered the next time you plan a celebrity roast.
Pazo -- Such an obvious choice I almost didn't think of it. Dining groups have several options at this Harbor East restaurant, including private rooms (one of which has a single table for twenty) or getting mixed in with hoi polloi. Menu are structured specifically to accommodate group dining.
Tark's Grill -- The first time I came here was soon after it opened. It was to attend a friend's annual company dinner, in one of the Lutherville restaurant's two private dining rooms. I came away very impressed by how personal and attentive the service was, and from what I hear, they've kept it up.
Terisguel's -- Every room at this historic Ellicott City restaurant is part of a story that Fernand and Odette Tersiguel love to tell about their lives in France, but the Wine Room is the one that accommodates the largest groups.
-- Last time here, I caught a glimpse of the Locust Point restaurant's private wine room, which can hold 30 guests for a stand-up or sit-down affair. "I want that," I thought. This would be a great location for a no-occasion party, just to try out new executive chef Christopher Becker's first official menu.