River Oaks Restaurant Ups the Ante on the Already Wild Thursday Night Bar Scene: Step Into the New Party Central

With their summer numbers already surpassing expectations, one might wonder why Le Colonial is ramping up the heat on Thursday nights. Simply, because they can. So it was last Thursday that a chic clutch of creatives and influencers schmoozed through the second floor bar of the popular River Oaks District restaurant to the sounds of DJ Ramalama.

What began as something of a house party with guests lounging on the sofas and chairs in the French Colonial style setting and toasting the summer with complimentary Bacardi cocktails soon morphed into one helluva bash. Le Colonial, it seems, has upped the ante on the already wired Thursday night bar scene.

PaperCity co-hosted this introduction to Le Colonial’s “Thursday Night Tribute Series.” Throughout the summer, the restaurant’s second floor aerie is expected to reign as party central with DJ spins as the cohesive force.

On this night the revelers included celebrity hair and makeup artist Tonya Riner, Houstorian founder and architect James Glassman, social media strategist Karen DeAmat, and bloggers Kara Smith and Madeline Heiser. For once, party photographer Daniel Ortiz put his camera down to enjoy the party while others snapped the lasting images.

As the Bacardi cocktails flowed, wait staff circled through offering tastes of Le Colonial signature dishes including crispy shrimp and pork rolls, scallop ceviche on half shell, yellowfin tuna tartare on wonton, chicken dumplings and char grilled pork shoulder mini bahn mi.

Movers and shakers: Commercial real estate broker Chris Wadley and ABC 13’s Katherine Whaley,  Tease Color & Style Bar owners Roi Alan and Travis Player, publicists Stuart Rosenbarg and Gail Rubin, ABC 13’s Miya Shay, realtor Neal Hamil, restaurateurs Neera Patidar and Paul Qui, Greater Houston Partnership director of content and creative A.J. Mistretta, publicist Michael Mandola, creative director Patrick Magee, Marie Flanigan Interiors marketing director Megan Hotze, Courtney Hobson, Debbie Festari, James Sivco, Tricia Harrison, Greg Morago, Jailyn Marcel, Eloise Frischkorn, Amy Johnston, Sara Smith and Mary Pace-Hebrank.