Christmas is still a week and a half away (scope out our map of where to eat on Christmas Day if you don't have plans yet), but it's never too early to start thinking New Year's Eve plans. Sure, you could go stand in a long line at a club and pay a ridiculous cover charge to cavort with drunk people in party hats, but then again, there's plenty of restaurants offering perfectly civilized multi-course or a la carte options with appropriately celebratory dishes like caviar and foie gras. Many of them will even do the obligatory champagne toast at midnight to welcome in 2013. Here, we've mapped more than a dozen places around town cooking up special New Year's Eve dinner options. (We'll update as more places announce their offerings.)
Max's will offer a special NYE menu from 4 to 11 p.m. with caviar, truffles, fried chicken and champagne. $75 or $100 with wine pairings. Regular menu available until 2 a.m.
Francophiles will be delighted to ring in the New Year at Boulevardier with an a la carte menu that includes caviar with toast points, raw oysters, whole Maine lobster, and bouillabaisse.
Farm-to-table pioneer Bolsa is offering an a la carte menu from 5-10 p.m. with dishes like beef belly pastrami, skate wing, octopus with white beans and blood orange dessert soup.
Canary is serving a $59 four-course menu including a champagne toast at midnight. Dishes include a grilled avocado with poached shrimp, lamb t-bone and grilled quail.
Private Social is doing a two-headed NYE celebration: A five-course menu on the Social side is $125 with dishes like salt and pepper losbster and peking duck wih foie ravioli (wine pairings extra $50). The Social side keeps it casual (no cover charge) with drinks and small plates from 5 p.m. to midnight. Live jazz from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m.
If beer is more your style than champagne, Holy Grail is doing a five-course menu at 7 p.m. pairing dishes like burrata salad and bacon-wrapped tenderloin with craft beers. Stick around till midnight for a toast with Estrella Damm Inedit, which is brewed with champagne yeast.
Downtown staple Stephan Pyles is doing two seatings; the first from 6 to 7 p.m. will be four courses for $75 per person ($125 with wine pairings). The later seating from 9 to 10 p.m. is five courses for $125 per person ($175 with pairings) and includes champagne and party favors at midnight.
Ring in the New Year under a faux Texas sky with a three-course, $50 menu ($85 with wine pairings) at 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. The last seating at 10 p.m. is four courses for $75 ($125 with pairings) and includes a champagne toast and party favors at midnight.
If you want to get bourgie on New Year's Eve, Marquee will serve their regular menu as well as a $95 5-course tasting menu starting at 5 p.m. Or come later for drinks and dancing that kicks off at 9:30 p.m. with DJ S.O.U.L. Jah; tickets are $20.
If a full-on multi-course meal seems a bit too formal, head to this tucked-away cocktail bar where you can snack on flatbreads or stuffed quail and sip the finest in fancy cocktails. DJ Johnny 5 will provide tunes; no cover charge.
If downtown fine dining is more your style, Pyramid is doing a five-course menu with celebratory dishes like blini and caviar and sous vide ribeye with foie gras butter. $250 per couple, $350 with wine pairings. Free valet and champagne toast at midnight.
Chef Toby De La Rosa will serve a three-course $75 menu with three seatings at 7, 9, and 11 p.m. with offerings like duck confit, gnocchi, bone-in-filet, and rosewater panna cotta. Dinner includes a free glass of champagne to supplement cocktails from barman Michael Martensen.
New Samar chef Ji Kang will offer a three-course tasting menu from 6:30 to 10:30 for $50 per person (wine pairings additional). Later seatings include a champagne toast at midnight.
Design District hotspot FT33 will ring in the New Year with two prix fixe seatings: The first, from 6 to 7 p.m., is four courses for $75 (add $40 for wine pairings); the second seating from 8 to 9 p.m. is five courses for $90 ($50 for wine pairings) and includes a glass of champagne at midnight.
Chef Omar Flores will prepare a four-course menu for $75 with seatings between 6 and 8:45 p.m. Menu includes the much-lauded grilled octopus, cured hamachi, duo of lamb, scallops with bacon marmalade and more.
Chef Graham Dodds will offer a four-course $70 menu from 5-11 p.m. (including a glass of a champagne) with dishes like Franconia-braised beef cheeks and lobster thermidor. The party continues in the lounge with tarot card readings, henna artists and a flamenco guitarist.
Max's will offer a special NYE menu from 4 to 11 p.m. with caviar, truffles, fried chicken and champagne. $75 or $100 with wine pairings. Regular menu available until 2 a.m.
Francophiles will be delighted to ring in the New Year at Boulevardier with an a la carte menu that includes caviar with toast points, raw oysters, whole Maine lobster, and bouillabaisse.
Farm-to-table pioneer Bolsa is offering an a la carte menu from 5-10 p.m. with dishes like beef belly pastrami, skate wing, octopus with white beans and blood orange dessert soup.
Canary is serving a $59 four-course menu including a champagne toast at midnight. Dishes include a grilled avocado with poached shrimp, lamb t-bone and grilled quail.
Private Social is doing a two-headed NYE celebration: A five-course menu on the Social side is $125 with dishes like salt and pepper losbster and peking duck wih foie ravioli (wine pairings extra $50). The Social side keeps it casual (no cover charge) with drinks and small plates from 5 p.m. to midnight. Live jazz from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m.
If beer is more your style than champagne, Holy Grail is doing a five-course menu at 7 p.m. pairing dishes like burrata salad and bacon-wrapped tenderloin with craft beers. Stick around till midnight for a toast with Estrella Damm Inedit, which is brewed with champagne yeast.
Downtown staple Stephan Pyles is doing two seatings; the first from 6 to 7 p.m. will be four courses for $75 per person ($125 with wine pairings). The later seating from 9 to 10 p.m. is five courses for $125 per person ($175 with pairings) and includes champagne and party favors at midnight.
Ring in the New Year under a faux Texas sky with a three-course, $50 menu ($85 with wine pairings) at 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. The last seating at 10 p.m. is four courses for $75 ($125 with pairings) and includes a champagne toast and party favors at midnight.
If you want to get bourgie on New Year's Eve, Marquee will serve their regular menu as well as a $95 5-course tasting menu starting at 5 p.m. Or come later for drinks and dancing that kicks off at 9:30 p.m. with DJ S.O.U.L. Jah; tickets are $20.
If a full-on multi-course meal seems a bit too formal, head to this tucked-away cocktail bar where you can snack on flatbreads or stuffed quail and sip the finest in fancy cocktails. DJ Johnny 5 will provide tunes; no cover charge.
If downtown fine dining is more your style, Pyramid is doing a five-course menu with celebratory dishes like blini and caviar and sous vide ribeye with foie gras butter. $250 per couple, $350 with wine pairings. Free valet and champagne toast at midnight.
Chef Toby De La Rosa will serve a three-course $75 menu with three seatings at 7, 9, and 11 p.m. with offerings like duck confit, gnocchi, bone-in-filet, and rosewater panna cotta. Dinner includes a free glass of champagne to supplement cocktails from barman Michael Martensen.
New Samar chef Ji Kang will offer a three-course tasting menu from 6:30 to 10:30 for $50 per person (wine pairings additional). Later seatings include a champagne toast at midnight.
Design District hotspot FT33 will ring in the New Year with two prix fixe seatings: The first, from 6 to 7 p.m., is four courses for $75 (add $40 for wine pairings); the second seating from 8 to 9 p.m. is five courses for $90 ($50 for wine pairings) and includes a glass of champagne at midnight.
Chef Omar Flores will prepare a four-course menu for $75 with seatings between 6 and 8:45 p.m. Menu includes the much-lauded grilled octopus, cured hamachi, duo of lamb, scallops with bacon marmalade and more.
Chef Graham Dodds will offer a four-course $70 menu from 5-11 p.m. (including a glass of a champagne) with dishes like Franconia-braised beef cheeks and lobster thermidor. The party continues in the lounge with tarot card readings, henna artists and a flamenco guitarist.
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