New Year 2006
Your favorite Boston-area restaurants are ringing in the New Year with an array of festive menus and celebrations – see what they’ve got planned at restaurants like 33 Restaurant & Lounge, Ariadne Restaurant & Bar, Ashmont Grill, Aujourd’hui, Aura, Avenue One, Bambara, blu, Bonfire, Bricco, Bristol Lounge, Cafe Fleuri, Casablanca, Conundrum, Copia, Coriander, Craigie Street Bistrot, dante, Davio’s, Eastern Standard, Excelsior, The Fireplace, Franklin Cape Ann, Gargoyles, Great Bay, Grill 23 & Bar, Grotto, Hamersley’s, Harvest, Henrietta’s Table, Lineage, Lumiere, Meritage, Metropolitan Club, No 9 Park, OM Restaurant | Lounge, Pigalle, Rialto, Sandrine’s, Sel de la Terre, Spire, Tomasso Trattoria & Enoteca, Tosca, Tremont 647, UpStairs on the Square and Vox Populi – don’t forget Cape Cod favorites like the Coach House, Crowne Pointe, Golden Clove, Red Pheasant and Regatta of Cotuit.
33 Restaurant & Lounge has a number of options for New Year’s Eve. Chef Anthony Dawodu and pastry chef Kate Henry offer early diners (between 5:00 and 7:30pm) a sumptuous three-course menu for $79 per person. Guests who opt for the later seating (between 8:00 and 10:30pm) will sit down to four courses for $99 per person. The downstairs Lounge will open at 10:00pm for VIP table reservations only. Call 33 at 617.572.3311 to book your table and to get in on the fun.
view online MENU ]
Steer clear of the hustle and bustle of First Night and let chef Chirstos Tsardounis and company at Ariadne Restaurant & Bar take care of the menu planning this New Year’s Eve. The four-course menu boasts options like Maine crab salad with mango salsa; and halibut filet with potato puree, asparagus and artichoke sauce. Save room for desserts like chocolate hazelnut tart or a flight of housemade sorbets. The prix fixe costs $70 per person. Reservations are recommended, so call 617.332.4653 to reserve your table.
view online MENU ]
Have a casually elegant New Year’s Eve at Ashmont Grill where chef-owner Chris Douglass and chef de cuisine Sam Putnam will be serving their regular menu as well as some delicious specials, including seafood bisque, prime rib, lobster, linguine with crabmeat and lamb chops. They’ll be accepting reservations from 5:00-11:00pm, so call 617.825.4300 to make your reservation.
Spend New Year’s Eve at Aujourd’hui at Four Seasons Boston where chef William Kovel and pastry chef Tim Fonseca have a gala evening of dining and dancing planned for revelers. Opt for the early seating at 5:30pm and enjoy a four-course dinner and dancing for $125 per person. For the 8:30pm seating, Kovel ratchets up the festivities with a five-course menu and a champagne toast for $225 per person. Call Aujourd’hui at 617.351.2037 to book your table or to get more information.
Ring in 2007 at Aura, where newly appointed chef Frank Toohey will be serving a seasonal four-course menu in addition to the regular a la carte offerings. Priced at $75 per person, not including tax or gratuity (or $115 with accompanying wines), the holiday menu includes tenderloin carpaccio with housemade ‘tater tots’, cipollini onion confit and micro arugula; and butter poached lobster with hand cut pappardelle, chanterelles, roe broth and chive oil. Reservations are available from 6:00-10:00pm. Call Aura at 617.385.4300.
view online MENU ]
Bid 2006 a fond farewell at Avenue One where chef Lisa Lyon and her team have put together a festive five-course menu. Snag a reservation between 5:00 and 10:00pm and tuck into courses like wild mushroom consommé with duck wontons and black truffles; or fennel pollen-crusted New England swordfish with ginger beurre blanc, spicy tempura rock shrimp and snap peas. Dinner, which winds down with Chef Lisa’s 2007 Celebratory Confection, costs $75 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Call Avenue One at 617.422.5579.
view online MENU ]
Give 2006 a big send off at Bambara where chef Nathan Powers and his team are working on a special five-course menu highlighting the best flavors of the season. Powers’ menu includes blood orange and beet salad with Belgian endive and Humboldt Fog goat cheese; and duo of organic beef with chestnuts, wild mushrooms, truffles and cauliflower puree. For your ultimate end-of-the-year extravagance, enjoy a festive champagne flight with your meal. Dinner costs $65 per person or $95 paired with the champagne flight. Call Bambara at 617.868.4444 to save your spot.
view online MENU ]
Chef Tom Fosnot celebrates the approach of 2007 with a la carte specials available in addition to the regular menu at blu, on Saturday, December 30th and Sunday, Dec 31st. Specials include Jerusalem artichoke raviolis with black truffles and sage; and poached lobster with truffled spaetzle and savoy cabbage. Pastry chef Lynn Moulton adds Flights of Fancy to the evening’s offerings – $10 dessert flights like the chocolate flight or the sorbet and champagne flights. For more information and reservations, call blu at 617.375.8550.
view online MENU ]
Ring in the New Year Todd English–style at Bonfire at the Park Plaza Hotel, where chef Jenny Cates and pastry chef Jon McKeigue will be treating diners to a four-course menu at two seatings. Opt for the 5:00-7:00pm seating for $90 per person or sign on for the 7:30-11:00pm seating (including a glass of champagne with which to toast the New Year) for $125 per person. Call Bonfire at 617.426.2000 to save your seat.
view online MENUS ]
Say ciao to 2006 at Bricco in Boston’s scenic and historic North End. Chef Gianni Caruso will be whipping up some truly Italian holiday specials to augment Bricco’s regular menu. Call 617.248.6800 to make a reservation.
The Bristol Lounge hosts a festive New Year’s Eve bash on Sunday, December 31st. Guests can enjoy four fabulous courses from chef Brooke Vosika and pastry chef Tim Fonseca at either of two seatings – 5:30 or 8:30pm. Dinner costs $180 per person, not including tax or gratuity and includes live entertainment from the band Steppin’ Up. Call 617.351.2037 to make reservations for the Bristol’s New Year’s Eve festivities.
view online MENU ]
Join chefs Mark Sapienza and John Lambiase at Café Fleuri on Sunday, December 31st for Dancing Under the Stars, an evening of gourmet dining and dancing to the Jeffrey Moore Quartet. The New Year’s festivities at Café Fleuri cost $160 per person (which includes a bottle of Veuve Clicquot per couple). Call Café Fleuri at 617.956.8751 to save your table.
At Casablanca Chef Camillo Diaz greets 2007 with a prix fixe menu boasting holiday-appropriate courses like roasted half duck with French green lentils, wilted spinach, fruit compote and Grand Marnier glaze. The three-course menu costs $50 per person, though it can be paired with a either a half or a full bottle of Brut Veuve Clicquot champagne for an additional $25 or $50 per person respectively. They’re taking reservations now, so call 617.876.0999.
view online MENU ]
For their first New Year’s Eve, chefs Eric Wernsing and Jennifer Pearson welcome guests to their cozy Harvard Square restaurant, Conundrum. In addition to the regular menu, Wernsing will be serving a specially designed a la carte game menu filled with epicurean delights from the country’s finest farms. Call Conundrum at 617.868.0335 for more information or to book your table anytime from 5:00-11:00pm.
view online MENU ]
Celebrate the dawn of the new year at Copia, chef Anthony Caturano’s Mediterranean steakhouse in Charlestown. Caturano and company will be serving their regular menu as well as a four-course prix fixe menu for $70 per person. Options on the prix fixe include zucchini and mint fritters; homemade gnocchi with broccoli rabe and sweet sausage; and sea scallops with curried cauliflower puree, spinach and fried leeks. Call Copia at 617.242.6742 to make sure they save you a table.
view online MENU ]
Join chef Kevin Crawley and company at Coriander on New Year’s Eve. Crawley’s menu, four-courses in all, features dishes like vol-au-vent of large scallops wild escargots, stewed leeks and sauce vin jaune; “Old School” Lobster Thermidor with risolée potatoes and jumbo shrimp; and warm pear tart with pear William ice cream, cinnamon almond tuille and spiced pear reduction. Dinner costs $100 per person, not including tax or gratuity. Call 781.784.5450 for reservations.
view online MENU ]
Claim your table at Craigie Street Bistrot this New Year’s Eve. Chef-owner Tony Maws is offering guests two options – a six-course prix fixe for $90 per person, available for seatings at 7:00 or 7:30pm or an eight-course prix fixe for $140 per person, available for seatings at 9:00 or 9:30pm. Courses gracing the menu for the evening: pomegranate-glazed organic veal sweetbreads with yellow split peas, prosciutto broth; and gingerbread pain perdu with quince-caramel sauce and ginger ice cream. Call Craigie Street at 617.497.5511 to save your seat.
view online MENU ]
For his first New Year’s Eve at his riverside digs, chef Dante de Magistris hosts two seatings at dante. The first seating, from 5:30 until 7:00pm, includes a glass of prosecco and four courses for $80 per person. The second seating, from 8:30 until 10:00pm, features a glass of prosecco, a five-course menu and a champagne toast at midnight. Menu items include Osetra caviar and kumamoto oyster with potato cannelloni and beet tartare; and beef tenderloin Wellington with seared foie gras, wild mushrooms, caramelized cipollini and lingonberry. Call dante at 617.497.4200 to have them save you a seat.
view online MENU ]
Just a stone’s throw from the First Night festivities, Davio’s hosts an early seating from 5:00-7:00pm, perfect for families with little ones in tow. The seating features an a la carte menu filled with Davio’s classics as well as some holiday specials from chefs Eric Swartz and Stephen Brown, and pastry chef Tom Ponticelli. For revelers who’d prefer to celebrate all night at Davio’s, there’s an 8:45pm seating that includes a $125, four-course prix fixe as well as live music and dancing to the Cliff Tuttle Band and a champagne toast at midnight. Whatever you’re in the mood for this New Year’s Eve, call Davio’s at 617.357.4810.
view online MENU ]
Get geared up for your New Year’s Eve festivities at Eastern Standard, in the heart of Kenmore Square, where chef Jamie Bissonnette will be serving breakfast and lunch during the day. When it comes to the main event, he’ll be serving dinner from 5:00pm until 12:00pm. Expect the regular menu bolstered by some celebratory specials. Call Eastern Standard at 617.532.9100.
Excelsior’s New Year’s Eve spread, courtesy of chef Eric Brennan and pastry chef Molly Hanson, includes a special five-course menu available in addition to the regular menu. Priced at $110 per person (or $180 with accompanying wines), the menu is a study in end-of-the-year indulgences – tuna tartare with a Kumamoto oyster and Californian Osetra caviar; roast ribeye of lamb with kalamata olive salsa; and Valrhona chocolate mousse with glazed apricots, cocoa nib caramel and chantilly. Start 2007 off right – call Excelsior at 617.426.7878 to make reservations.
view online MENU ]
The Franklin Cape Ann hosts two gatherings for their sixth annual New Year’s Eve celebration. With an early seating and a late seating, they’ll be serving a $75 per person, four-course prix fixe menu with a complimentary split of champagne accompanied by live music from the Herb Pomeroy Trio. From 10:00pm until 1:00am, they’ll also be hosting a New Year’s Eve party upstairs at the Franklin, complete with a martini luge, passed hors d’oeuvres, a champagne toast and plenty of great music. The festivities upstairs cost $35 per person. Call the Franklin Cape Ann at 978.283.7888 to get in on the fun.
view online MENU ]
Chef-owner Jim Solomon, with recently appointed executive chef Toby T. Hill, welcomes guests to get cozy at The Fireplace in Brookline this New Year’s Eve. For your final meal of 2006, enjoy selections like butternut squash dumplings with Ben’s mushrooms, truffles and creamy herb sauce; bacon-wrapped monkfish with caramelized Brussels sprouts with garlic-mashed potatoes and pan gravy; and butterscotch bread pudding with rum-drunken raisins. The a la carte menu will be available all night. Call the Fireplace at 617.975.1900 to make reservations.
view online MENU ]
Chef Jason Santos welcomes New Year’s Eve revelers to Gargoyles on the Square in Davis Square for three courses of his edgy, eclectic fare. Make reservations at either of two early seatings (5:00-5:30pm or 7:00-7:30pm) to enjoy the menu for $65 per person, or make a night of it, with reservations at 9:00-9:30pm for $75 per person. Call Gargoyles at 617.776.5300 to save your table.
view online MENU ]
Ring in the new year in the heart of Kenmore Square at Great Bay. Chef Michael Schlow’s prix fixe menu features all sorts of celebratory goodness – tuna “maki” roll with spicy carrot, avocado, heirloom white rice and ponzu; Meyer lemon parsley crusted cod with green peppercorn, escargot and baby bok choy; and chocolate chili cake with tropical fruit-lime sherbet. The menu costs $95 per person (or $125 per person with wine pairings). Call Great Bay at 617.532.5300 to make reservations.
view online MENU ]
Chef Jay Murray ushers out 2006 with dining options to fit into just about any New Year’s Eve plan. For diners who are heading elsewhere to watch the ball drop, Murray, with a little help from pastry chef Molly Hanson, will be serving an a la carte menu from 5:00-7:00pm. From 8:00pm on he’ll be offering a four-course Chef’s Tasting Menu for $145 per person (not including tax or gratuity). The rest of the evening’s festivities include live music from the band Pulse and a champagne toast at midnight. To book your table, call Grill 23 & Bar at 617.542.2255.
view online MENU ]
Book your New Year’s Eve table at Grotto, where chef Scott Herritt rings in the new year with two prix fixe menus filled with all new creations as well as some signature dishes. Before 7:00pm, diners can enjoy a three-course meal, with a celebratory glass of prosecco for $60 per person. Diners with reservations after 7:00pm will be treated to a four course menu (also accompanied by a glass of prosecco) for $75 per person. Call Grotto at 617.227.3434 to get more details or to make reservations.
Wile away the last hours of 2006 at Hamersley’s Bistro where chef-owner Gordon Hamersley has put together a celebratory four-course menu chock full of seasonal goodness. The $125 menu has got some quintessentially Hamersley dishes like warm pear and Roquefort salad with port vinaigrette; and rack of lamb with smoked garlic custard and white wine-rosemary sauce. Save yourself a table by calling 617.423.2700.
view online MENU ]
Across the river in Cambridge, chef Keith Pooler and his staff at Harvard Square’s venerable Harvest have gone above and beyond – putting together a four-course menu, complete with suggested pairings for each course. Make reservations anytime between 5:00 and 10:00pm and choose from down-to-the-wire indulgences like grilled beef tenderloin with short rib ravioli, root vegetables and watercress; and Valrhona dark chocolate mousse cup from pastry chef Liz O’Connell. The New Year’s Eve menu costs $69 per person (or $89 per person with a ½ glass wine pairing, or $99 per person with a full glass wine pairing). Call Harvest at 617.868.2255 to reserve your table.
view online MENU ]
Table at the Charles Hotel teams up with upstairs neighbor, the Regattabar,
to make New Year’s Eve at the Charles Hotel that much more festive. Guests can
enjoy a two course dinner from chef Peter
Davis anytime from 5:30-7:00pm followed by a sumptuous dessert buffet and
champagne toast. Dancing and musical entertainment from The David Maxwell
will get the evening started. Sugar Ray & The Bluetones Big Band will keep things going until 2:00am.
The dinner-dessert-champagne-show package costs $184 per person. Guests who
are dining elsewhere can opt for the dessert-champagne-show package for $128 per person.
Call the Regattabar at 617.395.7757 to purchase tickets.
view online MENU ]
For his first New Year’s Eve at Lineage, chef-owner Jeremy Sewall welcomes guests for a 5:00-6:30pm seating and an 8:00-9:30pm seating. The early seating, perfect for guests who plan on watching the ball drop elsewhere, features four courses and costs $45 per person. The second seating, ideal for guests who’d like to make a night of it, is comprised of six courses (with a champagne toast) and costs $65 per person. Reserve your table at Lineage by calling 617.232.0065.
view online MENU ]
Make your last meal of the year a good one at Lumière, where chef Michael Leviton has prepared a four course prix fixe to welcome the new year. The menu, which costs $85 per person, includes celebration-worthy courses like a Wellfleet Oyster Trio (on the half shell with spicy horseradish-cucumber mignonette, fried with sauce rèmoulade, and poached with leeks, Riesling and cream); and veal loin Brussels sprouts, bacon and sage, mashed chestnuts and veal jus. They’ll also pair wines with each course for you for an additional $45 per person. Call Lumière at 617.244.9199 for reservations.
view online MENU ]
Ring in the new year overlooking Boston Harbor at Meritage, where chef Daniel Bruce has created a spectacular five course menu with choices like golden potato and melted leek soup with a wild mushroom and mascarpone crescent; and Maine lobster sausage with lime butter and sautéed tatsoi. Save room for Bruce’s dessert tasting plates like the chocolate tasting plate which includes white chocolate fondant tart, milk chocolate crème brulée and dark chocolate flourless cake. Dinner costs $150 per person, including valet but not including tax or gratuity. Call 617.439.3995 to make reservations between 7:30pm and 11:00pm.
view online MENU ]
Toast 2006 at The Metropolitan Club in Chestnut Hill where chef Todd Winer will be treating guests to a celebratory three-course prix fixe, in addition to his regular menu. Starting off with “tiny treats” like Shanghai pork ribs and fried crab salad wontons, Winer’s menu includes entrees like grilled NY strip steak with a Chinese-style sweet and sour glaze, and Shanghai rice cakes. Pastry chef Michelle Pattison wraps up the festivities with caramel coated banana tempura with rum macadamia nut ice cream. Call the Metropolitan Club for reservations and more information about their New Year’s Eve offerings.
view online MENU ]
Raise a glass to 2006 at No. 9 Park where chef Barbara Lynch will be offering a five-course Chef’s Tasting Menu for New Year’s Eve. Dinner before 7:30pm costs $150 per person, while dinner after costs $185. Dinner is in the hands of Lynch and her team – the rest of the evening’s festivities are hosted by WGBH DJ Ron Della Chiesa. Call No. 9 at 617.742.9991 to make your reservations.
2006 has been very good to OM Restaurant | Lounge – the restaurant was named one of the top 25 Best New Restaurants by Esquire and Best Nightlife Destinations in the World by Condé Nast Traveler. Join them for an end-of-the-year celebration on New Year’s Eve. Chef Rachel Klein is putting the finishing touches on a five course tasting menu, which will be available at two seatings (5:30-6:30pm or 8:00-9:00pm). Dinner costs $85 per person for the early seating or $125 per person for the later seating. There are optional wine pairings – a biodynamic wine pairing (for $25 per person) or a Krug pairing (for $50 per person). Festivities in the OM Lounge, orchestrated by mixologist Clif Travers and DJ Franklin, include premium champagne, aromatherapy cocktails and OM’s Lounge menu. Guests can also reserve VIP Tables at the OM Lounge, the upstairs RhumBar, and Ultra VIP Tables in the Mandala Room. Call OM at 617.576.2800 to make dinner reservations or your VIP lounge table.
view online MENU ]
Chef-owner Marc Orfaly celebrates the arrival 2007 with two dinner seatings and a late-night party at Pigalle. The first seating, which runs from 5:00-7:00pm, features a chef’s amuse and a four-course meal for $95.00 per person. The second seating, from 7:30-10:30pm, features the chef’s amuse, a four-course meal and a live soul/jazz/funk/R&B band for $130.00 per person. Call Pigalle at 617.423.4944 to book your table.
view online MENU ]
Ring in the New Year at Rialto – chef Jody Adams will be preparing five fabulous courses for the 6:00pm seating and seven sumptuous dishes for the 9:00pm seating. On the menu: marinated Nantucket scallops in blood orange with mint and pomegranates; roast lamb rack dusted with fennel with lentil, quince and eggplant; and, from pastry chef Tal Shofman-Schejter, espresso-pistachio pave with blood oranges, pomegranate and Grand Marnier cream. There’ll be live music (and dancing) from The Goldies starting at 9:00pm. The seatings cost $95 and $125 with optional wine pairings available for an extra $35 and $45 respectively. Prices do not include tax or gratuity. Call 617.661.5050 to book your table or for more information.
view online MENU ]
For New Year’s Eve at Sandrine’s chef Raymond Ost will be offering an a la carte menu as well as a degustation menu for two or more guests. Available from 5:30-11:30pm, the a la carte menu features Ost’s Alsatian handiwork in courses like roasted black pepper venison tenderloin with caramelized quince, wild mushroom ragout and red currant gastrique. The degustation menu, which is accompanied by a bottle of Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose Brut, features tastings of dishes like lobster consomme demi tasse en croute; and roasted pheasant with leek and truffle ragout, and morel sauce. The degustation costs $165 per person not including tax or gratuity. Call Sandrine’s at 617.497.5300 to secure your table.
view online MENU ]
Chef Geoff Gardner and his staff give 2006 a Provencal-style send off at Sel de la Terre this New Year’s Eve. Highlights from the five-course menu include beef shortribs with black truffle potato-leek nage, root vegetables and fried onions; and chocolate-espresso opéra cake. A jazz trio will be on hand to entertain diners and, at the stroke of midnight, guests can bundle up and stroll outside to enjoy the fireworks over Boston Harbor. Sel de la Terre’s New Year’s festivities cost $95 per person. Call 617.720.1300 to save your spot.
view online MENU ]
Enjoy your last meal of the year at Spire, where the culinary team has planned out a delightful evening of food and wine, in the form of a four-course prix fixe menu. Opt for seatings at 5:00 or 7:00 or 9:30pm. The two early seatings cost $100 per person not including tax or gratuity. The 9:30pm seating, which includes party favors and a champagne toast at midnight, costs $115 per person, not including tax or gratuity. Call Spire at 617.772.0202 for more information and reservations.
view online MENU ]
Click for more New Year’s Eve listings from Tomasso Trattoria & Enoteca, Tosca, Tremont 647, UpStairs on the Square and Vox Populi.
