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 spots like 209 Boston, Ashmont Grill, Aujourd’hui, Avila, Beacon Hill Bistro, Beehive, Black Trumpet, blu, Blue Ginger, Bristol Lounge, Casablanca, Chiara, Coriander, Craigie Street Bistrot, dante, dbar, Downtown Bistro, Evenfall, Excelsior, The Fireplace, Gargoyles, Grafton Street, Great Bay, Grill 23 & Bar, Hamersley’s, Harvest, L’Espalier, Lineage, Lumiere, Meritage, Metropolitan Club, Navy Yard Bistro, OM Restaurant | Lounge, Rialto, Rocca, Sandrine’s, Sasso, Sel de la Terre, Temple Bar, Tomasso Trattoria & Enoteca, Top of the Hub, Tosca, Tremont 647, Union Bar and Grille and UpStairs on the Square as well as Cape Cod favorites like 902 Main, Cape Sea Grille, Circadia Bistro, Crowne Pointe, Heather and Regatta of Cotuit.
Ring in the New Year at 209 Boston where the food is just the beginning of the evening’s entertainment. Enjoy selections from a long list of a la carte offerings, available from 6:00pm-12:00am, then dance the night away to either of two DJs spinning tunes in two separate rooms. There’ll also be a lighter menu available until 1:00am if all that dancing helps you work up an appetite. Dial 617.536.0972 for more information or for reservations.
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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 grilled lobster, filet mignon and oysters mignonette. They’ll be accepting reservations from 5:00-11:00pm, so call 617.825.4300 to make your reservation. Stick around after dinner for DJ Maryalice who’ll be spinning until 3:00am.
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 planned for revelers. Kovel ratchets up the festivities offering a three-course and a six-course menu for $150 and $250 respectively. He’ll also be serving a special a la carte truffle celebration menu. Call Aujourd’hui at 617.351.2037 to book your table or to get more information.
Ring in 2007 at Aura, where chef Frank Toohey will be serving a seasonal four-course menu. Priced at $85 per person, not including tax or gratuity (or $125 with accompanying wines), the holiday menu includes red wine and rosemary-braised short rib with truffled potato mousse, grilled scallion foam and onion rings; and pan seared halibut and Maine lobster medallions with baby carrots, risotto and a carrot ginger emulsion. Reservations are available from 6:00-10:00pm. Call Aura at 617.385.4300.
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Chefs Rodney Murillo and Paul King welcome the new year at Avila with a festive five-course menu available in addition to their regular menu. The $85 menu is full of end-of-the-year indulgences – potato wrapped lobster tail with celeriac mashed and vanilla cognac sauce; Colorado rack of lamb with potato-leek gratin and winter vegetable rôtis; and tangerine and mint granite with an assortment of pastry chef Tom Ponticelli’s cookies. Book your table by calling 617.267.4810.
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Welcome 2008 from the cozy dining room at the Beacon Hill Bistro – just s stone’s throw from the First Night festivities on the Boston Common. Starting at 5:30pm, chef Jason Bond will be serving a five-course prix fixe for $68 per person – though guests who feel like a five courses isn’t quite enough can add a sixth course for an additional $20. There’s also an optional wine pairing for $35 per person. Call the Beacon Hill Bistro at 617.723.7575 for all the details and to book your table.
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Celebrate the arrival of 2008 with an evening of Bohemian revelry at Beehive in the South End. On the agenda for the evening – a Parisian Burlesque show and the Latin rhythms of seven piece salsa band, Grupo Fantasia. The culinary fun includes passed plates of gypsy fare and delicious desserts from chef Rebecca Newell. Beehive’s New Year’s bash runs from 9:30pm until 2:30am and costs $95.00 per person, in addition to a cash bar. Reserve your spot by calling the Beehive at 617.423.0069.
Continuing their New Year’s Eve tradition, chef Evan Mallett and his team at Portsmouth’s Black Trumpet Bistro will be serving special, holiday menus at two seatings. Book an early table and enjoy a four-course dinner, paired with wines for $85 per person. Reserve a spot for at 9:30pm or later and sit down to a five-course menu paired with wines and topped off with a glass of champagne. The later seating costs $110 per person. Prices don’t include tax or gratuity. Reservations are going fast – call 603.431.0887 before they disappear.
Toast the arrival of 2008 at blu, where guests can watch the First Night fireworks over the Boston Common from the roof deck and then slip inside for celebratory cocktails, festive fare from chef Michael Kraus and dancing to a live Latin band. There’ll be a complimentary champagne toast at midnight and party favors for everyone. Tickets cost $99 per person or $160 per couple. For more information (like about the limited VIP tables) or to make reservations, call blu at 617.375.8550.
New Year’s Eve diners at Blue Ginger are in for a treat – chef-owner Ming Tsai and chef de cuisine Jon Taylor have put together a magnificent five-course prix fixe for the event. The menu, which costs $125 per person ($160 with paired wines) includes celebratory seasonal dishes, handled with Blue Ginger style. Pastry chef Michele Fadden adds a specially designed dessert. Book your table by calling 781.283.5790.
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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. Dinner costs $195 per person, not including tax or gratuity and includes live entertainment. Call 617.351.2037 to make reservations for the Bristol’s New Year’s Eve festivities.
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At Casablanca Chef Camillo Diaz greets 2008 with a prix fixe menu boasting holiday-appropriate courses. The three-course menu costs $55 per person, though it can be paired with a flight of wines for $80 per person. Add 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.
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Get cozy at Chiara this New Year’s Eve, where chefs Steve LaCount and Bret Pelaggi will be putting together a five-course menu filled with celebratory seasonal favorites. The $85 menu, which can be paired with wines for $110 per person, starts with an amuse bouche of baked oyster with white truffle leek fondue – and it just gets better from there with courses like duck and foie gras terrine with pomegranate gastrique and pistachio buttered brioche toast. Call Chiara at 781.461.8118 to secure your New Year’s Eve table.
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Avoid the city crowds and head out to Coriander Bistro in Sharon for a four-course menu, complete with a champagne toast, from chef-owner Kevin Crawley. The evening’s prix fixe, which costs $100 per person, features dishes suited for an end-of-the-year culinary blow out – handcrafted black truffle gnocchi with slow cooked veal ragout and seared foie gras; and bone-in filet mignon with Roquefort potato gratin, shallot jam and sauce chasseur. Call Coriander at 781.784.5450 to reserve your table.
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As you might expect, chef Tony Maws goes all out for New Year’s Eve at Craigie Street Bistrot offering guests two options – a six-course prix fixe for $100 per person, available for seatings at 6:00 or 6:30pm or an eight-course prix fixe for $140 per person, available for seatings at 9:00 or 9:30pm. Call Craigie Street at 617.497.5511 to save your seat.
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Count down to 2008 at dante, where chef Dante de Magistris hosts two New Year’s Eve dinner seatings at his modern Italian, riverside restaurant. The first seating, from 5:30 until 7:00pm, includes a glass of bubbly and five courses for $100 per person. The second seating, from 8:30 until 10:00pm, features a glass of bubbly and a five-course menu for $125 per person. Call dante at 617.497.4200 to have them save you a seat.
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Dorchester’s dbar hosts a Veuve Clicquot fueled New Year’s Eve party to mark the end of 2007 and the dawn of 2008. Book your table and celebrate the occasion with four courses from chef Christopher Coombs. The menu costs $65 per person, which includes a glass of Veuve. Reservations are your best bet. Call 617.265.4490 for reservations – and keep in mind, after dinner, there’ll be dancing until 2:00am, so plan accordingly.
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Ring in the new year at the North Shore’s newest addition, the Downtown Bistro & Wine Bar, where chef David Fitzgerald will be welcoming 2008 with two prix fixe options. Book your table early and enjoy a three-course menu for just $39 per person or reserve a table anytime after 6:30 and sit down to four courses for $49 per person. Call the Downtown Bistro at 781.593.3111.
Chef Scott Pelletier goes all out at Evenfall this New Year’s Eve with an extensive a la carte menu that will be available at three seatings throughout the evening (5:00-5:30pm, 7:00-7:30pm and 9:00-9:30pm). Book your table and have one final culinary hurrah of 2007. Reservations – especially for the late seatings – are getting scooped up, so call 978.521.7550.
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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. Start 2007 off right – call Excelsior at 617.426.7878 to make reservations.
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Chef-owner Jim Solomon invites guests to get cozy at The Fireplace in Brookline this New Year’s Eve. Enjoy hearty selections from his a la carte menu – foie gras dumplings with wild mushroom sauté and truffled madeira cream sauce; or braised beef short ribs over apple-squash mash with caramelized brussels sprouts. Call the Fireplace at 617.975.1900 to make reservations.
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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 the first seating (5:00-5:30pm) for $65 per person, the second seating (7:00-7:30pm) for $75 per person, or the third seating (9:00-9:30pm) for $85 per person, which also includes a champage toast. Call Gargoyles at 617.776.5300 to save your table.
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Ring in the new year in the heart of Kenmore Square at Great Bay. Chef Adam Fuller ’s seafood-laden tasting menu features all sorts of celebratory goodness – a tasting of local ceviche; lobster stuffed monkfish with sweet garlic parsley sauce; and loup de mer with saffron, potato and razor clams. The menu costs $95 per person (or $135 per person with wine pairings). Call Great Bay at 617.532.5300 to make reservations.
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Grafton Street will be serving a four-course prix fixe menu from their new executive chef Matthew Richey. The menu, priced at $50 per person, will be available from 5:00 to 9:00pm in addition to a limited a la carte menu which will be available from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. After 10:00pm (until 2:00am) there’ll be dancing and musical entertainment from DJ Lazyboy for $30 per person. Call 617.497.0400 for reservations.
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Chef Jay Murray bids 2007 a fond farewell with a four-course chef’s tasting menu, available at seatings starting at 8:00pm. The $150 menu includes dishes like Japanese hamachi tartare with torched miso and wild salmon cracklings; Sonoma lamb rack with Michigan sour cherry mostarda and fregola in lamb brodo; and fallen chocolate soufflé with Bailey’s ice cream. The rest of the evening’s festivities include live music from the band Pulse and a champagne toast at midnight. For diners who are heading elsewhere to watch the ball drop, Murray, with a little help from pastry chef Molly Hanson, will be serving the regular a la carte menu from 5:00-7:00pm.To book your table, call Grill 23 & Bar at 617.542.2255.
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End 2007 on a culinary high note at Grotto, where chef Scott Herritt‘s menu hits all of the most decadent ones – freshly shucked oysters, white truffles, lobster Thermidor and rack of lamb, just to name a few. Early diners who book between 5:00 and 6:30pm can enjoy a three-course menu for $60 per person while diners who make reservations later in the evening, can celebrate with four courses for $75 per person. They’ll be booking tables until 10:00pm, so call 617.227.3434 to reserve yours.
Say goodbye to 2007 and welcome 2008 at Hamersley’s Bistro where chef-owner Gordon Hamersley welcomes revelers with a festive four-course menu chock full of seasonal goodness. The $110 menu has Hamersley’s fingerprints all over it in dishes like smoky grilled duck breast with braised endive, pomegranate and pinenuts; and pan-roasted lobster stuffed with scallops, crabs and mussels in champagne butter. Save yourself a table by calling 617.423.2700.
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Across the river in Cambridge, chef Mary Dumont, pastry chef Jed Hackney and the whole team at Harvard Square’s venerable Harvest have gone above and beyond – putting together a three-course menu full of down-to-the-wire indulgences. Make reservations anytime between 5:00 and 10:00pm. The New Year’s Eve menu costs $70 per person. Call Harvest at 617.868.2255 to reserve your table.
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For the final New Year’s Eve at their Gloucester Street location (they’ll be in their new digs at the Mandarin Oriental on Boylston Street by this time next year), the team at L’Espalier hosts an extravagant dinner celebrating the end of 2007 and the dawn of 2008. Book your table at 5:30, 6:00 or 6:30pm or 9:00, 9:30 or 10:00pm and enjoy the Grand Tasting Menu – a seven course prix fixe from chef-owner Frank McClelland and chef de cuisine James Hackney. The $195 menu can be paired with a champagne tasting for an additional $75 per person. McClelland and Hackney will be offering an abbreviated version of the menu at the evening’s earlier seatings for $125 per person. Call L’Espalier at 617.262.3025.
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Brookline diners are clamoring for seats at Lineage, where chef-owner Jeremy Sewall will be serving a special Seafood Tasting Menu in addition to his regular menu. The three-course prix fixe, which costs $48 per person, features Sewall’s creative fare.
If you’re not feeling fishy for the New Year – there are plenty of non sea-dwelling options on the regular menu. Call Lineage at 617.232.0065 for more information or to book your table.
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In honor of the arrival of 2008, chef Michael Leviton has prepared a five-course prix fixe at Lumière. The menu, which costs $100 per person, is full of celebration-worthy courses. They’ll also pair wines with each course for you for an additional $45 per person. Call Lumière at 617.244.9199 for reservations.
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Take in the spectacular views from the dining room at Meritage this New Year’s Eve. Chef Daniel Bruce will be welcoming the new year with two decadent prix fixe menus. Make reservations from 5:00-6:00pm and enjoy a four-course menu for $95 per person. Or book your table after 7:30pm to indulge in five fabulous courses for $115 per person. Call 617.439.3995 to make reservations.
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Toast 2007 at The Metropolitan Club in Chestnut Hill where chef Todd Winer will be treating guests to an array of celebratory specials, available in addition to his regular menu. Among the evening’s offerings: Alaskan sablefish poached in light cream with fried oyster and caviar salad; and chocolate pot de crème with hazelnut toffee and champagne Chantilly. Call the Metropolitan Club for reservations and more information about their New Year’s Eve offerings.
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The Navy Yard Bistro is still accepting reservations for their New Year’s Eve celebration. Book your harborside table to enjoy four courses from chef Greg Digiovanni. Dinner costs $55 per person (which also covers a glass of sparkling wine). At 10:00pm there Bistro will be hosting a private party. For $75 per person, guests can stick around until 2:00am sampling wines and beers and nibbling on a delicious buffet. Call 617.242.0036 for more information.
Welcome 2008 in style from Harvard Square’s swankest eatery and nightlife spot, OM Restaurant | Lounge, where they’ll be offering a three-course prix fixe menus at staggered seatings throughout the evening. Make reservations at 5:30pm for $55 per person, 7:30-8:30pm for $70 per person and 10:00-10:30pm for $85 per person. If you’ve got dinner plans elsewhere, incorporate a pit stop at OM into your evening, DJ Mario will be spinning tunes in the lounge until 3:00am. Call OM at 617.576.2800 to make dinner reservations or for more information about their New Year’s Eve celebration in the lounge.
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Make your last meal of 2007 a good one 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. The seatings cost $95 and $125 not including tax or gratuity. Call 617.661.5050 to book your table or for more information.
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Ring in 2008 in true Ligurian style at Harrison Ave. hotspot, Rocca Kitchen & Bar. For guests who want an early start to the evening, chef Tom Fosnot will be serving a three-course Pre Celebration Menu from 5:00-7:00pm for $45 per person – a great option for diners who have other plans for watching the ball drop. For those who want to make a night of it, Fosnot has a planned a New Year’s Eve Celebration Menu for $65 per person. In addition to four fabulous courses, guests can enjoy a complimentary glass of prosecco, party hats and noisemakers. To save your table, call Rocca at 617.451.5151.
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Build your own prix fixe menu at Sandrine’s this New Year’s Eve. Chef-owner Raymond Ost has culled some of his most splurge-worthy dishes for the evening’s menu. Available from 5:30-11:30pm, the menu can be enjoyed as an $85 four-course prix fixe or a la carte. Call Sandrine’s at 617.497.5300 to secure your table.
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Executive chef Anthony Mazzotta invites guests to usher in the New Year at Sasso, where he’ll be serving a $75 prix fixe in honor of the holiday. Some highlights from the evening’s menu: braised short ribs, crushed horseradish potato, brulèed cipollini onions, salsa verde; and coconut cake with passion fruit curd, vanilla braised pineapple and crème fraiche panna cotta. Reserve your table by calling 617.247.2400.
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Chef Geoff Gardner gives 2007 a Provencal-style send off at Sel de la Terre at both their Boston and new Natick locations this New Year’s Eve. Vegetarians don’t get left out in the cold this year – Gardner and his team are also serving a five-course vegetarian menu. Sel de la Terre’s New Year’s festivities cost $95 per person, with an optional vintner’s pairing for an additional $35. Call 617.720.1300 to save your spot at the Boston location or 508.650.1800 for the Natick location.
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Chef Tom Berry gets creative with his Japanese-themed New Year’s Eve menu. If you want to mix things up a little this year, book your table at Temple Bar to enjoy the $65 prix fixe which boasts courses like roasted shiitake soup with crispy fried scallop and tograshi aioli; and green tea cheesecake with blood orange sauce and black sesame tuile. For reservations call 617.547.5055.
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Tomasso Trattoria & Enoteca hosts a family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration this year. Bring the whole family to their Southborough spot and choose from the regular menu, a $50 prix fixe, or a menu specially designed for younger palates. Keep the kids happy with bubbly glasses of sparkling cider and dinner options like pizza, pasta and chicken Milanese, while you choose from more sophisticated offerings. Book your table by calling 508.481.8484.
Enhance your New Year’s Eve celebration with spectacular views from 52 floors up. The Top of the Hub is hosting an exclusive, ticketed party overlooking the city. Sign on and enjoy live jazz, an open bar, and passed hors d’oeuvres to start, followed by a five-course dinner from chef Mark Porcaro and a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets, which cost $250 apiece, are non-refundable and can be purchased by calling 617.536.1775.
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Greet 2008 from a comfy seat in the dining room at Hingham favorite, Tosca, where chef Kevin Long will augment his regular menu with festive New Year’s Eve specials. Book your table early for a relaxed dinner or book later in the evening to make a night of it with live jazz and dancing. Call Tosca at 781.740.0080 for reservations.
Put your New Year’s Eve dinner plans in the hands of chef-owner Andy Husbands at Tremont 647. He’s got a four-course dinner planned, and it’ll only set you back $49 per person (not including drinks, tax or gratuity). Call Tremont 647 at 617.266.4600.
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Spend New Year’s Eve in the South End at Union Bar and Grille. Chef Stephen Sherman will make it worth your while with his New Year’s Eve Gala menu. The prix fixe, which costs $85 per person, starts off with an assortment of passed apps followed by a three course dinner – lobster and black truffle risotto with sweet butter and Parmigiano; and double chocolate pecan pie with bourbon butterscotch and whipped cream. Call Union at 617.423.0555 to save your spot.
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As usual, the ladies of UpStairs on the Square are offering a number of ways to ring in the new year. Book a table in the Monday Club Bar and Zebra Room for an early seating (5:00-6:30pm) and sit down to a $75 four-course menu from chef Steven Brand. Opt for the later seating (8:30pm) for $125 per person and you can enjoy the same four-course menu, but they’ll throw in dancing and live music from Catherine and the Greats, and a champagne toast at midnight. If you’d prefer to celebrate in the gold and pink Soiree Dining Room, Brand will be serving an $85 four-course prix fixe for early diners at a 5:30pm seating and a $150 five-course prix fixe menu for diners who make reservations at 8:00pm or later. Call UpStairs on the Square at 617.864.1933 to explore all your options or to make reservations.
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