The culinary countdown has begun on the last meal of '08. To insure maximum yum, you need to do a little planning if you wish to dine out in style on New Year's Eve. And is there any other way when the ball drops on a year we'd all like to see go up in flambe?
Burlington, with its wide mall-appeal, has my vote for best suburban New Year's food promo. Summer Winter, in the Marriott, throws a feasting finale of seasonal fare from uber chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier. I like it already.
These guys put Ogunquit on the map w/ their Midas-touched garden-focused Arrows. Options include a $89 five-course prix fixe or a la carte menu. Either way you can gorge on creamy potato leek soup with lobster profiteroles (who knew?), mini s’mores, chocolate pot de crème (don't know what this is, but I'm ordering it). House-cured proscuitto with mozzarella and basil, Peking duck and vegetable wontons for starters.Then delve devilishly into roasted tenderloin of beef with cognac and prune sauce, puff pastry, lavender-roasted shallots and Brussels sprouts. If that hasn't left you drooling, plank-roasted salmon with braised apple and Savoy cabbage is sure to do it. And cheese fondue? A slam dunk. Note the vibe here is organic chic, not Marriott-esque. Good choice for anyone w/ an eye for design.
If you find yourself in Boston for First Night, swing by Olives. Celebrity Chef Todd English’s flagship restaurant is offering a three-course, prix fixed New Years Eve menu for $75 per person that includes a champagne toast. Slurp up Duxbury oysters granita, spicy butternut squash soup, oxtail agnolotti (think I'll pass), beef short rib a la Bourguignonne and veal scaloppini (in honor of Celt's loveable forward Scalabrini?). Sounds a little over the top, but can Gourmet, Zagat and Boston Magazine be wrong? Sure, but not this time. To get the full Charlestown experience pop into the Warren Tavern and raise a pint to Old Ange Kline, the local townie. You'll need resies, www.opentable.com. Cheers!.
If you are kicking it local my picks are Centro, with its mod-appeal and melt-worthy meats, and /or Cobblestones who is rolling out the 1929-inspired cocktails. Bathtub gin anyone? Where are you getting your last licks of 2008?
Definitely go with the chocolate pot de crème -- I had one at Gibbet Hill Grill a couple years back and I still get emotional over the memory. Soooo good.
Hey New Year's eve is ametur night, Big Time!! Just like the night before thanksgiving. I think that New Years eve should be spent quietly amongst friends and family...mabe i'm just getting old but that's how i feel, damn it! I did get a baby sitter for this year though. Me and the wife will be having an early dinner at Davio's in Boston. Then we will hit the Packy and drive around the big city while drinking nips of Ginger Brandy untill 11 pm. Then we will go home and countdown the New Year together... Atta Baby Gobbo!
We always do a table of four at the Athenian. Don't know if they raised the price this year. Its been 35 bucks per head, eat anything off the full menu, apps and desserts included. They always have music too. I'll learn how to greek dance one of these years.
I'll be in Seattle for NYE, really looking forward to the dining scene out there. Particularly 94 Stewart above the Pike Place Market!
Hey Jack,
New Years Eve at the Athenian huh? Never tried it. Personally i'd rather go someplace like that but the ball 'n chain insists on going somewhere "special" for New Years. By special she means somewhere where i spend 300 bucks just to feed and water her.
I actually get the Athenians Roast Lamb dinner every year for Christmas. My wife is way too lazy to cook. But they do a nice little leg of lamb with potatos and stuff. It feeds my miserable in laws as well. In fact the food is the only part of christmas i look forward to. That, and opening my presents.
Bianco's catering in Tyngsborough also used to do some great stuff for holiday parties. I don't know if they still do. They did it on a larger scale though.
I usually stay in on NYE but this year I am thinking of trying out Cobblestones. I heard that they having live music.
Gobbo-maybe you and your miserable "overweight wife" should check it out. Maybe she she will start dancing and burn off some of that excess weight.
The big bash at cobblestones is only 19.29. Oh but if you wanna eat it's 60 dollars. You're better off spending a tiny bit more and heading to boston.
gobbler, i can see why your wife would be miserable married to a jerk like you. Don't you have anything better to do than come on here and bad mouth your pig of a wife you stupid POS
Sarah dear,
The Party at Cobblestones is 19.29 at 9pm with food stations, hors'dvs, DJ, dancing, and champagne toast AND a 1am breakfast buffet OR you can have a four course meal for $59.29 and then join the party after dinner which includes admission to the party.
I'm sooo looking forward to a night out without having to break the bank.