Our idea of a fabulous New Year's Eve celebration includes barricading the apartment door and getting loaded on champagne in bed, but if you're more of the Make A Night Of It-kind of person, you may be looking for a delicious dinner to herald in 2014. If your plans don't already include partying Icona Pop-style or rolling on molly with Miley, here are a few equally fun but possibly less intense ways to eat-and-drink in the New Year.
Briskettown: Williamsburg's cow-focused meat mecca hosts a swine-themed party to ring in the new year with six courses of piggy goodness from Dan Delaney. Instead of the rustic barbecue, the team put together a highfalutin menu of pig treats like Hog Head Terrine, Pork Liver Boudin, Cochon Roule and even a Bacon Apple Pie. They're offering two seatings at 6 p.m. ($75) and 9 p.m. ($95, includes complimentary glass of bubbly); call 718-701-8909 ext 201 to reserve a seat. 359 Bedford Avenue, (718) 701-8909
Gotham West Market: Hell's Kitchen's sprawling new eating-and-shopping complex has a few vendors sticking it out for the stroke of midnight, offering banging AYCD deals hopefully off the radar of any B&T DBs. At The Cannibal, nosh on unlimited snacks like Pork Neck Kimchi Rillettes, Brussels Sprouts with mint and ham and Rock Shrimp Sausage plus all the draft beer, red wine and white wine you can pour down your gullet all for just $75. There's a similar deal at Seamus Mullen's El Colmado, where $75 buys you a "Tapas & Cava Party" from 10 p.m. to midnight with unlimited cava and some house tapas; there's also an option to get unlimited house wines, beer and sangria for an extra $25. 600 11th Avenue; (212) 582-7940 for Cannibal, email rsvp@elcolmadonyc.com for El Colmado
Extra Fancy: 'Tis the season to get a little glam and Williamsburg's elevated New England-style restaurant turns up the decadence for their New Year's Eve offerings. Their $75 prix fixe menu includes five courses of fancy fare like diver scallops with pork belly, braised short ribs with fresh horseradish and butter poached lobster tail; you'll also get a champagne toast and handmade chocolate truffles to complete your meal. If you simply must ball harder, opt for the $125 "Extra Fancy" option that adds an "upscale flourish" to each dish, like cavier and shaved black truffles. After the two seatings (7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m.) they'll have a DJ on hand to keep the dance party going until the wee hours; call (347) 422-0939 for reservations. 302 Metropolitan Avenue
Terroir Park Slope: Trade the "Wrecking Ball" for "99 Luftballons" at this Fifth Avenue wine bar's Like, Totally '80s Prom, where you're guaranteed not to experience any Blurred Lines until you're five glasses in at the bathroom queue. It's half dinner party, half high school dance, with savory treats on offer starting at 9 p.m. and plenty of wine, beer and spiked punch to keep the party going all night. Come dressed for the decade and moonwalk, robot and worm your way around the dance floor to some fav tunes from the '80s. Tickets to the time machine go for $100 a person; book your tix here. 284 Fifth Avenue, Park Slope, (718) 832-9463
Salvation Taco: April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman's taqueria offers a reasonably-priced option for heralding the new year with a $55 family-style dinner party, tunes and dancing for parties of any size. Dinner includes chips and dips, salad, large format tacos (like fried fish and slow-roasted pork shoulder) and a spiced pumpkin tres leches cake for dessert. Toast the new year with frozen margaritas topped with champagne. For reservations, email events@salvationtaco.com. 145 East 39th Street, (212) 865-5800
Louro: Chef David Santos loves to put on fun themed dinners throughout the year and continues that tradition with a special seven-course dinner made up from his favorite dishes of 2013. The $125 dinner includes a hamachi crudo with grapefruit, charred scallion and puffed wild rice; sous-vide duck egg with truffled anson mills polenta, chives and shaved black truffles; and pumpkin agnolotti with sage brown butter sauce; plus the requisite champagne toast at midnight. Seatings are offered from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.; a reduced $55 tree-course menu is also available from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., leaving plenty of time to get in line at da club. 142 West 10th Street, (212) 206-0606
Rouge Tomate: This beautiful Michelin-starred Upper East Side gem offers two options for super swanky supper this NYE. Seatings from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. offer three courses ($95 per person) with dishes like chestnut soup and branzino plus an optional wine pairing ($45 per person). From 7 p.m. to close, $150 gets you a five-course tasting menu plus a midnight champagne toast, music and party favors; an additional $95 wine supplement can also be procured if you need a way to blow your Christmas money. 10 East 60th Street, (646) 237-8977
Strand Smokehouse: If all the fussy, prix fixe madness is going straight to your head, consider opting for a down-home, low-brow NYE at this Astoria beer hall and barbecue joint. You won't find any fussy wine pairings or tiny tapas here, just hunks of flesh by the pound, $10 cocktails and lots of beers on tap—with no pesky cover charger either. They'll have live music amping up the party, which starts at 4 p.m.—good luck lasting 'til midnight!—plus a DJ spinning after the ball drops. They'll also be screening the big Times Square event on the projector, so you can twerk along with Miley and crew if the mood strikes you. 25-27 Broadway, Astoria, (718) 440-3231
