THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Well, before it gets here, there are so many options in Chicago for people who want to dine and party as they say goodbye to 2023. Then, there are also choices for people who will nurse those hangovers from saying goodbye to 2023:

Fine and Dandy: The second annual "A Very Dandy Holiday" will pop up at The Dandy Crown, 694 N. Milwaukee Ave., throughout December, starting at 3 p.m. daily.

The Dandy Crown's outgoing beverage director and award-winning bartender Sarah Syman, in collaboration with head bartender/manager Ricky Cordt, will offer some indulgent cocktails. They include the Choquito (Bacardi Ocho, Fernet Branca Menta, Mr. Black Coffee, chocolate and coconut), the Sleigh Ride (white rum, spiced orange, angostura cocoa and lime) and the Ghost of Christmas Past (Real del Valle Reposado, Bianco, Genepy, chocolate and lemon), among others.

There will also be several festive (and FREE) events, ending with "A Very Dandy New Year's Eve Party with DJ Gloria."

See TheDandyCrown.com and DandyHoliday.com .

Rooftop revelry: Cindy's Rooftop (12 S. Michigan Ave.) will be open New Year's Eve at 10 a.m.-1 a.m. and New Year's Day at 10 a.m.-6 p.m. One of the brunch offerings you might want is the strawberry-stuffed French toast, with white chocolate and champagne creme anglaise.

Exclusive: Michelin-starred Esme (2200 N. Clark St.) will have two seatings on New Year's Eve.

Seatings will be at 5 p.m. ($295/ticket) and 8 p.m. ($350/ticket). Chef Jenner Tomaska is known for creating some very innovative dishes. See www.exploretock.com/esme-chicago .

That's Italian, take two: The contemporary Italian restaurant UMMO (22 W. Hubbard St.) is inviting people to celebrate New Year's Eve in style.

There will be four hours of an open bar, DJs, gourmet bites and a dessert station, crafted cocktails and a champagne toast as people count down to midnight (and there will be a balloon drop). Tickets are $90-$250 each; visit www.eventbrite.com/e/new-years-eve-ummos-loft-tickets-768667113027 .

Bronzeville blowout: On Dec. 31, Bronzeville Winery (4420 S. Cottage Grove Ave.) will host its Black Renaissance NYE Dinner and Celebration.

According to a press release, Black Renaissance is inspired by the neighborhood of Bronzeville and the Great Gatsby, with a "sprinkle" of Beyonce. How fun is that?

Dinner, priced at $125 per person, will feature a four-course meal that includes an amuse bouche of white cheddar gougeres (choux pastries) along with hearts of palm, diver sea scallops, 45-day wet-aged filet and butter cake. Then, at 10 p.m., the Black Renaissance NYE Countdown Celebration begins. Those who attended dinner are able to attend for free; otherwise, tickets are $75 per person.

Dinner tickets are at www.exploretock.com/bronzevillewinery/event/451765; countdown tickets are at www.exploretock.com/bronzevillewinery/event/452218/black-renaissance-new-years-eve-countdown-celebration .

Ace of Bass(ment): The Bassment (353 W. Hubbard St.) will host its New Year's Eve festivities at 8 p.m.-2 a.m. There will be an open bar until midnight, passed bites, live music and a Champagne toast at midnight.

VIP options are available. Tickets are at www.eventbrite.com/e/new-years-eve-at-the-bassment-tickets-755658122787 .

Party time: The Japanese spot Komo (738 W. Randolph St.) will be offering two New Year's Eve menus: a six-course menu for $130 or an eight-course menu for $160 that includes options such as sashimi, tuna tartare, nigiri and more.

Then, the party continues upstairs at Esco Chicago for a NYE Black Tie Ball beginning at 9 p.m. Early-bird ticket sales are now on sale for $120 before Dec. 15. See komochicago.com/esco/, or email info@komochicago.com or hyonsuk@saludhospitality.com .

Fire: Chef Jonathon Sawyer and the team at Kindling, in Chicago's Willis Tower, revealed their official New Year's Eve celebration details.

Kindling is hosting a ticketed New Year's Eve extravaganza—with each ticket including high-end appetizers, a premium drink package, champagne, house wines, midnight countdown, premier table service access and more. Check out nyechicago.greencurtainevents.com/e/nye-chicago-green-curtain-kindling-2024/tickets .

Drag dolls: At the drag space Kit Kat Lounge (3700 N. Halsted St.), divas Kinley Preston and Falaesha Savage will host a Broadway-themed NYE extravaganza, with music and costumes inspired by the big stage.

There will be a four-course dinner, with options such as the Carmen Miranda (penne pasta, sriracha cream sauce, spicy Italian sausage and shrimp), grilled-chicken satay skewers, Lauren Bacall (a vegetarian dish with cavatelli pasta, marinara, cherry tomatoes, arugula and parmesan) and Slice of Death (chocolate cake with raspberry coulis and whipped cream).

Plus, throughout the evening, attendees can win tickets to upcoming Broadway in Chicago shows such as Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue, Six, and My Fair Lady, among others.

Tickets are available at Eventbrite.

Tzuco's zeal: The upscale Mexican restaurant Tzuco (720 N. State St.) will offer a prix fixe menu courtesy of Chef Carlos Gaytan that promises fan-favorite recipes, new special features and a couple of surprises.

There will be a three-course meal (with choices available for each, such as dorado, braised short ribs and Mexique chile relleno for the entree); also, the full drink menu will be available. The cost is $120; reservations are on OpenTable.

Chicago Fire(house): The Chicago Firehouse Restaurant (1401 S. Michigan Ave.) invites guests to celebrate New Year's Eve with a packed menu.

The $85/person package (minus gratuity and tax) includes a three-course meal—complete with appetizer, entree and dessert—and is served at 4-9:30 p.m. Chef de Cuisine Oscar Montesinos will offer appetizer choices of watercress salad, house smoked salmon, wood-grilled local mushrooms "en mole verde," oysters Rockefeller or signature lobster bisque; main course items of Faroe Islands salmon, sauteed black bass, roasted duck breast, or an eight-ounce prime filet mignon; and dessert options like orange-coconut panna cotta, molten chocolate cake, or profiteroles and housemade ice cream. See www.chicagofirehouse.com/ .

Dawson's chic: The Dawson (738 W. Grand Ave.) is offering a three-course menu ($105/person) with optional wine pairings ($45 for one glass per course) for New Year's Eve.

Highlights will include wood-grilled New England oysters, raclette fondue (with smoked honey, serrano ham and blistered grapes), duck breast and halibut cioppino. See the-dawson.com/reservations .

By the way, The Dawson also has a pop-up, "Mistletoe & Mischief," on the patio. Immerse yourself in kitschy cocktails, over-the-top decor and a festive soundtrack that may or may not feature Ms. Carey.

Chop to it: Kinzie Chophouse (400 N. Wells St.) is offering a one-of-a-kind tasting menu experience to celebrate New Year's Eve.

The Festive Odyssey Tasting Menu—an iteration of its recently launched Sunday-only Odyssey Tasting Menu—will be available. Priced at $150 per person (with the option to add on an expert wine pairing for $60), items will include items such as duck ravioli, shellfish trilogy (crab, shrimp and scallop) and dry-aged lamb chop; wet-aged center-cut filet or grouper; a cheese plate with infused honey and the "Call Me Rosa" cocktail; and fondant tsoureki with vanilla-bean gelato and eggnog sauce.

Wake up: When it comes to satisfying brunches, few spots can top Wake 'n Bacon (420 W. Belmont Ave.).

The spot will be open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. on New Year's Eve, for brunch and dinner. Brunch (served until 4 p.m.) will include spiced maple chicken 'n waffles, with a bubble waffle and crispy chicken thighs garnished with pickled peppers and green onions served with spiced maple syrup; and the Maui Wowie, with Hawaiian bread, Spam, Tajin-spiced grilled pineapples, chipotle mayo and scrambled eggs. Dinner includes the Bombazo Pambazo—a Mexican-style sandwich filled with chorizo, potatoes, avocado, sour cream and pineapple pickled red onions, then served on a roll brushed with guajillo salsa and griddled.

Visit www.eatwakenbacon.com .

Fondue you do: Longtime Lincoln Park fondue spot Geja's Cafe has added some items to its winter menu.

In addition to Geja's gruyere cheese fondue, protein fondue (lobster, shrimp, steak, chicken—you name it) and Belgium chocolate fondue, Geja's will offer roasted garlic with fontina cheese and peppermint-chocolate variations. See GejasCafe.com .

Also, reservations for Geja's annual New Year's Eve celebration will be available for 4, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. There will be a three-course fondue dinner that will include Swiss gruyere cheese fondue with breads, vegetables and fruits; a beef tenderloin, Australian lobster tail and Gulf shrimp entree; and Geja's Belgian chocolate fondue, with marshmallows. The cost is $100-$140/person, depending on the time of the seating; visit www.gejascafe.com/events .

Getting your goat: Ring in the New Year at Girl & the Goat (809 W. Randolph St.). This inventive Stephanie Izard-owned spot will offer food and a bubbly toast. The cost is $125, not including tax or gratuity. See OpenTable or www.girlandthegoat.com/chicago for reservations .

Argentinian Artango: Artango Bar & Steakhouse, 4767 N. Lincoln Ave., will offer two seatings on New Year's Eve.

The first seating ($105/each) will feature three courses with live jazz piano by Argentinian artist Mauro Frosio. The second seating ($150/each) will feature three courses with live Cuban jazz from 10:30 p.m.

Cuisine choices will include Argentine pizza, ceviche Nikkei, pato (duck confit, sweet potato gratin, seasonal veggies and pear-cardamom glaze), salmon, chocolate cake, flan and other items. Visit artangosteakhouse.com/new-year/ .

Fiesta: Costera Cocina Tulum (850 W. Fulton Market) will offer a New Year's Eve celebration with a four-course prix fixe menu, priced at $95 per couple.

Diners can enjoy appetizers, including a salsa trio and short rib quesadilla; second-course options like Peruvian ceviche and tuna tartare; entrees such as pork shank pibil and salmon a la Veracruzana; and desserts like tangerine flan or coconut sorbet.

Also, Costera has a $100 general-admission ticket for bar entry beginning at 9 p.m., with a live DJ set to start at 10:30 p.m. alongside performances by dancers adorned with LED lights and a complimentary margarita shooter toast at midnight. For more, visit www.opentable.com/r/costera-cocina-tulum-chicago .

Dance fever: Tunnel Chicago—above Tree House, at 151 W. Kinzie Ave. (and don't ask me how a tunnel is above a treehouse)—will have its own all-night dance party on New Year's Eve. Tickets are $95 per person, and various booth upgrade packages are available, topping off at $1,000 for an 8-person VIP Main Floor Wall Booth.

In addition, you can keep the celebration going on New Year's Day with a complimentary brunch buffet at Tunnel. Simply present your NYE ticket from any Third Coast Hospitality establishment (like Moe's Cantina, Tree House, La Luna or Old Crow Smokehouse). Get tickets at www.eventbrite.com/e/tunnel-new-years-eve-tickets-747444936927 .

In the loop: The very popular Loop spot The Dearborn (136 N. Dearborn St.) will feature Chef Aaron Cuschieri offering four shareable dishes prepared for New Year's Eve.

The dishes will be crispy lobster and shrimp spring rolls; cacao e pepe and fresh white alba truffles; black truffle-and-pear flatbread; and venison carpaccio. (Hopefully, the acclaimed fish-and-chips will be around as well.) For more, check out www.thedearborntavern.com/ .

Hair apparent: In The Sheraton Grand Hotel, Riverside Cafe's "Hair of the Dog" brunch menu is available Jan. 1, inviting guests to shake off the previous night's soiree and keep the party going with bottomless mimosas and a feast of breakfast faves for $45 per person.

There will be an omelet station; a hot buffet featuring dishes like braised chicken and herb dumplings and wild mushroom and celery root savory bread pudding, and a carving station serving dijon rubbed roasted leg of lamb. That should help you forget (most of) your drinks.

SOPHY's choice: Mesler Kitchen, at SOPHY Hyde Park Hotel (1401 E. 53rd St.), will be open 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. on New Year's Eve, with the bar open until—surprise!—midnight.

Breakfast items include omelets, buttermilk pancakes, smoked salmon eggs Benedict, chicken and pearl sugar waffles, lobster rolls, lox and bagels, and the 5th Ward Burger, among other items. Dinner offerings look pretty enticing, too, with Mesler deviled eggs (with smoked salmon, capers, shallots and caraway seeds), crispy cauliflower, beef filet steak, rigatoni with Italian sausage and broccoli rapini, and more. However, there are also holiday specials, including braised beef short rib, grilled Colorado pork chops, maple glazed duck breast and honey mustard-glazed Faroe Island salmon.

Check out meslerchicago.com/ .

Old Town road: LG's Bar & Kitchen (1525 N. Wells St., in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood) will keep the party going on New Year's Day with bottomless mimosas and brunch classics.

Regarding food, there will be stuffed French toast, chicken and waffles, chilaquiles, buttermilk pancakes, and more. Concerning drinks, there will be cocktails such as Pardon My French (Malfy Gin con Arancia, lemon and simple syrup, topped with prosecco) and When Life Gives You Lemons (with house-made limoncello, Italian lemon soda and bubbles, adorned with lemon slices).

Note: This list is subject to change. Also, no reproduction of this column is permitted under any circumstances without express prior written permission.