Special to the Online Edition of Windy City Times
In a city like Chicago, with hundreds of restaurants offering every type of cuisine and atmosphere you could ever want, picking a restaurant for New Year's Eve can be tough. To help you figure out where to have your last meal of 2010, I've rounded up a few options that I think are worth checking out:
—If you want a fun night on the town with a group … try Sable Kitchen and Bar: I think Sable is one of the best new restaurants that opened in Chicago and 2010, and this glitzy River North hot spot will be celebrating the New Year in style—1940s style, to be exact. Sable is hosting Zoot!, a bash featuring a nine-piece swing band and a bottomless champagne bar. ( Talk about a happy New Year! ) As if that weren't enough, the $125 admission price also gets you unlimited small plates 8-11 p.m. and unlimited desserts 11 p.m.-1 a.m. If you haven't experienced chef Heather Terhune's culinary wizardry, you are missing out. When I visited back in April ( www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php ) , Terhune was turning out scrumptious small plates like poppers filled with La Quercia ham and Swiss cheese, mini-Ruebens wrapped in phyllo dough and deviled eggs topped with trumpet mushrooms and truffle oil. And, Terhune is formerly a pastry chef, so I'm guessing that late-night dessert bar is going to be pretty spectacular. If she's still whipping up her amazing butterscotch pot due crème and dark chocolate soufflés, New Year's party-goers are in for a treat. http://www.sablechicago.com/
—If you want a laid-back meal that won't break the bank ... try Jerry's: If you'd rather get your bubbles in beer form than champagne, New Year's Eve at Jerry's could be up your alley. The Wicker Park gourmet sandwich joint is serving a special New Year's menu with craft beer pairings. Look for choices like snapper and scallion cake with wasabi remoulade paired with Victory Prima Pilsner and Boston Butter lobster rolls paired with Dogfish 90 India Pale Ale. You can enjoy six courses with beer for a recession-friendly $65. http://jerryssandwiches.com/index.html
—If you want a romantic dinner for two … try Geja's: Geja's Café, the old-school fondue spot in Lincoln Park, doesn't appear to have changed a bit since it opened in the 1960s. The dim lighting, cozy dark wooden booths and live classical guitar music create the perfect backdrop for romance. You and your lover can canoodle for hours while you dip bread and apples into creamy Gruyere cheese fondue and cook beef tenderloin and lobster right at your table. The waiter will start your final course by lighting a pot of chocolate fondue on fire with a splash of orange liqueur. He'll hand you marshmallows that you can roast over the flame, and then a big plate of strawberries, bananas and pound cake to dip in the chocolate. Geja's four-course New Year's Eve dinners include a glass of bubbly and will run you $75 per person at the 5:30 p.m. seating and $95 per person at the 7:30 p.m. seating. If you want to ring in the new year over fondue, there's a 10:00 p.m. seating for $115 per person that includes a bottle of champagne per couple. http://www.gejascafe.com/events-details.asp?ID=361
—If you want a leisurely wine-focused meal AND a good party … try In Fine Spirits: In Fine Spirits, the Andersonville wine shop-turned-restaurant and lounge, is serving a four-course New Year's dinner with wine pairings followed by a masquerade party. You'll start your meal with a potato blini with house-made sour cream and meander through a mixed greens salad with garlic croutons and smoked bacon, handmade ravioli with truffle and sage, braised shortribs with creamy polenta and a dessert made with passionfruit curd and champagne pearls ( wow! ) . I have no doubts that the folks at In Fine Spirits have selected the perfect wine to accompany each course. No need to make after-dinner plans because In Fine Spirits is hosting a masquerade party with open bar until 1 a.m. and prizes for the best masks. Paying $150 will buy you the whole nine yards ( dinner with wine pairings, plus entrance to the masquerade party ) , or you can skip dinner and just come for cocktails and bar bites at 9 p.m. for $75. http://www.infinespirits.com/events.asp
—If you want a side of glam with your dinner … try Kit Kat Lounge: Enjoy five courses including wild mushroom soup with crème fraiche, skewered filet medallions with wasabi mashed potatoes, seared scallops with wilted arugula and lobster ravioli in a tarragon cream sauce, while Kit Kat divas Madame X and Traci Ross entertain you with impersonations of Madonna, Lady Gaga and Beyonce. The 6 p.m. seating costs $50, the 8 p.m. seating costs $60 and the 10 p.m. seating costs $75. All three seatings include a champagne cocktail. If you want to keep the party going after dinner, Kit Kat's 100 tasty and deceptively strong martinis should come in handy. http://www.kitkatchicago.com/nye/
