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We’ve rounded up an assortment of potential parties this New Year’s Eve, spanning from maximalist Champagne soirees to at-home celebrations that require as little effort as possible, aka takeout and chill. Head below to plot your year-end edible adventures.
Alewife
When: Dinners on Dec. 30 and 31
Cost: $85 per person, $50 wine pairing option; tax and gratuity not included
Lowdown: The seafood-centric restaurant, also known for its cocktail program, is busting out a four-course New Year’s Eve prix fixe menu with a few options for each course.
On the menu: Start things off with piri piri shrimp cocktail before a soothing oyster stew, followed by seared scallops, trumpet mushrooms and roasted root veggies. For dessert, the baked Alaska with brandied cherry ice cream is a no-brainer.
The Roosevelt
When: Reservations between 5 to 9 p.m. can be made online or by phone.
Cost: $80 per person, excluding tax and gratuity; wine and cocktail pairings available
Lowdown: Chef Leah Branch is laying it down for an end-of-year Southern soiree at the Church Hill favorite. Bonus: Amuse bouche and TBD “gifts” — my curiosity is spiked.
On the menu: Matheson oysters dotted with osetra caviar, paw paw vinegar; black-eyed pea soup; blackened sturgeon with pencil cob grits; moon drop grape cobbler
Lost Letter
When: Reservations can be made through Resy for indoor or garden seating.
Cost: $150 per person; $110 wine pairing
Lowdown: The Italian restaurant from the former Longoven crew invites diners into the moody, romantic refuge for a night of rustic yet refined Piedmontese cuisine.
On the menu: Expect fresh pastas and stellar wine offerings. Smoked bone marrow custard with tuna, anchovy, lemon; beef cheek tortellini; Nutella ice cream. P.S.: Negroni fans, find the cocktail on draft.
Natalie’s
When: Seating from 5 to 6 p.m.; second seating from 8 to 9 p.m.
Cost: Earlier seating $75; second seating, which includes live music and a toast at midnight, $125
Lowdown: Earlier this year, the Stratford Hills restaurant reintroduced itself with a fresh, mezze-forward menu, new digs and a kitchen helmed by chef Alex Vazquez. Bring a squad you’re down to dip and sip with; sharing is embraced.
On the menu: A sampler of small plates for the table; braised lamb with fennel salad and an artichoke- and Parmesan-stuffed portobello; and a Mediterranean dessert mezze of warm dates, halva, chocolate hummus and more.
Get Tight Lounge
When: The party kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door
Lowdown: The year is 1983, David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” is the unofficial anthem that gets the body moving, and your jacket definitely has shoulder pads. Part restaurant, part neighborhood bar, part music venue, Get Tight Lounge is taking it back 40 years with live music channeling the tunes of the time. Tickets include a bubbly toast at midnight.
On the menu: If you want to start celebrating early, Get Tight will be slinging $1 oysters that afternoon. Be sure to snag a signature Baltimore pit-beef sando and a cup of fries to fuel the nighttime celebrations.
Southbound
When: Dec. 30 at 5 p.m. and Dec. 31 at 9 p.m. Sunday is reservations only.
Cost: $85 per person with 20% gratuity included on every check
Lowdown: With parking abounding, Southbound — owned by Heritage chef Joe Sparatta and Alewife and Odyssey chef Lee Gregory — is welcoming guests into its neighborhood restaurant for a four-course prix-fixe affair.
On the menu: Options include rockfish crudo with saffron creme fraiche, duck ragout fusilli, and a dry-aged rib-eye with heirloom grits and black truffle. For non-imbibers, Southbound rocks a solid lineup of booze-free beverages.
Can Can Brasserie
When: Reservations can be made from 10 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
Cost: No set menu
Lowdown: While the Carytown institution doesn’t offer a special New Year’s Eve menu, they do boast some of the best ambiance in town, and the French Brasserie is pouring complimentary Champagne at midnight. Pro tip: Make dinner at home, then rally for dessert and cocktails on the town.
Grisette
When: First seating 5 to 5:45 p.m.; second seating 8 to 8:45 p.m.
Cost: $100 per person, $60 wine pairing
Lowdown: Grisette owner Donnie Glass dubs the holiday his fave and is celebrating the way he knows best: channeling the decadent, foie gras- and fried potato-heavy cuisine of Quebec.
On the menu: A multicourse dinner of seafood, smoked meats and cellared vegetables, with Champagne flowing
Home Is Where the Party Is
Low-key takeout options
Both outposts of the unfussy Italian takeout joint (in the Fan and Church Hill) are open until 10 p.m. Load up on anything from an anchovy- and caper-studded pizza to garlic-heavy broccoletti antipasto or spicy sausage with polenta and beans, and don’t dare leave without some tiramisu. Grab a bottle here, or walk down the block to Second Bottle wine shop and peruse the thoughtfully stocked selections.
This South Side gem specializes in guisos, or Mexican stews, served with stacks of handmade tortillas. Find multiple takeout-friendly offerings such as the bistec con nopales (steak and cactus), poblanos en crema (poblano peppers in cream) or limited-edition chicken birria. Bonus: Sundays and during the holiday season are the only times Abuelita’s serves tamales; add a few to the order for good measure.
A spread of Ethiopian fare scattered across a table is one of the most comforting sights, and with Nile’s closure looming — the family-run eatery will close on its 18th anniversary on Jan. 7 to start a packaged foods business — this is the ideal opportunity to feast. Invite a few pals and share.
Home cooking that you don’t have to cook — yes, please. Mama J’s serves hearty doses of comfort fare, from fried chicken and catfish to gooey mac and cheese, slow-cooked collards, and, of course, those delightful corn muffins. Pros know that cake is serious business here, be it rum, coconut or the daily special. Experts in catering, this team knows how to pack it all up with pride.
Cheng Du specializes in Sichuan cuisine, leaning on loads of garlic, chiles and spices in its dishes. Try the scallion pancakes, steamed dumplings in chile oil, sizzling beef, the cumin-spiked dry hot pot and braised pork belly and savor a feast of authentic Chinese food.
Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint
A decade-old Southern burger chain that started in Harrisonburg, Jack Brown’s crews are masters of consistency and speed. Order ahead and pick up a paper bag filled with a juicy burger, crinkle-cut fries and containers of JB sauce. Try the Elvis, a cheeseburger topped with peanut butter, mayo and bacon, for a creamy amalgamation of satisfying flavors. Fried Oreos for dessert are a must.
