A Plan for Every Kind of New Year’s Eve

Some people know how they’re going to spend their New Year’s Eve well before Dec. 31. Then there are those who wait until the last minute, fretting over where to go and whom to go with, or whether they should just stay home and conk out at 10:30 p.m. (A completely understandable and excellent choice.)

If you’re a proud member of that second camp, as I am, this is the missive for you. I scoured emails and Instagram posts, and asked around, in search of New Year’s Eve gatherings for three kinds of celebrants: the diners, the theme-hounds and the splurgers.

And remember, however you choose to greet 2023 — and there is no one right way — the future is full of promise, excitement and really, really delicious meals.

If You Want to Dine Out

In service of true last-minute decisions, Grand Army in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, has reservations, but is also accepting walk-ins. The seafood-centric barstaurant will have a few specials (lobster ravioli with beurre blanc, anyone?) plus the usual seafood towers, and the excellent bar staff will keep the drinks flowing. In Ridgewood, Queens, Porcelain, which serves affordable dishes like kimchi-brined fried chicken, will offer an impressive wine list and food à la carte. Speaking of great wine lists, Pasquale Jones in NoLIta is offering a $95 five-course prix fixe menu of pasta and pizza, with an optional $95 charge to stick around for a party at Bar Pasquale ($145 gets you admission to just the party). There will be canapés and other food passed around, and a dance party. Talk about a one-stop shop.

If You Like Themed Parties

I’ve got two options for a themed approach. First, there’s a Mardi Gras-themed gathering at Fort Defiance in Red Hook, Brooklyn. There will be a ton of food — seafood towers, andouille sausage pigs in a blanket, gumbo, fried okra — and a general embarrassment of Sazeracs and hurricanes. Tickets are about $120, which includes a service fee for the staff. But, perhaps you were a Studio 54 regular, or just wish you had been? Consider Discolo in Chelsea, the third and final part of the transformation of the former Del Posto space. For $175, you can enjoy a disco-themed party with a four-hour open bar. (I’m told that grandma pies from sister restaurant Mel’s will be passed around at midnight.)

If You Want to Splurge

Have $250 to $300 burning a hole in your pocket? The Musket Room in NoLIta is hosting two prix fixe seatings with its usual vegan and omnivore menus. It’s steep, but I also had one of my favorite meals of the year there! For an elegant setting with an incredible view of Manhattan, Bar Blondeau in Williamsburg deserves a spot on your shortlist. This bar, in the Wythe Hotel, will have Champagne toasts, passed hors d’oeuvres and an open bar for $200 per ticket. And the only thing better than having a wealthy friend with a townhouse might be spending $200 to $400 on tickets to the New Year’s Eve party at Pebble Bar, the townhouse-style restaurant and bar in the heart of Rockefeller Center. Who knows whom you’ll bump into? A “Saturday Night Live” cast member? A “Today” show host? A Rockette? The possibilities for New Year’s Eve — and the year ahead — are endless.

In Other News …

Also, a correction! Because of a misreading on my part, I wrote in last week’s newsletter that Claud would be open for lunch on Christmas Eve and for dinner on Christmas. The restaurant is closed on Christmas Day. But it will be serving dinner on New Year’s Eve.

This week Pete Wells reviewed Lord’s, the second project from the team behind Dame, describing it as “a festival of meat and offal in a modern British style that hasn’t been seen much in New York lately.” He writes that it’s worth trying — if you can manage to get in.
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