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Dirty French
(Photo: Carolyn Griffin/New York Magazine) |
UPTOWN
FP Patisserie by Francois Payard
1293 Third Ave., nr. 74th St.; 212-717-5252
For a classic Parisian prix fixe�and a low-key start to your festivities�head to Francois Payard’s bistro on the Upper East Side. The menu includes foie-gras terrine with apple-and-pear chutney, braised short ribs, and, of course, your choice of the pastry master’s signature desserts. Seatings are offered from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Four courses, $48
Red Rooster
310 Lenox Ave., nr. 125th St.; 212-792-9001
Marcus Samuelsson’s Harlem favorite brings together flavors from around the world in dishes like truffle-accented celery-root apple soup, curried lobster and crab fried rice, and eggnog doughnuts with glögg-marinated cherries. The second seating includes two additional amuses, a cheese course, and a Champagne toast. The same menus will also be offered at Ginny’s Supper Club downstairs at the same times.
$95, seatings at 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
MIDTOWN
The NoMad
1170 Broadway, at 28th St.; 347-472-5660
From 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., Daniel Humm’s kitchen inside the NoMad Hotel will offer a special à la carte menu, with dishes like Alaskan king crab salad with celery and black truffles ($26) and roasted dry-aged tenderloin with seared foie gras ($42) built for sharing. Meanwhile, the party at the NoMad Bar ($195/person) runs from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. and includes an open bar, DJ, and passed hors d’oeuvres.
À la carte, varies
Resto
111 E. 29th St., nr. Lexington Ave.; 212-685-5585
Turkey, schmurkey�everyone knows that duck is really the best-tasting bird around. Resto, the Belgian gastropub from the Cannibal team, does duck 12 different ways on its four-course NYE menu, from foie gras and consommé to sausage, confit, and �ducketta.� Reservations are accepted from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and for a lavish 9 p.m. seating that includes an open bar and midnight bubbly.
Four courses, $95 (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.); $150 (9 p.m.)
Salvation Taco
145 E. 39th St., nr. Lexington Ave.; 212-865-5800
April Bloomfield’s taqueria will feature à la carte food and drink specials including a confit duck taco feast ($40), Mexican chocolate pudding with candied orange ($7), and hibiscus-ginger frozen margaritas ($10). Sip prosecco for $10 a glass or $40 a bottle while you watch the ball drop in one of the restaurant’s ping-pong rooms.
À la carte, varies
The Smith
55 Third Ave., nr. 11th St.; 212-420-9800
956 Second Ave., at 51st St.; 212-644-2700
1900 Broadway, at 63rd St.; 212-496-5700
From 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., all three locations are serving a special prix-fixe menu with homey Smith favorites including the brick-pressed chicken, the burger deluxe, and the pork chop with corn and bacon flapjacks. (The beloved mac and cheese, unfortunately, costs extra.) You’ll also get your choice of starter and dessert, plus an open bar and complimentary champagne toast.
Three courses, $135
DOWNTOWN
Alder
157 Second Ave., nr. 10th St.; 212-539-1900
wd~50 might be gone forever, but you can still taste Wylie Dufresne’s playful, inventive cuisine at his more casual outpost Alder. The chef’s New Year’s Eve menu is inspired by New York neighborhoods, from a braised veal breast straight out of the Bronx to a riff on Chinatown’s Peking duck.
$125/person
Carbone
181 Thompson St., nr. Bleecker St.; 212-254-3000
Dine like one of the famiglia at Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone’s neo-red-sauce joint. The five-course feast spans Carbone signatures and holiday specials, including king crab scampi, white truffle tagliatelle, and lobster ravioli. Champagne toasts and a sumptuous dessert spread are also part of the deal. The later seating includes additional hors d'oeuvre, antipasti, caviar, and dessert options, plus a midnight celebration.
First seating, 6 p.m. to 7p.m., $350; second seating, 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., $595
Catch
21 Ninth Ave., nr. 13th St.; 212-392-5978
Chef Hung Huynh serves up shareable plates of oysters with mango-yuzu caviar, filet mignon, crispy shrimp rice cakes, and more at his Meatpacking spot. The special menu kicks in at 9 p.m., leaving you plenty of time to make a night of it.
$175/person
Colicchio & Sons
85 Tenth Ave., at 15th St.; 212-400-6699
The NYE menus at Tom Colicchio’s High Line restaurant are more extensive than most, offering unique selections such as crispy goat cheese, spice-roasted lobster, and duck with Tokyo turnips, spigarello, and Seckel pear. Likewise the desserts, by pastry chef Stephen Collucci, outdo the nondescript options you may find elsewhere, ranging from a key-lime chiboust with hibiscus caviar to a warm chocolate tart with hazelnut butter and peppermint bark. Diners at the later seating get an additional caviar course, but all guests receive a complimentary glass of bubbly.
Four courses, $155 (5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.); five courses, $220 (7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.)
Dirty French
180 Ludlow St., nr. Houston St.; 212-254-3000
From mille-feuille and pommes boulangere to steak au poivre and sole meunière, the Torrisi team will showcase classic French cookery for New Year’s Eve. Diners at seatings after 9:45 p.m. won’t have to choose between surf and turf; they’ll get both poisson and viande courses, plus an additional black truffle course.
Four courses, $150 (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.); five courses, $275 (9:45 p.m. to 10:15 p.m.)
Momofuku Ssäm Bar
207 Second Ave., at 13th St.; 212-254-3500
No one does a large-format feast like David Chang, and his East Village location offers plenty of options for an end-of-the-year blowout. Parties of 4 to 20 people can choose from a dry-aged ribeye, whole rotisserie duck, or bo ssäm (slow-cooked pork shoulder) to share, while two- to four-tops can order the chef’s tasting menu. Optional sparkling beverage pairings are available for $55 or $85 per person.
Six courses, $115�$130
North End Grill
104 North End Ave., nr. Vesey St.; 646-747-1600
With chef Eric Korsh at the helm, Danny Meyer’s Battery Park restaurant will dish out five courses ranging from bay scallop crudo with pickled ají dulce to a simple rabbit agnolotti with local butter and Parmesan. The tasting menu, which runs from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., includes a midnight Champagne toast and a $50 wine-pairing option; vegetarian and kid-friendly meals are available upon request.
Five courses, $125
Public
210 Elizabeth St., nr. Prince St.; 212-343-7011
The Michelin-starred restaurant from chef Brad Farmerie has two tasting menus in the works for New Year’s Eve, one a bit more luxe than the other. Both take you on a culinary world tour, with selections such as panko-crusted carrots, Australian rack of lamb, and truffle cavatelli, but the later seatings offer two additional courses, including a foie-gras torchon, plus a Champagne toast. Head to the bar for à la carte dining, as well as the festive sticky toffee pudding egg nog, served with a fig sidecar.
Three courses, $95 (5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.); five courses, $150 (8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.)
The Smile
26 Bond St., nr. Lafayette St.; 646-329-5836
The Noho standby is doing NYE family-style, with dishes influenced by Sardinian cuisine. The feast kicks off with cheese, antipasti, and hand-rolled pasta with walnut sauce, followed by the main event: juniper-roasted suckling pig. A midnight Champagne toast is included.
Five courses, $95
White Street
221 W. Broadway, nr. White St.; 212-944-8378
Travel back to Old New York at Floyd Cardoz’s palatial new restaurant. There’ll be a live band, white-tie attire, and�for the second seating�table-side oyster shucking and lots of Champagne. The menu begins with lobster custard and oysters for the amuse, followed by decadent courses of tuna tartare with sea vegetables and smoked trout roe, slow-poached egg with black truffles and maitake mushrooms, and seared New York strip.
First seating, à la carte, varies (5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.); second seating, $235 (9 p.m. to midnight)
BROOKLYN
Atrium DUMBO
15 Main St., nr. Water St., Dumbo; 718-858-1095
With large windows facing the Brooklyn Bridge, this airy, industrial-chic dining room is one of the city’s most picturesque spots to ring in the new year. The prix fixe lineup includes dishes like house-made gnocchi with parmesan, wild mushrooms, and black truffles and a roasted rack of venison with red-cabbage marmalade, apple confit, and juniper. Wine pairings�$40 for the first seating, $55 for the second�are optional.
First seating (four courses, 6 p.m.), $85; second seating (five courses, 9 p.m.), $115
The Pines
284 Third Ave., at President St., Gowanus; 718-596-6560
The rustic Gowanus restaurant highlights seasonal ingredients from the Northeast in dishes like uni with wild seaweed and beef cheeks with sunchokes and a smoked oyster sauce. There will be two seatings on New Year’s Eve, at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., and the latter comes with a complimentary Champagne toast.
$125/person
QUEENS
LIC Market
21-52 44th Dr., nr. 23rd St., Long Island City; 718-361-0013
Savor the flavors of the harvest at this neighborhood gem just off Court Square. Chef Alex Schindler will prepare a special four-course tasting menu featuring dishes like lamb with red Russian kale and pistachio, scallops with radish, sweet lime, and sourdough, and a white chocolate pudding with cookies and pomegranate. A vegetarian menu is also available upon request, along with optional wine pairings.
First seating, $65 (6 p.m.); second seating, $95 (9 p.m.)
M. Wells Steakhouse
43-15 Crescent St., nr. 25th St., Long Island City; 718-786-9060
The offbeat eatery goes Moroccan for New Year’s Eve with a grand buffet of traditional dishes like pigeon bastila, couscous royale, trout tagine, and gazelle horns (almond and rosewater pastries), plus plenty of freshly baked bread to go around. The $150 feast includes food, wine, a Champagne toast, and a special cocktail. Bonus: Live music will keep the casbah rocking all night long.
$150/person (one seating at 7:30 p.m.)
