1492 Tapas Bar
Nibble all night. 1492 Tapas Bar will have two seatings, the first for arrivals between 4-7 p.m., the second starting at 9 p.m. A DJ heats things up starting at 9 p.m., and the music will flow until 3 a.m. Diners will have a choice of two menus. Menu One consists of soup, salad, three tapas per person, two glasses of wine, a glass of champagne and dessert. Ditto for Menu Two, except it includes four tapas instead of three. Menu One costs $65 at the first seating and $75 at the second seating. Menu Two costs $85 at the first seating and $95 at the second. There will be a 20 percent gratuity required regardless of the number of people in your party.
Al Dente Cafe
There are options galore for partying all night at the traditional-yet-fashionable Al Dente. Choose one of the following four packages. The Dinner Package includes a four-course sit-down dinner in the dining room with open bar and champagne for $120 per person. With Lounge Package One, you’ll get a reserved booth in the upstairs lounge room accommodating up to eight people, along with two bottles of liquor, one bottle of Moet Chandon champagne, open bar and dinner for $1,200. Reserve the Lounge Package Two for $1,500, and you get everything that comes with Lounge Package One, except the booth will hold up to 10 people, and you’ll get two bottles of the Moet, not just one. If you select Lounge Package Three for $3,500, your reserved booth will accommodate up to 20 people, and you’ll get four bottles of liquor, four bottles of champagne, open bar and dinner. If you exceed the maximum in any of the Lounge Packages, the charge will be $150 per additional person.
Allen's Cafe
Allen’s will take the best appetizers and entrees on its menu and offer them as a six- or seven-course prix fixe meal, which will cost between $125-$150. The a la carte menu will also be available.
Ambria
You can make reservations at Ambria for the first seating (either 5:30 or 6 p.m.) or the second seating (either 8:30 or 9 p.m.). At the earlier times, a five-course prix fixe menu will be served for $105, and at the later times, there will be a $150 seven-course meal. Guests at the second seating will also enjoy live music from a jazz trio and a champagne toast at midnight.
Atlantique
Atlantique is taking reservations for 6 p.m., 8 p.m., and 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Guests will order off of the regular menu, which includes coastal cuisine along the lines of lobster ravioli, seared tuna and grilled Pacific salmon alongside a creamy shrimp polenta, wild mushrooms and asparagus dressed up with a buerre rouge. Get festive with party favors and a champagne toast at midnight.
Bistro Campagne
The usual a la carte menu will be augmented with chef-selected specials at this Lincoln Square bistro. Choose from traditional French favorites like steak frites, roasted chicken and braised lamb shank. Diners can reserve a table for one of three seatings: 5:30 or 6 p.m., 7:30 or 8 p.m., or 9:30 or 10 p.m.
Bistrot Margot
Spend New Year's in Paris...or the closest thing to it. Vocalist and pianist Heather Moran will entertain revelers in the upstairs dining room from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. The menu will feature special items. The last seating will be at 10 p.m.
Cafe Absinthe
Ring in the night with the Green Fairy. The first seating at Cafe Absinthe will go from 6-7:30 p.m. and will serve a four-course menu at $65 per person. The second seating, from 8-10 p.m., will be $75 and includes one glass of champagne. Diners will have a choice of items for each course. Seared diver scallops, grilled ostrich filet, Maine lobster bisque, tuna carpaccio, double lamp chops and bone-in rib eye are just some of the options. All reservations must be secured with a credit card number.
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba
Work up an appetite with some salsa dancing; music courtesy of DJ Sergio. There's a two-hour limit on seatings before 8 p.m.; guests who arrive after eight are welcome to stay until closing (but you have to pony up a $10 cover). Get your fill of tapas before clinking glasses during the cava sangria toast at midnight.
Cafe Matou
An exceptional French restaurant widely considered to be one of Bucktown's best hidden gems, Cafe Matou is taking reservations for two seatings. The first seating will offer a four-course meal for between $60 and $70, and the second seating, which will start at 8:30 p.m., will offer a five-course meal for $80.
Cafe Spiaggia
At the more casual sibling of four-star Italian eatery Spiaggia, Cafe Spiaggia's guests will be invited to choose between a $48 three-course menu and a $58 four-course menu. The three-course meal will feature handmade ricotta-filled pasta with veal ragu, roasted rainbow trout and made-to-order Italian-style doughnuts with zabaglione alla grappa di moscato. The four-course meal will include poached lobster with Sardinian couscous, pasta filled with butternut squash, veal tenderloin with white corn polenta and flourless chocolate cake with mascarpone and espresso.
Capital Grille
Kick off 2005 with a powerful burst of protein. The chef will add special items to the regular steak-laden menu of this Streeterville--what else--steakhouse. There will be three seatings: 5-6:30 p.m., 6:45-8:30 p.m., and 8:45 p.m. onwards. Diners will receive party favors and there will be a champagne toast at midnight. All reservations must be secured with a credit card number. If you make a reservation and cancel 48 hours or more in advance, you will not be charged, but if you cancel less than 48 hours ahead of time or fail to show, then your credit card will be charged $25 per person.
Cerise at Le Meridien Chicago
Ooh-la-la your way into 2005 at Le Meridien Chicago’s signature French restaurant. The special menu at Cerise will include five courses, live music and dancing. There are two seatings: the 6 p.m. seating costs $65 per person, and the 9 p.m. seating is $95 per person, and includes a midnight champagne toast.
Charlie Trotter's
"Traditionally, every year, we go crazy with a great luxury tasting menu," says the staff of Charlie Trotter’s. This year, the $250 menu will likely include delicacies such as caviar and white truffles. The rest of the items will be a mystery, even to the chef, until the actual day: "We’re pretty spontaneous around here. We look at ingredients that morning to decide what to serve that evening." Rest assured, it promises the desserts (there will be more than one) will be like "fireworks," with fruit-, custard-, and chocolate-based sweets in the mix. The first seating will begin at 6 p.m. and the second seating will open up at 9 p.m. There will be a champagne toast at midnight. Reservations must be secured with a credit card number.
Chilpancingo
There will be a special five-course menu for between $55 and $65, and dancing to music provided by a DJ and a mariachi band at this Mexican restaurant, run by former Ixcapuzalco chef Generoso "Geno" Bahena, that features original, seasonal dishes from all over Mexico. Reservations must be secured with a credit card number.
The Drake Hotel
Chicago Scene is hosting what they bill as "the hottest party for young professionals in the city" at the Drake. This gala event is $135 for general admission and $205 for VIP admission, which includes dinner. Guests will enjoy an open bar, a live band and several DJs, party favors and noisemakers, and a champagne toast and balloon drop at midnight. The dress code is black tie optional, and you must be 23 or over to attend. Special overnight rates at the hotel are available to party guests. Visit Chicago-Scene.com for more details.
Erwin
Erwin, a chic but low-key American cafe and bar, will be taking reservations for seatings between 6 and 10:30 p.m. The three-course special menu costs $50. Pre-payment via credit card will be required.
Frankie J's on Broadway/MethaDome Theater
For a raucous good time, head to Frankie J's, where you'll experience an evening of gourmet cuisine and a vaudevillian variety. For only $50 per person, you'll enjoy a four-course meal of famed French onion soup; mixed greens salad with poppy seed dressing; an entree choice of Frankie’s Jacked Up, Thai’d Up or Ginger salmon, vegetarian pasta or chicken parmesan; and chocolate mousse and chocolate covered strawberries. The show kicks off at 9:45 p.m., with quirky songs from P.O Box and the antics of actors Tyler Bohne, Pat Zielinski and Frankie J himself. With singer/songwriter Kevin Foose and magician Michael Arch. A champagne toast followed by dancing will wrap up the evening. Call for reservations.
Frontera Grill
Frontera Grill will have three seatings on New Year’s Eve: the first for arrivals 5:30-6:45 p.m., the second for arrivals 7:30-8 p.m., and the third for arrivals from 9:30-10:15 p.m. There will be a $75 three-course dinner, and guests will have four choices for each course. Mariachis will wander through both Frontera Grill and its sister restaurant, Topolobampo, all night long, and party favors will be handed out to midnight diners. Reservations must be secured with a credit card number.
Geja's Cafe
Fondue-great Geja’s will be taking reservations for three seatings, starting at 5 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 10 p.m. There will be three set menus to choose from, priced at $75, $85, and $95. A well chosen choice for those looking for a setting steeped in romance.
Gioco
Whether you’re on a romantic date or with a large family, Gioco’s warm elegance will provide the perfect atmosphere. The prix fixe menu, which includes party favors and a champagne toast, will be $65 per person, and the a la carte menu will also be available.
Green Dolphin Street
Green Dolphin is hosting an all-inclusive event that costs a stiff $200. Luckily, you'll get your money's worth. When you make a reservation, your party gets assigned a table that you'll keep for the entire night, so that even if you choose (as many do) to move into the club area for some dancing, you’ll have a place to return to. There will be gourmet food stations around the restaurant: a carving station, a pasta bar, a raw bar, a comfort food station, and a dessert buffet will likely be on display. "It’s a real banquet of beautiful, delicious food," promises the staff. Sandwiches will be served late at night, and then a breakfast bar will make an appearance early in the morning. The Business, a popular cover band with a choreographed horn section, will provide the music. "It’s flawless and sophisticated, but it does get a bit nutty" in the wee hours. Reservations must be secured with a credit card number.
Handlebar
Start the year the way you plan on living it with the second annual 100 percent vegan New Year's Eve Party, with proceeds benefitting the EarthSave-Chicago and Animal Defense League's educational outreach vehicle. Held at Handlebar from 9 p.m.-1 a.m., the fete includes vegan appetizers, open bar, a champagne toast and party favors. The price is $75; buy tickets at Cowvan.org
Harry Caray's
Every baseball fan in the city knows Harry Caray’s, known as much for its museum-quality collection of memorabilia as its outstanding food. Harray Caray’s special New Year’s Eve menu will make you feel like a Hall of Famer: you’ll start with onion soup, made with marsala wine, and follow that up with an appetizer of beef carpaccio and a salad of chilled lobster. For the entree, choose either mint pesto lamb chops or pistachio-crusted shrimp with lobster-and-crab risotto. Dessert is an apple torta. With wine pairings, the menu is $90 per person, and without the wine it’s $65. At midnight, you’ll celebrate with party favors and a champagne toast.
Heat
Sushi lovers will find themselves well served by Heat's options: three prix-fixe menus for diners to choose from. There will be a $45 seven-course menu that consists of a nigiri plate, a maki plate, soup, salad, choice of entree and dessert, plus a tasting of wine. The identical $60 menu features more premium cuts of fish. The $100 Chef’s Choice menu will include seven to nine courses that will be created especially for you (your server will facilitate communication between you and the chef to help the chef concoct your ideal meal). Reservations for parties of four or more must be secured with a credit card number.
Japonais
Asian-French fusion takes center stage at Japonais, which will offer a four-course dinner. Guests will have five choices for each course, as well as a choice between a glass of sake or a glass of champagne included in the price. For the first seating, for arrivals from 5:30-7:30 p.m., the menu is $75, and for the second seating, for arrivals from 8:30-11 p.m., the menu is $100 (the price bumps up to $125 after 12/15). The lounge will stay open until 2 a.m. Music will ring in the new year on two levels: a live band upstairs and a DJ downstairs. Pre-payment via credit card will be required when you make your reservation. If you cancel 72 hours or more in advance, you can get a full refund.
Kitsch'n
Get your fill and give some back at a private New Year's Eve party beingheld at retro lounge Kitsch'n. Benefiting KIPP Ascend Charter School, a new middle school on Chicago's West Side, the event will take place from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. The $65 ticket gets you unlimited wine, beer and mixed drinks, the chance to dance, and a ton of food, including Applewood smoked bacon-wrapped escargot rumaki skewers, three types of masago caviar, mini beef tenderloin satay skewers, coconut-crusted shrimp, Twinkie tiramisu, white chocolate fondue and more. To reserve your ticket, payment must be received via check or cash by Dec. 24 (no money will be accepted at the door). Contact Erin at erinbrereton@yahoo.com for ticket info.
L8
Tickets to the "Fashionably L8" party cost $100 and include music by DJ Jumpin James, full premium open bar from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., passed hors d’oeuvres, a full dinner buffet, a midnight champagne toast, party favors and noisemakers.
La Tache
Whether you prefer intimate or incognito, this upscale French bistro is just the place for your romantic New Year's Eve rendezvous. This Andersonville bistro is offering a three-course set menu at $65. Seatings will be at 6 p.m., 8 p.m., and 10 p.m.
Le Francais
Chef Roland Liccioni returned to suburban-great Le Francais this December. Taste the difference this New Year's Eve with a five-course degustation menu for $120 at 6 p.m. or a seven-course degustation menu that also includes a Krug champagne toast for $150 at 9 p.m. Violinist Johnny Frigo performs. Reservations are required for both seatings.
LeLan
LeLan, a collaborative effort by the chefs of famous Chicago bastions Les Nomades and Arun’s, serves up French Vietnamese food in a setting of chic, understated design. For New Year’s Eve, there will be two seatings. The early seatings, between 5:30 and 7 p.m., will have a five-course menu for $85 per person, and the late seatings, from 9 to 10:30 p.m., offers a feast of six courses with a Dom Perignon toast at midnight for $125 per person.
Marche
This longtime West Randolph fave always blends fun and kooky with its fabulous cooking, and their New Year’s Eve celebration this year promises to be crazier, and yummier, than ever. Here, you’ll welcome the new year with whips in hand at the Marche du Sade, Part VI: the Naughty and Not-So-Nice Annual New Year’s Eve Party. The first seatings, at 6 and 6:30 p.m., will be on the tame side. You’ll have a four-course prix fixe menu, with choices, for $75. The later seatings (8, 8:30, 9, and 9:30 p.m.), on the other hand, will witness a "bondage/discipline/fire breathers/dominatrix interactive show" in addition to dinner. Derek and Veronica of Echo Gallery (Echogallery.org) will host “a night of sensual and debaucherous performances.” Did you even know that “debaucherous” was a word? Spend NYE at Marche to find out all of its connotations. Party favors and midnight champagne toast are included in the $135 cost for the second seating.
Mas
The first seating at Mas will start at 7 p.m., and the five-course menu will cost $65. The second seating will begin at 9:30 p.m. and dinner will be $75, which includes a half bottle of champagne, noisemakers and party favors, and entertainment. Guests will have a choice of items for the middle three courses: lobster and shrimp bisque, tequila-cured salmon, sauteed sweetbreads, grilled organic pork chop and wild mushroom risotto will be among the options. Choose a sweet finish: strawberry and cava terrine, chocolate flan or vanilla tres leches. Pre-payment via credit card will be required when you make your reservation. If you cancel by 12/26 and your seat is re-sold, you can get a full refund.
Meritage
Play sommelier by pairing Meritage's excellent wines with its multi-course menus. There will be three seatings: the first, for reservations from 5:30-6 p.m., will offer a five-course menu for $70. The second, for reservations between 6:30 and 8 p.m., will offer five courses plus a champagne toast for $80. The third seating, for reservations from 8:30-11 p.m., will offer seven courses, a champagne toast, and party favors for $95. Reservations must be secured with a credit card number.
MK
Guests with reservations at 7 p.m. or earlier will have a four-course dinner (with options for each course) for $60. There will be a 90-minute maximum seating time for these tables. The second seating, with reservation times from 8:30-9:45 p.m., will offer a more elegant four-course menu for $110, which will include live jazz music and a champagne toast at midnight. Pre-payment via credit card will be required when you make your reservation.
Moretti's (Edison Park)
No babysitter? No problem. Moretti's wants you to bring the kids to its Kid's New Year's Eve bash. Those with tots can pick an early hour: seatings are at 4, 6:30 and 9 p.m. Each seating features a multimedia countdown, balloon drop, party favors and DJ. Kid-friendly eats inclyude spaghetti, chicken fingers, grilled cheese, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pizza and mac n' cheese. Parents can upgrade to fancier eats. Reservations required.
Morseland
To celebrate its one-year anniversary, Morseland will offer a four-course prix fixe menu along with a complimentary champagne toast at midnight. Seating one will be from between 6 and 7 p.m. ($65), and seating two will begin at 8:30 p.m. ($85). Choose from entrees like Italian-stuffed filet mignon, crab-cake stuffed lobster and blackened chicken and angel hair pasta. Guests dining at the 8:30 p.m. seating can enjoy a complimentary 12:30 a.m. pork and sauerkraut buffet, which in the German cultures symbolizes good luck.
Nacional 27
Enjoy the cuisines of 27 South and Central American countries at the appropriately named Nacional 27. Take your pick of two seatings: 8:30 p.m. and earlier, or 9:45 p.m. and later. The earlier seating will offer a $39 three-course menu, and the later seating will offer a four-course menu for $60. Guests at the later time will be able to keep their table all night, so they can get up and join the salsa and merengue dancing (which starts at 11 p.m.) without worrying about losing their seats. There will be a champagne toast at midnight. Reservations must be secured with a credit card number.
Nine
Nine, a Randolph Street favorite that specializes in seafood- and steak-centric American cuisine, is offering not nine but three options for New Year’s Eve. The first option is to arrive between 5:30 and 7 p.m. and enjoy a four-course menu for $80. The second option is to come between 8 and 10 p.m. and feast on a five-course menu for $125. Guests who take the second option will be able to go upstairs to Ghost Bar after 11 p.m. The third option is the $75 Ghost Bar Package, which includes a premium food buffet from 9-11 p.m., a champagne cocktail at midnight, and dancing to music provided by a cadre of DJs. The Ghost Bar Package does not allow you to reserve seats or a table, so get there early if you don’t want to stand in a corner. Pre-payment via credit card will be required when you make your reservation.
NoMi
This deliciously chic hotel bar and restaurant overlooking the Magnificent Mile treats its cosmopolitan crowd to rich drinks and sumptuous entrees, and New Year's Eve is no exception. The first seating at NoMi, with reservation times between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., will serve a $100 three-course set menu. The second seating, with reservations between 8 and 10 p.m., will offer a $150 five-course menu, including a glass of champagne. There will be a DJ spinning in the art gallery.
North Pond Cafe
Looking for the perfect setting? With a warm, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired interior and views of lovely Lincoln Park and the lake, simply sitting in North Pond Cafe is a delight. A five-course Chef’s Tasting Menu will run you $110 and will include a glass of champagne. Herbivores take note: there will be no vegetarian options. North Pond will not book tables at special seating times; the earliest reservation taken will be for 5:30 p.m., and the latest will be for 10 p.m. Reservations must be secured with a credit card number.
Opera
It’s not Chinese New Year yet, but why not celebrate in grand Chinese style early? On December 31, fanciful, energetic Opera is serving up a Chef’s tasting menu for $65 per person, with a midnight champagne toast and party favors.
Palm at Swissotel
The Palm will have three seatings, at 5 p.m., 7 p.m., and 10 p.m. There will be a prix fixe menu in addition to the regular menu, which features the infamous jumbo Maine lobsters (three pounds plus!) and the double steak, a 36-ounce New York strip served for two.
Pump Room at Omni Ambassador East
Dining at the famous "Booth 1" used to be de rigeur for international celebs taking the transcontinental train from NYC to California. Channel that glam spirit while dining on American and European cuisine. The first seating, for reservation times between 5 and 7:30 p.m., will offer a five-course menu for $125, with a bottle of champagne per table (for up to four guests). The second seating, for reservations between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m., will serve a seven-course meal, also including a bottle of champagne for table, for $155. Guests who come for the second seating will hear jazz singer Erin MacDougal perform from 8-9 p.m., and jazz singer Andrew Distl perform from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Red Light
Chef Jackie Shen continues to take high-concept pan-Asian cuisine to new heights, and if you make a reservation at Red Light for New Year’s, he’ll take you along on the culinary ride. He’s serving up a tasting menu for $65 per person, and a la carte and vegetarian menus will be available, too. You’ll also receive party favors and toast midnight with champagne.
Ritz-Carlton Dining Room
A five-course menu with choice of entree will be served to guests who reserve tables at the first seating, beginning at 5:30 p.m, and will cost $100. At the second seating, which begins at 8:30 p.m., a seven-course menu with choice of entree will be served for $250, which includes dancing, a midnight champagne toast, and party favors.
Roy's Chicago
Roy's hums. High ceilings, monstrous picture windows and shiny steel open kitchen all contribute to a noisy, fun, Hawaiian-by-way-of-Japan eating experience. Roy’s will offer a four-course prix fixe menu which will cost between $65 and $85.
Saiko
This impeccably fashionable South Loop sushi-and-steakhouse is offering a special menu, alongside Chef Paul Wildermuth’s seasonal a la carte creations, with party favors and a midnight champagne toast on New Year’s Eve.
Seasons at The Four Seasons Hotel
The first seating at Seasons, at 5:30 p.m., will offer a four-course menu for $85. The second seating, at 8:30 p.m., will serve a seven-course menu for $250, which includes a midnight champagne toast. Guests at the second seating are asked to wear black tie. There will be a masquerade theme at this seating, and party favors at each table. You will have your table for the night, so you will be able to go to the lounge and enjoy the dance floor and keep your table in the dining room. The third option at Seasons is to reserve a seat in the lounge for $175, which includes a dinner and dessert buffet starting at 8 p.m. and a midnight champagne toast. Seating in the lounge will stop at 9 p.m. The Larry Hanks jazz trio will be playing all night. Reservations must be secured with a credit card number.
Shanghai Restaurant at the Peninsula Chicago
The New Year’s Eve menu will be a six-course dinner, which will include sea scallops, an Asian pear salad, sake-poached turbot, braised veal loin and dessert, priced between $115 and $120.
Spiaggia
Have a four-star evening while enjoying four-star Italian at Spiaggia, which will have three seatings. The first, for arrivals between 5 and 5:45 p.m., will allow guests to choose three courses and costs $85. Langoustine with green beans, wood-roasted filet mignon, and Alaskan wild salmon in Venetian sweet and sour sauce will appear among the options. The second seating, for arrivals between 7 and 7:45 p.m., will ask diners to choose four courses for $115. Handmade "guitar string" pasta with Maine lobster and baby zucchini, sea scallops with porcini mushrooms, and Colorado lamb chops will be among the offerings. Guests who arrive for the third seating, between 9 and 9:45 p.m., will feast on the $195 Grand Menu di Capodanno, a grand degustation menu. Raw tuna and yellowtail with caviar, sauteed foie gras with white polenta, chocolate-hazelnut terrine and more will comprise this menu. The third seating includes live jazz music and a glass of champagne at midnight. Reservations must be secured with a credit card number.
Spring
Those who decide to spring for Spring's award-winning seafood featuring Mediterranean and Asian influences won't be disappointed. Spring will offer a $95 five-course menu at the first seating, for arrivals between 5:30 and 7 p.m. At the second seating, for arrivals between 8:30-10 p.m., the menu will be $125 and includes live music, a midnight champagne toast, and party favors.
SushiSamba Rio
With its triple-threat cuisine that combines Brazilian, Peruvian and Japanese influences, and wildly colorful decor to match, dining at Sushisamba Rio at any time of year feels like a holiday celebration. For New Year’s Eve, though, they’re turning the heat up even higher. Chef de Cuisine Robert Ash’s seven-course menu will be $90, although signature dishes can also be ordered a la carte. After 9 p.m., there will be a $75 minimum check per person in the main dining room and a $50 minimum per person in the downstairs lounge. The menu will be replete with "exotic fare" accompanied by a "special holiday sparkling sake cocktail" called KiraKira. A DJ accompanied by live percussionists will pump out Latin beats (suitable for samba dancing, of course) as you dine. Before the stroke of 12, you’ll receive party favors and a glass of champagne to clink. Sushisamba Rio’s rooftop deck is truly one of the most gorgeous hangout spots in the city, and for $85 per person, you can party there starting at 10 p.m. In addition to the crazy-good lounge furniture and great views, you’ll have access to an open bar and passed sushi and hors d’oeuvres.
Thyme
Thyme will offer special three-course menus at three seating times, and all are available for viewing at Thymechicago.com. Guests will have a choice for each of their courses. The first seating, for reservations between 5:30-6 p.m., costs $65 and includes live jazz. The second seating, from 7:30-8 p.m., costs $100 and includes a glass of champagne and live jazz. The third seating, for reservations between 9:30 and 10 p.m., is $165 and includes bottomless champagne and the music of the Hinda Hoffman Jazz Trio.
Tizi Melloul
Go the Mediterranean route compliments this year; seatings at Tizi Melloul will be at 6 p.m., 8 p.m., and 10 p.m. At 6 and 8, the menu will consist of three courses and cost $50. At the last seating, the menu will be four courses for $75 and includes party favors and a midnight champagne toast. Feast on appetizers like Moroccan-spiced duck confit with armagnac glazed dates, creamy chana dal lentils, watercress and an orange cardamom glaze. Entree selections feature a filet mignon served with a wild mushroom-oxtail Ravioli and charmoula-spiced seared ahi tuna. Sweets range from the ginger creme brulee to banana-chocolate bread pudding. DJ Disco Kitty will perform from 9 p.m. till closing. Reservations must be secured with a credit card number.
Topolobampo
You can't go wrong with one of Chicago's best, the upscale version of sibling Mexican eatery Frontera Grill, run by Rick and Deann Bayless. Topolobampo will have two seatings, the first from 5:45-6:45 p.m. and the second from 8:45-9:45 p.m. The $95 dinner will consist of six courses, and diners will have choices for each course. There will be vegetarian options available. Mariachis will serenade partygoers at both Topolobampo and its neighbor, Frontera Grill, throughout the night, and party favors will be passed out before midnight. Reservations must be secured with a credit card number.
Tru
Tru is famous for the beauty and inventiveness of its cuisine, and the New Year’s Eve menus promise to live up to the hype. The regular prix fixe menus will not be offered on NYE; instead, you’ll have a choice of four special collections. The Vegetable Collection will include six courses for $100; the Grand Collection will serve up seven courses for $150; the Chef’s Collection consists of 8 courses for $200; and the Truffle Collection will offer you eight courses for $350. All prices are per person, and each person at your table may order a different collection. Live piano music will start at 7 p.m., and as always, jackets are required for gentlemen (ties are optional).
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