Ten Places to Dine and Ring in the New Year
Bombay Club
830 Conti St. 586-0972.
This local hot spot hosts some of the most spirited parties around, and New Year’s Eve promises to be no exception! The festivities begin at 8 p.m. and will feature a savory 4-course dinner, live dance music from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Champagne at midnight and party essentials including hats and noisemakers for $120 per person.
Café Adelaide
300 Poydras St. 595-3305.
Located in the Loews Hotel, this high-energy, polished restaurant (run by the Commander’s Palace family) will offer two seatings for New Year’s Eve, the first at 6 p.m. (cost is $85 per person) and one at 9 p.m. (cost $105 per person and includes a midnight toast). Chef Danny Trace has designed a special 3-course pre-fixe menu for the evening, which comes with all the festive essentials, including hats, tiaras, balloons and party poppers.
Café Giovanni
117 Decatur St. 529-2154.
Chef Duke LoCicero knows how to throw a lively party, and his New Year’s Eve celebration promises to delight and excite. Giovanni’s bash will feature a sumptuous, specially created 4-course dinner, complete with party hats and noisemakers, a Champagne toast, entertainment by the Café Giovanni opera singers and live music. Cost is $65 per person; reservations are recommended.
Cuvée
322 Magazine St. 587-9001.
Cuvee will offer two seatings, one at 6 p.m. and the other at 8:30 p.m. Chef Bob Iacovone has created two incredible menus, both of which come with optional wine pairings for an additional fee. Each menu features lavish dishes including Foie Gras Terrine, Blue Crab-Artichoke Ravioli and Porcini- Crusted Filet Mignon. Cost is $85 per person for the five-course dinner or $115 for six courses.
Emeril’s Restaurant
800 Tchoupitoulas St. 528-9393.
Chef de cuisine Chris Lynch has created a scrumptious New Year’s Eve 5-course tasting menu for $125 per person, featuring Chilled Salad Fruits de Mer and Creamy Risotto With Duck Confit, Roasted Butternut Squash, Dried Cherries and Sage-Mascarpone Cream, among others. Guests will be entertained with live music and able to choose an optional wine pairing.
Marigny Brasserie
640 Frenchman St. 945-4472.
If your New Year’s Eve plans include dancing the night away on Frenchman Street, then Marigny Brasserie is the perfect place to kick off your celebration. This chic and friendly bistro, led by chef Alan Gilbert, will offer a special three-course dinner for $65 per person, which includes a Champagne toast.
The New Orleans Grill at the Windsor Court Hotel
300 Gravier St. 523-6000.
Enjoy a celebration like no other at the exquisite Windsor Court Hotel, which offers two seatings in the New Orleans Grill, a 4-course pre-fixe at 6 p.m. for $75 per person and a 9 p.m. deluxe package, which includes a 5-course dinner created by chef Greg Sonnier, as well as dancing and entertainment by Phillip Manuel, with the New Orleans Grill’s Michael Pellera Trio in the hotel’s grand ballroom. Also enjoy a spectacular view of the city’s midnight fireworks display.
NOLA
524 Saint Louis St. 522-6652.
NOLA, Emeril’s casually hip French Quarter eatery invites guests to ring in the New Year with a fabulous four-course tasting menu, featuring Vodka Cured Salmon With Cucumber, Watercress, Brown Butter Toast and Local Caviar Vinaigrette and Coarse Grain Mustard and Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb With Goat Cheese-Chive Mashed Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas and Jalapeño-Mint Glaze to name a few.
The Bistro at Maison de Ville
733 Rue Toulouse. 528-9206.
This intimate and jovial eatery is the ideal place to linger all night long and toast 2008 in style. Offering just one seating, starting at 7 p.m., with an enticing array of hors d’oeuvres, chef Greg Picolo will offer a sublime 5-course dinner including a Champagne toast at midnight for $125 per person.
The Rib Room at the Omni Royal Orleans
621 Saint Louis St. 529-7045.
Chef Chuck Subra will offer brunch and dinner, both of which will include 5 courses and cost $50 per person. Guests will enjoy an amuse-bouche, choice of appetizer (including his exceptional gumbo), entrée (including traditional turkey, fish, beef, Cornish hen and bouillabaisse), salad and dessert. The brunch, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., also includes egg options and champagne and mimosas. Dinner seatings are available until 8:30 p.m.