Raise a Glass (and a Punch Bowl) to 2015
Going out for New Year’s Eve can be an intimidating, nerve-racking undertaking, considering the surfeit of options to pour through. Fortunately, having so many options means there is certainly a NYE destination out there for everyone. Here are some ideas for Chicago New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Stone crabs, lobster mac & cheese, prime strip steak, and candy cane martinis seem like a fittingly glamorous way to round out 2014. The New Year’s Eve specials at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse are as lavish as the Times Square ball itself, available from 3:00 pm until 12:30 am. See also: salmon, filet and lobster surf & turf, and December Mule cocktails.
Another downtown spot rolling out the holiday red carpet with a bevy of celebratory specials is Tortoise Club, which adjoins its regular a la carte menu with items like lobster cocktail, seared foie gras, Dover sole “Viennoise,” and Chilean sea bass. The specials are available starting at 8:30 pm. To accent the dining experience, Tortoise Clubbers can also enjoy a live jazz band, a caricature artist offering free drawings, and a complimentary Champagne toast at midnight. A performance of Old Lang Syne will also take place at midnight, followed by a DJ.
For some, New Year’s Eve is about the cocktails, so you might head right to the source at CH Distillery. It doesn’t get much better than a cocktail bar that distills its own spirits on-site. To honor said spirits, there will be a premium open bar from 9:00 pm until 1:00 am, which entails free-flowing cocktails, passed canapés, party favors, and a Champagne toast. The regular dinner and small plates menu will be available until midnight.
The eclectic stylings of The Dawson are showcased throughout their diverse dinner and drinks menus. The first floor will host a special tasting menu in the main dining room, while the second floor will keep it casual with a cocktail party. Created by executive chef Shaun King, the special New Year’s Eve five-course tasting menu includes items like Dungeness crab and 48-hour braised Wagyu brisket, which are also available a la carte. Wine pairings are optional, along with a special Louis XIII Punch designed to serve up to six people. Upstairs, The Dawson hosts a NYE cocktail soiree from 9:00 pm until 2:00 am, featuring live music, Champagne toast, specialty drinks, and party favors.
One of the coolest options for New Year’s Eve shenanigans unsurprisingly takes place at Fat Rice, one of the coolest restaurants to open in Chicago over the past several years. “F.A.T. PRESENTS Ready to Dine” is a special dim sum dinner named in homage to the Notorious B.I.G., because why not? A la the rapper’s penchant for old-school hip hop, Fat Rice is going old-school with a dim sum dinner brimming with lobster dumplings, foie gras wontons, and Champagne mango pudding. Three seating times are available: 5:30 pm, 7:30 pm, and 9:30 pm.
If beer and/or cocktails are of importance to you, then put Dusek’s and Punch House at the top of your radar screen. The Pilsen one-two punch (pun intended) are both offering casual, full-fledged events for the holiday. Upstairs at Dusek’s, guests can indulge in a five-course tasting menu filled with items like pork cheeks, cold-smoked tuna loin, roasted hanger steak, and cookie dough. Yes, cookie dough. Diners can also match their meal with craft beers or wines, up for grabs at two different seatings, 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm. The latter includes a midnight toast. Downstairs at Dusek’s sister bar Punch House, they’ll be doling out Champagne punch and fondue. Booths can be booked for up to six patrons, which comes with a large bowl of punch made with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and a bubbling Emmentaler-Gruyere pot accompanied with pretzels, pork belly, tempura vegetables, pickles, and sausages. Two seatings at Punch House are available for the same time slots as upstairs.
And a final way to punctuate 2014 on an exclamatory note is with a whole-animal feast. Do so at The Winchester, which is keeping it casual and comforting through a four-course degustation crafted from a locally sourced whole hog. Get hungry for pork terrine and braised pork shoulder with Brussels sprouts and onion soubise, among other creations. Wine pairings are optional, and the regular menu is also available for a la carters.
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
58 E. Oak Street, Chicago
(312) 888-2499
Website
Tortoise Club
350 N. State Street, Chicago
(312) 755-1700
Website
CH Distillery
564 W. Randolph Street, Chicago
(312) 707-8780
Website
The Dawson
730 W. Grand Avenue, Chicago
(312) 243-8955
Website
Fat Rice
2957 W. Diversey Avenue, Chicago
(773) 661-9170
Website
Dusek’s and Punch House
1227 W. 18th Street, Chicago
(312) 526-3851
Website
The Winchester
1001 N. Winchester Avenue, Chicago
(773) 698-8703
Website
