Posts Tagged ‘new years eve’

New Year’s Eve Fun in New York – Brooklyn and Manhattan edition

If you don’t mind being in the cold, New York City’s outdoors New Year’s Eve festivities are pretty cool.

Take a look at some of these happening in Brooklyn and Manhattan.  Be prepared for long security check-in lines, dress warmly and leave your large bags at home. A flask filled with your favorite libation should suffice to keep you warm!

Coney Island USA will host its 4th annual NYE celebration in Steeplechase Plaza with a fireworks display from the historic Parachute Jump. Select boardwalk restaurants and attractions will be open, including B&B Carousel, Deno’s Wonder Wheel  (just like in Woody Allen ‘s 2017 movie Wonder Wheel) and the Thunderbolt roller coaster. A digital burst ball drop rings in 2018, followed by a Circus Sideshow Fire Spectacular at 1am http://www.coneyisland.com/event/newyearseve2017

Celebrating its 20th year, the Time’s Up New Year’s Eve Bike Ride & Afterparty will reverse direction, going downtown instead of uptown, and ending at an indoor dance party. If you’re in Manhattan, start the ride at the park in front of the Plaza Hotel at 59th Street and 5th Avenue at 9:30pm, or join in at Madison Square Park, 23rd Street and Broadway at 10pm. Brooklynites can start their ride at the Brooklyn-side entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge at 9:30pm to ride into Manhattan.  End point is the party at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space in the East Village, 155 Avenue C.   Free valet bike parking.  http://times-up.org./node/1861/1514773800/event

The Empire State Building will ring in 2018 with a festive, multicolored LED confetti lighting on Dec 31, 2017. Five minutes before midnight, the building will switch to its signature white lights, sparkling in the New Year through sunrise on January 1, 2018. For a great view, stand by the Little Church around the Corner, 1 East 29th St. and look up. If you’re curious about future Empire State Building lights, view the schedule at http://www.esbnyc.com/explore/tower-lights/calendar.

Runners can lace up for the four-mile NYRR Midnight Run in Central Park on NYE. After going through security via entrances at West 72nd Street and Central Park West or East 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue, registered runners and their +1 will gather at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. Kicking off at 10pm, the race (to which many wear costumes) will conclude by midnight with a spectacular fireworks display at its completion.. http://www.nyrr.org/races-and-events/2017/nyrr-midnight-run

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Bye, Bye 2016: Let’s Toast with a Hangover Brunch at Little Frog

There’s a new culinary force on the Upper East Side and they’re hoping to make your New Year’s hangover a little sweeter.  Little Frog, the new Parisian bistro, is debuting their New Year’s Day Hangover Frogger Platter on Sunday. The platter is a work of art: Rosti Eggs Benedict, boudin sausage, grilled steak, breakfast sausage, Vermont bacon, truffle egg en cocotte, jalapeño grilled cheese sandwich, papas bravas – yes, that’s all on one platter! And it’s only $20.17. Happy New Year!  Add beer for some ‘hair of the dog’, and the price rises to a whopping $26.17. I know I’ll be there!

Photo by Marzi Daoust (Little Frog)

If a more moderate hangover remedy is in order, Chef Xavier Monge offers you his Frogger Burger, a creation honed after a decade at Minetta Tavern which, in my opinion, still has one of the best burgers in the city with their dry-aged beef Black Label Burger.

Photo by Marzi Daoust (Little Frog)

Stayed out too late saying good riddance to 2016? Don’t worry if you’re not up early. Brunch will be served from 11:30-3:30pm. Bring the kids, too. There’s a special menu for them plus an à la carte menu for you so you can sample some of the other bistro fare.

Photo by Marzi Daoust (Little Frog)

Little Frog Bistro & Bar, 322 East 86th Street, 347-537-5786, www.littlefrognyc.com.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Say Goodbye to 2016 at Good Riddance Day on December 28

I’ve only done the “watch the ball drop” thing once in person, and I’ll never be that crazy again (although I do love the fireworks celebration in Central Park and the Midnight Run which leaves from Rumsey Playfield). But, if you’re determined to include Times Square in your New Year’s itinerary and you’re not just thinking about going to a Broadway show, Good Riddance Day and the Times Square Wishing Wall are two unique celebrations to consider.

On December 28, it will be out with the old, in with the new in Times Square as visitors shred their worst memories from 2016 by disposing of them in a giant shredder. After letting go of 2016 and the less-than-jolly news of this year, guests can record a wish for 2017 on a piece of paper that will be added to the confetti that accompanies the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop. Think Wishfetti!  Just stop by Duffy Square (47th Street and 7th Avenue, Manhattan) between 11am and 8pm to post your wish on the wall. You can also contribute online to the Virtual Wishing Wall. All online wishes will be turned into confetti as well.  Use the hashtag #confettiwish if you’re writing your wishes on Twitter or Instagram.

Feel free to toast early with a nice glass of bubbly or a hot apple cider (spiked with rum)!

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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New York City Fireworks for New Year’s Eve (not Times Square)

Times Square isn’t the only place to watch the fireworks on New Year’s Eve. If you’re in Brooklyn, you might want to head to Prospect Park. http://www.prospectpark.org/news-events/events/2014/12/31#new-years-eve-fireworks. Live entertainment, hot chocolate, and fireworks at Grand Army Plaza set the stage for a fun night, sponsored by the Prospect Park Alliance and Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams.

In Manhattan Cherry Hill in Central Park is the place to be…. without the crowds.  It’s a fun party, with music, cider toasts, fireworks and, of course, the annual Midnight Run. This year’s pre- and post-race festival takes place from 10pm until 1am with a dance party featuring a DJ and live performers at Central Park’s Naumburg Bandshell. Runners and spectators alike can take a stroll down NYRR’s special blue carpet and commemorate their experience at the end of the runway at the Resolution Photobooth. The pre- and post-race festival is free and open to the public, and all are welcome to view the fireworks display just south of the 72nd Street Transverse.

As 2014 comes to a close, thousands of New Yorkers and runners from across the country will dash into 2015 at the stroke of midnight at the 36th annual NYRR Midnight Run in Central Park on New Year’s Eve, sponsored by New York Road Runners, www.nyrr.org. American road-racing power couple Cole Atkins, the defending champion, and Esther Erb, the 2014 USA Marathon champion representing the local New York Athletic Club team, lead the pack of runners.  A new addition to this year’s race is the New Year’s Resolution Bib, a back bib for runners to write what they will be running for in 2015.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Where to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Manhattan

Each year, we stress over where to go for a cool, new New Year’s Eve experience.  Some of the ones that caught my eye this year will let you choose between extreme partying and indulgence, and more sedate dinners. Empire Steakhouse Empire Steak House: Want to go truly over-the-top? Ring in the New Year with an extravagant $10,000 celebratory menu for two and 24 continuous hours of live Sinatra music from New York’s finest Sinatra impersonators.  The restaurant will offer the Emperor’s Delight menu for $10,000, which will include one pound of fresh Osetra caviar per person and a bottle of 2010 Château Laffite Rothschild, Pauillac for the table.  237 West 54nd Street, (212) 586-9700, www.empiresteakhousenyc.com

Nick & Toni's Cafe

Nick & Toni’s Café: For something cozy and a bit more down-to-earth, the Manhattan outpost of the Hamptons favorite will offer festive a la carte specials in addition to the regular seasonal menu. Starting with an amuse bouche of deviled quail egg with caviar, the special menu features grilled quail with greenmarket pumpkin agrodulce, grilled veal chop with braised cavolo nero, and a New Year’s Champagne mousse tart with Valrhona pearls and blood orange. 100 West 67th Street, (212) 496-4000, www.nickandtoniscafe.com

Mulberry Project

Mulberry Project: This New Year’s Eve, Mulberry Project is having a blowout bash with a variety of party options. Celebrate from 9pm-2am with a $65 open bar or class it up and opt for the $85 open Champagne bar. The team at Mulberry Project has also crafted a delicious prix fixe dinner menu featuring pork tenderloin, crispy calamari, fried Brussels sprouts and their special Mulberry mac and cheese for just $45. Table reservations require the purchase of the prix fixe dinner and drink package ($110-$130). Drink and dance into the wee hours, as DJ Justin Dean spins the latest hits all night long. 149 Mulberry Street, (646) 448-4536, www.projectgroupnyc.com

Hecho en Dumbo

Hecho en Dumbo: Brooklyn’s pop-up Mexican restaurant, now located in Manhattan, will feature an unlimited antojitos (“little whims”) dinner with a variety of toppings on house-made corn tortillas, sopes, and tostadas. Along with a Champagne toast at midnight, guests will enjoy mariachi bands and DJ sets from Heroes of the Galeon Trade starting at 10pm. Two price options are featured: dinner for $75 per person, or dinner inclusive of a premium open bar for $175. 354 Bowery, 212-243-7073, www.hechoendumbo.com

Beauty & Essex: The ultra-creative “small plates” mecca will be hosting two seatings on December 31.  The regular a la carte menu will be served for parties seated prior to 9pm, perfect for those who wish to ring in the New Year elsewhere. Guests seated beginning at 9pm will be offered a family-style meal for $140 per person and a complimentary Champagne toast at midnight.  The dress code for the evening is “festival” black tie with cocktail attire the look for woman and suit and tie required for men. Rumor has it that a DJ will help you enjoy your party favors even more here. 146 Essex Street, (212) 614-0146, http://beautyandessex.com

KTCHN

KTCHN Restaurant: Hell’s Kitchen’s KTCHN Restaurant has created two playful prix fixe menus to start the New Year’s Eve night off right. Choose from the 5:30pm seating, which will feature a 4-course menu ($65), or the 8:30pm seating, featuring a 5-course menu ($100). Each menu will offer an optional wine pairing and the restaurant will be covered in pink, blue, and white décor. In addition, guests can watch the New Year’s festivities in Times Square during each seating and enjoy the sounds of a 3-piece jazz band as they dine.  508 West 42nd Street, (212) 868-2999, www.ktchnnyc.com

Molyvos

Molyvos: Around the corner from Carnegie Hall, Molyvos has been serving soulful Greek cuisine for over 15 years.  For New Year’s Eve, special Greek holiday dishes include crab cakes, kavourokeftes with petit mixed greens, taramosalata, and American caviar; grilled local lobster, Astakos Skharas with seafood rice stuffing, and garlic herb butter; and braised beef short ribs, vodino stifado with red wine, pearl onions, and warm semolina. Diners can also join in the Greek tradition of “The Cutting of The Vasilopita” — the guest who finds the coin in his or her piece is considered to be blessed with good luck for the New Year. The prix fixe menu is available for $75 per person and $120 when paired with selected Greek wines.  871 Seventh Avenue, (212) 582-7500, www.molyvos.com .

Juni

Juni: Chef Shaun Hergatt invites you spend New Year’s Eve at his recently opened fine-dining restaurant, Juni, with a five-course tasting menu for $165. A wine pairing option is available for an additional $75. Menu highlights include foie gras with citrus glaze and pain d’epices as well as oxtail with sunchoke and black spice. For the first seating, guests can reserve a table between 5:30-6:45pm which includes your choice of a specialty cocktail. For the second seating, between 9pm and 10pm, guests receive a Champagne toast at midnight. All diners receive a small parting gift bag. Dress code is cocktail attire or optional black tie. 12 East 31st Street, 212-995-8599, www.juninyc.com

Lincoln Ristorante

Lincoln Ristorante: Chef Johnathan Benno’s lauded Italian restaurant at Lincoln Center offers a special $95 “Buona Fine e Buon Inizio” (good order and good start) prix fixe menu for New Year’s Eve. Both white and black truffles are included in dishes such as Tajarin con Tartufo Bianco: tajarin pasta, chicken sugo, castelmagno cheese, and Alba white truffle; and Capesante e Cotechino: scallop, spiced Umbrian pork sausage, lentils, and black truffle. At the end of the night, guests will greet the New Year with a special Franciacorta toast. 142 West 65th Street, (212) 359-6500, http://lincolnristorante.com/

Smorgas

Smorgas Chef West Village: The restaurant’s annual New Year’s Eve dinner is a double occasion this year, as it is also Smorgas Chef’s 10th anniversary. Get ready with your party hat: you can expect a few surprises.  The first seating at 6pm includes a three-course dinner and a welcome glass of Champagne for $65. The second seating at 8:30pm includes a four-course dinner, a Champagne toast, party favors and the ball dropping screening for $110. 283 West 12th Street, (212) 243-7073, www.smorgas.com

Oceana

Oceana: The Michelin-starred seafood restaurant will be serving a full a la carte dinner menu as well as Executive Chef Ben Pollinger’s New Year’s Eve specials from 5-11pm. Highlights include East Coast oysters with black truffle Glaçage; Hawaiian walu sashimi with Satsuma mandarins, Thai basil sauce, and coriander; seared turbot and poached lobster with sauce Americaine and asparagus; and seared sturgeon with caviar sauce and roast cauliflower in an herb emulsion. 120 West 49th Street, (212) 759-5941, www.oceanarestaurant.com

Hospoda

Hospoda: New Year’s Eve marks a very special occasion for Hospoda, the New American beer-Inspired restaurant on the Upper East Side: it’s also Executive Chef Rene Stein’s birthday and the beginning of the restaurant’s third anniversary. To celebrate these milestones while ringing in 2014, Hospoda will display culinary artistry at its finest, offering a 14-course tasting menu that allows guests to experience each of the four seasons through sight, sound, smell and taste; beverage pairings for each course will also invoke the four seasons. Chef Stein will devote a major portion of the evening to preparing courses in front of the diners, transforming a section of the dining room into an interactive kitchen set.  Only 40 seats for the $200 prix fixe event are available. 321 East 73rd Street, 212-861-1038, www.hospodanyc.com

Golden Cadillac

Golden Cadillac: Bring your dancing shoes downtown and party like it’s 1977 at the newly opened Golden Cadillac. For $35, the evening will feature party favors, a complimentary Disco Daiquiri and a Champagne toast at midnight. 13 First Avenue, (212) 995-5151, www.GoldenCadillacNYC.com

Brasserie 8 ½

Brasserie 8 ½: Just off Fifth Avenue, the very-refined Brasserie 8 1/2 is offering a $65 three-course prix fixe dinner including such dishes as jumbo lump crab cake; roasted rack of lamb with porcini mushrooms and spaetzle; Long Island duck with poached quince, Brussels sprouts, sherry wine Gastrique; and apple tarte tatin. 9 West 57th Street, (212) 829-0812, www.patinagroup.com/restaurant.php?restaurants_id=67

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Hot Places for Downtown New Year’s Eve Dining…. or All Year-Round

I’ve given you some activities/events to consider for partying tonight.  As promised, here are some reservations you might want to consider for fabulous New Year’s Eve dining.
More on Hot Places for Downtown New Year’s Eve Dining…. or All Year-Round

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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