The Best Places to Ring in the New Year in Style

 

How fortuitous for me!  Cozy, super-chic Luvi (5236 Tchoupitoulas St., 504-605-3340, luvirestaurant.com)  is located right around the corner from my house. The diminutive Asian restaurant is offering early dinner seatings at 6 and 8 p.m., at either a table or the festive raw bar for a three course, pre fix menu for $65 per person. As an entree diners sill have a choice for beef short ribs or jumbo scallops.

I know exactly where I will be before I either head home to bring in the new year with my dogs or head to Tipitina’s to catch Galactic.

A mile or so away, Saffron (4128 Magazine St., 504-323-2626, saffronnola.com) will have live action food stations set up throughout the dining rooms. Gourmet buffet and action stations will feature an array of items non-vegetarian and vegetarian from the Vilkhu Family of restaurateurs as well as fun libations and champagne. Food stations will include Tava Beef Tenderloin with caramelized onions, and rogan josh demi-glace; Tava Seafood with Gulf fish and shrimp, tomato-ginger chutney, and green cayenne-coconut chutney; Kashmiri Lobster Bisque; Vegetarian- roasted eggplant & tomatoes, corn & mushroom, achaari potatoes, and paneer koftas; Dips and Spreads- curried shrimp mousse, eggplant dip, pork pickle, and chicken pickle; Salads – spring greens, pears, almonds, feta-paneer, pickled rasins, crispy onions, citrus vinaigrette, mango tomato salad, and chili-tamarind vinaigrette; Naan; and Desserts- gajar halwa, assorted baarfi, mango mousse, English trifle, and old port tiramisu. Seatings are at 6, 8 and 10 p.m. (includes a champagne toast at midnight). The cost is $65 per person.

The Country Club (634 Louisa St., 504-945-0742, thcountryclubneworleans.com) offers a beautiful retreat from the outside world. Each of the three dining rooms is adorned with stunning hand-painted floral murals by local artist Cindy Mathis that walk the fine line between sexy and proper. Whimsical paintings by southern artist Louis St. Lewis are scattered throughout and highlighted by custom lighting that makes the works sparkle. It is the perfect backdrop for an all-inclusive New Year’s Eve Celebration. The night includes a cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres, a three-course meal, live music, party favors, access to the entire club, bottomless champagne all night long and easy access to firework viewing at the Rusty Rainbow over the Mississippi River levee.

Those wishing to get down in the French Quarter should consider bringing in the New Year at the incomparable GW Fins (808 Bienville St., 504-581-3467, gwfins.com). Though Chef Michael Nelson waits until the last moment to sketch out his prix fix menu based on whatever is most screamingly fresh, I was offered a sample of what we might expect on the NYE prix fix menu: Starters – tempura Royal red shrimp with Korean glaze, and crispy noodle salad; crispy pork belly with pickled ginger slaw, and compressed watermelon; seared sea scallops with baby greens, and balsamic brown butter; firecracker tuna tacos made with No. 1 Yellowfin tuna, avocado aioli, ginger slaw, and wasabi caviar; and poached pear salad with field greens, pecans, Danish blue cheese, red grapes, and sherry vinaigrette. Entree options include deviled crab stuffed Maine lobster with asparagus and drawn butter; GW Fins’ Original Scalibut with lobster risotto, snow peas, and pea shoot butter; center cut filet with Brabant potatoes, crispy onions, house Worcestershire, and Béarnaise; Atlantic Black Sea bass with jumbo lump crab, French green beans, crispy capers, local citrus and brown butter; and black truffle gnocchi with sugar snap peas, shaved black winter truffles, crispy leeks and Porcini butter. Desserts include Salty Malty Ice Cream Pie with pretzel crust, caramel and whipped cream; Chocolate Bombé with dark and white chocolate mousse, flourless cake and raspberry; Crème Brûlée with Madagascar vanilla bean and fresh berries; and Samoa with coconut sorbet, chocolate shell, and coconut shortbread. The cost is $95 per person plus sales tax and gratuity

 

Stay safe and be generous as you bring in the new year. Use this time to celebrate the people and the community you love.

 

 

 

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