The Best: With Many Options on the Table, Start Making Your NYE Plans Now

 

Usually in bed by 10 p.m., this year I will stay up late on NYE. I want to witness the departure of 2020 and I expect to have plenty of company worldwide. As public gatherings to witness fireworks displays are verboten, I suppose we can all just howl at the moon from our windows.

Whatever I end up doing it will be close to home in my Uptown neighborhood. Why tempt an already over-active Fate on an evening historically known for “surprises”?

How fortuitous for me! Cozy, super-chic Luvi (5236 Tchoupitoulas St., 504-605-3340,) is located right around the corner from my house. The diminutive Asian restaurant is offering early dinner seatings at 5:30 and 8 p.m. for a five course, prefix menu (see the website for details) plus three libations for $95 per person with a minimum reservation for two required. Sorry, seatings for four have already sold out.

Downtown, Josephine Estelle in the Ace Hotel (600 Carondelet St., 504-930-3070) is offering a fun New Year’s Eve-In-a-Box that can be ordered for your party at home. Two packages are offered, one for $95 per person, the other for $125 person, each with a two-person minimum.  Both include loads of canapes, a dip, meats, cheese, olives, and nuts, as well as festive noisemakers and hats and either Champagne or a half gallon of a signature cocktail. In addition to all of the above Package Two also offers a Brussels sprout salad, crispy chicken wings, and a Campanelle Kit with fresh pasta, mushroom sofrito, black truffle, and Parmesan.

For those who dare to venture out The Ace Hotel’s Bar Marilou is hosting “Out of this World: A Celestial New Year’s Eve Experience.” Before midnight strikes NYE, cosmic bacchanals will be offered at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. featuring live music, entertainment, otherworldly mischief, delectable bites and champagne toasts. The 8 p.m. seating includes a 3-course steak dinner and premium open bar.

Here is the celestial entertainment lineup for the evening: Ariana Amour – host & reader of the heavens; Emma Vauxdevil – burlesque & sword swallower; Miss Tess – contortionist & aerial artistry; Elle Dorado – burlesque; Poppy La Fleur – aerial artistry; Aria Delanoche – magic; Charlotte Treuse – zodiac snake charmer DJ Chinua – founder and DJ of Ascendance & spinner of the evening’s astrological mix. Live jazz will be performed by electric violinist Eric Rodriguez and the Tangiers Combo. Make your reservations here

In the Bywater neighborhood, Chef Nina Compton is offering four-course prix fixe menu at her Bywater American Bistro (BABs – 2900 Chartres St., 504-604-3827) with seatings from 5:30 – 10 p.m. The dining experience is available in the BABs dining room ($100 per person), or in a heated luxury tent for AMEX cardholders ($150 per person). The upscale tents, also known as the Resy “yurt villages” dining experience, is sponsored by American Express. Reservations for the luxury pop-up are available exclusively to American Express cardholders. Both menus will include delicious offerings such as steak tartare with yolk jam and truffle; polenta with winter vegetable fricassee; chicken and black truffle crepinette with mushrooms and pomme puree; and chocolate with brûléed citrus. Reservations can be made through the Resy app.

 

Happy New Year’s Everyone. Let’s collectively slam the door on 2020 while showing one another the empathy and kindness we all need.

 

 

 

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