10 Best Restaurants To Celebrate New Year's Eve Slideshow
#6. Top of the Hub; Boston
One reviewer described Top of the Hub as "one of the greatest city views in the world," and its location — 52 floors high, on top of Boston's Prudential Center — does indeed make it an epic spot for viewing fireworks over the city skyline. On Dec. 31, visitors can enjoy an open bar, passed hors d'oeuvres, and a six-course sit-down dinner.
#7. Wood and Vine; Los Angeles
Located in the former Taft building and ranked as one of the "top sexiest bars in L.A.," Wood and Vine is a chance to celebrate the new year in retro-Hollywood style. The New Year's Eve menu makes mouthwatering promises of dishes like scallops with truffle cheese grits and roasted venison saddle with Brussels sprouts and bacon.
#5. Vinegar Hill House; Brooklyn
Escape the madness of Times Square by heading across the East River. Vinegar Hill House, and its special apocalypse-themed New Year's menu, is exactly how you'd want to ring in your last hours of 2011 (or the world) — critically acclaimed food, steps from a breathtaking view at Brooklyn's waterfront.
#4. Girl & the Goat; Chicago
Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard is the "it" girl of the town ever since the opening of Chicago restaurant Girl & the Goat in 2010, and her cookbook release this year has everyone talking. Girl & the Goat's New Year's celebration — chef stations manned by Izard and her crew, passed canapés, and an open bar — is bound to be one of the city's hottest events of the year.
#9. Ai Fiori; New York City
If, according to Esquire, "no dish embodies 2011 more than Michael White's take on surf and turf" at Al Fiori, then we can fathom few better places to spend the end of the year. The 1920s-inspired celebration will feature a live swing band and a seven-course tasting menu with a champagne toast at the end of the night.
#8. Area 31; Miami
For a tropical celebration, this year's vote goes to Area 31 in Miami. The restaurant boasts views of Biscayne Bay and the city skyline, along with a menu that celebrates the region's seafood. The New Year's Eve dinner will combine a five- or seven-course meal along with live music and dancing on the outdoor terrace.
#10. America Eats Tavern; Washington, D.C.
You probably won't win the dinner for six at José Andrés's minibar (bidding starts at $2,012), but you can still sample the chef's unique creations at America Eats Tavern. The restaurant is a temporary project celebrating America's gastronomic heritage. The New Year's Eve menu is the chef's inventive take on classic dishes such as hush puppies, lobster Newberg, and New York cheesecake.
#2. Momofuku Ssäm Bar; New York City
It was called "the best place to blow the mind of an out-of-town guest" by former New York Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton, so if you're celebrating the holiday in New York City, Momofuku Ssäm Bar is a no-brainer. The menu is sure to demonstrate chef Chang's mastery, with dishes like steamed lobster buns and duck with orange and pistachio.
#1. McCrady’s; Charleston, S.C.
He's been called a "game-changer" in food, and everything you read about Seth Brock will have you eyeing tickets to South Carolina. As noted in The New Yorker, his restaurant, McCrady's, is "showing what [Southern food] could be" — all the more reason to usher in the coming year here. Diners will have the choice between a special four-course or eight-course menu on New Year's Eve, with optional wine pairings.
#3. Cliff House; San Francisco
The Cliff House has one of the best views in the world, and the restaurants inside this historic landmark peer out along the entire coastline. Special menus will be prepared at both dining locations — Bistro and Sutro's — and can be combined with post-dinner music and dancing into the wee hours of the new year.