bostonzest

Tag: december

  • Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day Brunch 2017

    Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine on New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place! (From now on we'll just update this post for future years, so you can come back here anytime for our latest information.)

    And, since it was popular last year, we're adding a few places we think might be great for starting off 2017 with friends and family around a brunch table.

    IStock_000035340368Small

    We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.

    • Are you looking for a place to ring in 2017 with a happy crowd?
    • Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
    • Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration? 
    • Is a walk to view skating on the Frog Pond more your style?

    We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like. 

    Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's Eve celebrations at area restaurants. 

    You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

    The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day. We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.

    We'll add updates with other lists, as they become available, from trusted sources around town. Please remember that when we provide a link to a list, we are just giving you a resource. It doesn't mean we are recommending the restaurants on that list. These summaries often include places we love, but since other publishers have different standards, their list may include restaurants we would never recommend.

    We Do Recommend!

    There are restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputations on high-quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.

    • Select Oyster Bar offering a 3 course New Year's Eve menu all day Saturday, December 31st alongside their full regular menu this NYE.
    • Coppa will be serving their regular a la carte menu throughout the evening for revelers who want to end the year with a meal full of familiar favorites.
    • Row 34 Chef Sewall will be serving the regular dinner menu with luxurious additions, like Ossestra caviar service or plates like potato latkes with caviar and salmon pastrami.
    • Bistro du Midi is offering two seatings at two prices with two prix fixe menus.
    • Craigie on Main early seating for a five-course prix fixe menu, with optional add-on wine pairings. Or, if you're ready to celebrate into night, choose the later seating for a six-course menu and Champagne toast.
    • Grotto on Beacon Hill, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
    • La Morra in Brookline will serve a three-course prix fixe menu with a glass of Prosecco!
    • Myers + Chang will add special items to their regular menu and serve it all Dim Sum style.

     

    Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

    New Year's Day Brunch

    Here is a list of brunches from the members of Boston Chefs. Our pick from this list would be Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel. 

    Open Table did not have a New Year's Day Brunch list when we prepared this post. We put a request in for a table at 11:30 a.m. to come up with our recommendations. 

    • Craigie on Main decided to do away with their regular Sunday brunch, but they will have brunch on a few selected holidays like New Year's Day. 
    • Petit Robert Bistro would be a great place to enjoy the beginning of a new year with a gang. 
    • Eastern Standard will be open with their great brunch menu.
    • La Voile on Newbury serves a lovely meal and is a great way to start the year.

    To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates. 

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Photo: iStockphoto.com

    Related articles
    SELECT Oyster Bar: Our First Taste
    Notes on a New Year's Eve Toast with Bollinger Rosé

  • “The willow which bends to the tempest …”

    A lovely willow still providing us with color in December: Today In Boston! We must speak out for the Public Garden. There is one more hearing.

    Save These "Shadow Hearings Dates," Boston's Historic Parks Need Your Voice

    IMG_1390 copy

    "The willow which bends to the tempest, often escapes better than the oak which resists it; and so in great calamities, it sometimes happens that light and frivolous spirits recover their elasticity and presence of mind sooner than those of a loftier character." Albert Schweitzer

    About Today in Boston: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Today in Boston is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2016 Penny Cherubino  

  • “The willow which bends to the tempest …”

    A lovely willow still providing us with color in December: Today In Boston! We must speak out for the Public Garden. There is one more hearing.

    Save These "Shadow Hearings Dates," Boston's Historic Parks Need Your Voice

    IMG_1390 copy

    "The willow which bends to the tempest, often escapes better than the oak which resists it; and so in great calamities, it sometimes happens that light and frivolous spirits recover their elasticity and presence of mind sooner than those of a loftier character." Albert Schweitzer

    About Today in Boston: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Today in Boston is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2016 Penny Cherubino  

  • Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2015 & New Year’s Day Brunch 2016

    Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine on New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

    And, since it was popular last year, we're adding a few places we think might be great for starting off 2016 with friends and family around a brunch table.

    IStock_000035340368Small

    We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.

    • Are you looking for a place to ring in 2015 with a happy crowd?
    • Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
    • Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration? 
    • Is a walk to view skating on the Frog Pond more your style?

    We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like. 

    Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's Eve celebrations at area restaurants. 

    You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

    The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day. We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.

    We'll add updates with other lists, as they become available, from trusted sources around town. Please remember that when we provide a link to a list, we are just giving you a resource. It doesn't mean we are recommending the restaurants on that list. These summaries often include places we love, but since other publishers have different standards, their list may include restaurants we would never recommend.

    We Do Recommend!

    There are restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputations on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.

    • Select Oyster Bar will serve a 7-course tasting menu. There are still a few seats left for a 6pm and 9pm seating.
    • Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and that kindness puts them high on our list. 
    • Row 34 will serve their regular menu with a special addition: "Caviar and Champagne are the name of the game this New Year's Eve. Ossetra caviar and NV Krug Grand Cuvee are available for enjoying at cost …"
    • Bistro du Midi is offering two seatings at two prices with two prix fixe menus.
    • Craigie on Main will present a five course tasting menu.
    • Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
    • La Morra in Brookline will serve a three-course prix fixe menu with a glass of Prosecco!
    • Myers + Chang will add special items to their regular menu and serve it all Dim Sum style.

    Update: 12/17/15 - From Eater Boston here's a list and map of Where to Eat on New Year's Eve in Boston.

     

    Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

    New Year's Day Brunch

    Here is a list of brunches from the members of Boston Chefs. Our pick from this list would be Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel. 

    Open Table did not have a New Year's Day Brunch list when we prepared this post. We put a request in for a table at 11:30 AM to come up with our recommendations. 

    • Craigie on Main decided to do away with their regular Sunday brunch, but they will have brunch on a few selected holidays like New Year's Day. 
    • Petit Robert Bistro would be a great place to enjoy the beginning of a new year with a gang. 
    • Eastern Standard will be open with their great brunch menu.
    • La Voile on Newbury serves a lovely meal and is a great way to start the year.

    Update: 12/17/15 - From Eater Boston here's a list and map of Where to Eat on New Year's Day in Boston

    To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates. 

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Photo: iStockphoto.com

    Related articles
    SELECT Oyster Bar: Our First Taste

  • Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2015 & New Year’s Day Brunch 2016

    Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine on New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

    And, since it was popular last year, we're adding a few places we think might be great for starting off 2016 with friends and family around a brunch table.

    IStock_000035340368Small

    We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.

    • Are you looking for a place to ring in 2015 with a happy crowd?
    • Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
    • Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration? 
    • Is a walk to view skating on the Frog Pond more your style?

    We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like. 

    Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's Eve celebrations at area restaurants. 

    You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

    The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day. We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.

    We'll add updates with other lists, as they become available, from trusted sources around town. Please remember that when we provide a link to a list, we are just giving you a resource. It doesn't mean we are recommending the restaurants on that list. These summaries often include places we love, but since other publishers have different standards, their list may include restaurants we would never recommend.

    We Do Recommend!

    There are restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputations on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.

    • Select Oyster Bar will serve a 7-course tasting menu. There are still a few seats left for a 6pm and 9pm seating.
    • Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and that kindness puts them high on our list. 
    • Row 34 will serve their regular menu with a special addition: "Caviar and Champagne are the name of the game this New Year's Eve. Ossetra caviar and NV Krug Grand Cuvee are available for enjoying at cost …"
    • Bistro du Midi is offering two seatings at two prices with two prix fixe menus.
    • Craigie on Main will present a five course tasting menu.
    • Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
    • La Morra in Brookline will serve a three-course prix fixe menu with a glass of Prosecco!
    • Myers + Chang will add special items to their regular menu and serve it all Dim Sum style.

    Update: 12/17/15 - From Eater Boston here's a list and map of Where to Eat on New Year's Eve in Boston.

     

    Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

    New Year's Day Brunch

    Here is a list of brunches from the members of Boston Chefs. Our pick from this list would be Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel. 

    Open Table did not have a New Year's Day Brunch list when we prepared this post. We put a request in for a table at 11:30 AM to come up with our recommendations. 

    • Craigie on Main decided to do away with their regular Sunday brunch, but they will have brunch on a few selected holidays like New Year's Day. 
    • Petit Robert Bistro would be a great place to enjoy the beginning of a new year with a gang. 
    • Eastern Standard will be open with their great brunch menu.
    • La Voile on Newbury serves a lovely meal and is a great way to start the year.

    Update: 12/17/15 - From Eater Boston here's a list and map of Where to Eat on New Year's Day in Boston

    To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates. 

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Photo: iStockphoto.com

    Related articles
    SELECT Oyster Bar: Our First Taste

  • Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2014 & New Year’s Day Brunch 2015

    Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine on New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

    This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:

    Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2015 & New Year's Day Brunch 2016

    And, this year we're adding a few places we think might be great for starting off 2015 with friends and family around a brunch table.

    IStock_000043524502Small

    We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.

    • Are you looking for a place to ring in 2015 with a happy crowd?
    • Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
    • Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration? 
    • Is a walk to view the ice sculptures and skating on the Frog Pond more your style?

    We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like. 

    Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's celebrations at area restaurants. 

    You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

    The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day. We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.

    We'll add updates with other lists, as they become available, from trusted sources around town. Please remember that when we provide a link to a list, we are just giving you a resource. It doesn't mean we are recommending the restaurants on that list. These summaries often include places we love, but since other publishers have different standards, their list may include restaurants we would never recommend.

    We Do Recommend!

    There are restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.

    • Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list. 
    • Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
    • Coppa Enoteca will close from 3-5 on the 31st to prepare for a three-course Chef's menu – $55 per person.
    • Bistro du Midi is offering two seatings at two prices with two prix fixe menus.
    • Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
    • Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves. 

    Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

    New Year's Day Brunch

    Here is a list of brunches from the members of Boston Chefs. Our pick from this list would be Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel. 

    Open Table did not have a New Year's Day Brunch list when we prepared this post. We put a request in for a table at 11:30 AM to come up with our recommendations. 

    • Craigie on Main decided to do away with their regular Sunday brunch, but they will have brunch on a few selected holidays like New Year's Day. 
    • Petit Robert Bistro would be a great place to enjoy the beginning of a new year with a gang. 
    • Island Creek Oyster Bar will be open with their great brunch menu.

    To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates. 

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Photo: iStockphoto.com

    Related articles
    10 Ice Skating Rinks to Check Out this Holiday Season in Boston

  • Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2013 in Boston

    Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine this New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

    This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:

    Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2015 & New Year's Day Brunch 2016

     

    6a00e54fc42bb88834015393e8612b970b-800wi

    We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.

    • Are you looking for a place to ring in 2014 with a happy crowd?
    • Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
    • Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration? 
    • Is a walk to view the ice sculptures and skating on the Frog Pond more yours style?

    We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like. 

    We always recommend Hamersley's Bistro as a perfect place to enjoy a meal on a special occasion. It's been one of the few exceptions to our stay-at-home rule. This year, they're planning a four-course prix fixe menu with a champagne toast if you're there at midnight.

    Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's celebrations at area restaurants. 

    You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

    The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day.

    And, here are a few suggestions published by Boston's great food sites last year: We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.

    There are also restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.

    • Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list. 
    • Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
    • Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
    • Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves. 
    • La Morra in Brookline – chef Josh Ziskin says he saves some of his most prized dishes just for this evening. He's serving a four-course Italian dinner with a glass of Prosecco for toasting. 

    Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

    To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates. 

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Photo: iStockphoto.com

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2013 in Boston

    Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine this New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

    This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:

    Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2015 & New Year's Day Brunch 2016

     

    6a00e54fc42bb88834015393e8612b970b-800wi

    We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.

    • Are you looking for a place to ring in 2014 with a happy crowd?
    • Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
    • Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration? 
    • Is a walk to view the ice sculptures and skating on the Frog Pond more yours style?

    We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like. 

    We always recommend Hamersley's Bistro as a perfect place to enjoy a meal on a special occasion. It's been one of the few exceptions to our stay-at-home rule. This year, they're planning a four-course prix fixe menu with a champagne toast if you're there at midnight.

    Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's celebrations at area restaurants. 

    You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

    The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day.

    And, here are a few suggestions published by Boston's great food sites last year: We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.

    There are also restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.

    • Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list. 
    • Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
    • Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
    • Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves. 
    • La Morra in Brookline – chef Josh Ziskin says he saves some of his most prized dishes just for this evening. He's serving a four-course Italian dinner with a glass of Prosecco for toasting. 

    Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

    To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates. 

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Photo: iStockphoto.com

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2013 in Boston

    Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine this New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

    This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:

    Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2015 & New Year's Day Brunch 2016

     

    6a00e54fc42bb88834015393e8612b970b-800wi

    We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.

    • Are you looking for a place to ring in 2014 with a happy crowd?
    • Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
    • Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration? 
    • Is a walk to view the ice sculptures and skating on the Frog Pond more yours style?

    We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like. 

    We always recommend Hamersley's Bistro as a perfect place to enjoy a meal on a special occasion. It's been one of the few exceptions to our stay-at-home rule. This year, they're planning a four-course prix fixe menu with a champagne toast if you're there at midnight.

    Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's celebrations at area restaurants. 

    You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

    The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day.

    And, here are a few suggestions published by Boston's great food sites last year: We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.

    There are also restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.

    • Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list. 
    • Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
    • Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
    • Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves. 
    • La Morra in Brookline – chef Josh Ziskin says he saves some of his most prized dishes just for this evening. He's serving a four-course Italian dinner with a glass of Prosecco for toasting. 

    Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

    To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates. 

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Photo: iStockphoto.com

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  • Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2012 in Boston

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    This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:

    Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2015 & New Year's Day Brunch 2016

    Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine this New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

    We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve. Are you looking for a place to ring in 2013 with a happy crowd? Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration? 

    We fall into the food-loving, quiet celebration group, and we'll tell you about some places where that's possible.

    But, we have to admit one of our more memorable New Year's Eves was spent at the bar at Hamersley's Bistro. We had planned to slip in and out for a quick, quiet dinner and managed to stay for a much longer time enjoying the company of a great group at the bar. This year, they're planning a four-course prix fixe menu with a champagne toast if you're there at midnight.

    Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's celebrations at area restaurants. This is perfect if you're meeting up with a group here in the city and the site even offers places like AKA Bistro in Lincoln for those who prefer a suburban location.

    You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

    The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day.

    Update 12.27.12: Eater Boston has added its Map of What to do on New Year's Eve.

    Update 12.28.12: Grub Street Boston put up their, "Grub Guide: Where to Get Dreamy Takeout on New Year's Eve"  Some good choices there.

    There are also restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.

    • Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list. 
    • Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
    • Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
    • Craigie On Main is planning two sets of seatings for two prix fixe menus. Call fast, these reservations will be snatched up quickly.
    • Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves. 
    • La Morra in Brookline – chef Josh Ziskin says he saves some of his most prized dishes just for this evening. He's serving a four-course Italian dinner with a glass of Prosecco for toasting. 

    Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

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    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Photo: iStockphoto.com

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.