Splurge Before the Resolutions

New Year's Eve dining options abound all across the Old Pueblo

Another year, another New Year's Eve. Tucsonans and tourists alike can get down or get dressed up for quiet dinners and festive celebrations. There's everything from an informal early-bird champagne tasting benefiting the Community Food Bank at the Dish, to thong-underwear at Hotel Congress, to midnight fireworks at Westward Look Resort.

In most cases reservations are suggested or required, and tax and gratuity is not included in the quoted prices.

Enjoy, be safe--and have a happy New Year!


DOWNTOWN

Barrio

Chef Jeffrey Glomski offers seven fabulous specials in addition to the regular menu of scallops, prime rib, crab legs and ahi tuna from 5 p.m. until the last seating at 9 p.m.; 135 S. Sixth Ave.; 629-0191.

Cup Café

Indulge in a two-hour-long, four-course feast. Three seatings are available: at 5 ($40 person); 7:15 or 9:30 p.m. ($50 per person). A credit card is required to hold your reservation; a $25 fee will be charged for cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice, and a $50 fee will be levied for no shows; 311 E. Congress St., inside Hotel Congress; 622-8848.

Hotel Congress

Celebrate New Year's Eve, Brazilian-style: The Congress Carnaval Extravaganza boasts a tropical indoor/outdoor mega-bash to ring in 2008. Pump it up with three stages of dancing, DJs, live music, Brazilian drum lines, casino action, awesome food and thong underwear. If you demand extra-special treatment, pop in to the VIP room. Forget Times Square; the Hotel Congress claims to have the only midnight ball drop in Southern Arizona. Check hotelcongress.com or call 622-8848 for the latest info, and reserve your tickets early. Event tickets cost $15 in advance, $20 at the door, and $50 for VIP; 311 E. Congress St.


MIDTOWN/NEAR EASTSIDE

Chad's Steakhouse

Chad's is serving its regular dinner menu, so if you want to hunker down with a good steak or even a burger, stop by 3001 N. Swan Road; 881-1802. Check out the menu at chadssteakhouse.com.

Cuvée World Bistro

Cuvée is proud to present its fifth annual "Can't We All Just Get Along" culinary trip around the world. Dinner costs $75 per person without wine, or $85 per person with wine pairings, and includes a champagne toast at 3352 E. Speedway Blvd.; 881-7577; open from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Dish/RumRunner

A champagne tasting will be conducted by representatives of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Participation requires a $15 donation, payable to the Community Food Bank. The costs for food, wine and service are underwritten by RumRunner/Dish and LVMH. The tasting will be an informal, flow-through event. Participants will get a flute and proceed through the lineup of nine samplings, showing the nuances of various types and styles of champagne. Appropriate light snacks will also be served at 3131 E. First St.; 326-0121. The tasting runs from 3 to 5 p.m., and RumRunner closes at 7 p.m.

Elle

Order off the regular dinner menu with select specials, including pan-seared Hawaiian snapper ($28) and slow-roasted pork loin ($19), or enjoy a three-course prix-fixe wine-paired dinner for $60 per person. New Year's Eve service begins at 11:30 a.m. at 3048 E. Broadway Blvd.; 327-0500.

Feast

Ring in the New Year with a luxurious four-course prix-fixe meal with options for $65 per person, or add $25 for wine pairings, at 4122 E. Speedway Blvd.; 326-9363.

Intermezzo

The Williams Center restaurant will serve its regular dinner menu, so relax with Mediterranean comfort food while enjoying a polished, Old World ambience at 5350 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite 128; 748-8100. Check out the menu at intermezzo-tucson.com.

Kingfisher Bar and Grill

Kingfisher will begin open seating with special menus starting at 5 p.m. No guests will be seated after 11 p.m. The à la carte menu will consist of special offerings as well as selected favorites at 2564 E. Grant Road; 323-7739; kingfishertucson.com.

Pastiche Modern Eatery

Pastiche will serve a special holiday menu from 4:30 p.m. to midnight. The menu includes baby greens salad, San Francisco-style cioppino ($22.75) and lamb loin chops ($25.95) among other dishes at 3025 N. Campbell Ave.; 325-3333.

Red Sky New American Cuisine and Catering

Red Sky offers a prix-fixe menu with early-bird specials at 2900 N. Swan Road; 326-5454. For dinner seatings at 3 p.m. and 5:45 p.m., the cost is $55 per person; from 6 to 11 p.m., the cost is $85 per person. From 6 to 9 p.m., enjoy the sounds of Mystery Tour, a local trio that plays Beatles songs "unplugged" on acoustic guitars and bass, accompanied by three-part vocal harmonies.

TSO Moveable Musical Feast at the Arizona Inn

This celebration showcases the versatility of Tucson Symphony Orchestra players. A harpist will greet patrons as they arrive for welcoming cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in the private courtyard of the Flandrau House on the grounds of the Arizona Inn. Next, guests move inside for the first concert. A three-course dinner is served in six intimate and elegant dining rooms around the inn. Celebrants reconvene for the second concert; guests then return to the private dining rooms for dessert, coffee and festive favors to ring in the New Year, before moving to a sophisticated jazz club to dance. Viennese coffee stations, fruit, cheese and nut platters will be served, and the New Year will be toasted with champagne, all for $185 per person. For ticket information, call 882-8585 or visit tucsonsymphony.org.


NORTHWEST/WESTSIDE

Bluefin Seafood Bistro

Bluefin follows in the footsteps of its sister restaurant, Kingfisher, by beginning open seating with special menus starting at 5 p.m. No guests will be seated after 11 p.m. The à la carte menu will consist of special offerings as well as selected favorites at 7053 N. Oracle Road; 531-8500; bluefintucson.com.

HiFalutin

Come on down for a rootin'-tootin' prime-rib special that includes salad, a baked potato and a champagne toast for $22.95. The regular menu is also available at 6780 N. Oracle Road; 297-0518. Service begins at 11 a.m., with the last seating at 9:30 p.m.; hifalutintucson.com.

JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa

Get ready for a jazzy party featuring a five-course dinner in the grand ballroom, starting at 7:30 p.m. At 8:15 p.m., the Contemporary Jazz All-Stars take center stage for the Jazz All-Stars Gala. Starting at 10 p.m., groove to classic R&B/jazz melodies by New York's Yaz Band, and show off your dancing skills. Conclude the evening with a traditional champagne toast at the stroke of midnight. The cost of the New Year's Eve gala (with champagne) is $139 per person. Enjoy the dinner, show, champagne toast and a one-night stay for $399 per couple. Call 903-1265 to reserve.

Roma Café

Savor Italian goodness at Roma, where they're serving the regular dinner menu; 4140 W. Ina Road; 744-2929. View the menu romacaffe.com.

Wildflower

Celebrate the New Year with a New American three-course prix-fixe dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. for $55 per person. Reservations and pre-payment are required at 7037 N. Oracle Road; 219-4230; foxrestaurantconcepts.com.

Zona 78

Enjoy the special two-course holiday menu for $30 or $45 with paired wines at 78 W. River Road; 888-7878.


FOOTHILLS

Acacia at St. Philip's

Join Chef Albert Hall for a specially prepared seven-course menu. The 6 p.m. seating features musicians Jeff Grubic and Naïm Amor for $95 per person. The late seating at 9 p.m. costs $125 per person (includes champagne toast), then get up and dance to Misbehavin's sassy swing and spicy Latin sounds at 4340 N. Campbell Ave.; 232-0101.

Armitage Wine Lounge and Café

Armitage has a four-course chef's-table menu. It's $48 for food only, or add wine for an additional $30. The first seating is from 6 to 8 p.m., and the second seating is from 9 to 11 p.m. Enjoy a complimentary champagne toast at midnight at 2905 N. Skyline Drive, No. 168; 682-9740.

The Grill at Hacienda del Sol

Celebrate at this resort that offers a quintessential Tucson flair. The first dinner seating is from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for $85 per person, and the second seating lasts from 6:45 to 11 p.m. and includes a champagne toast plus live music and dancing for $125 per person; 5601 N. Hacienda Del Sol Resort; 529-3500.

Janos

Janos will be serving two New Year's Eve menus, both of them featuring wild and sustainable seafood, as well as organic, sustainable and naturally raised meats and vegetables. A four-course early-tasting menu with complimentary champagne will be available from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. for $75 per person, or $100 per person with wine pairings. A six-course tasting menu will be served all evening long beginning at 5:30 p.m. for $135 per person (or $180 per person with wine pairings). Dinner includes handmade cascarones from Anjelita Montoya, party favors and a champagne toast; 3770 E. Sunrise Drive; 615-6100.

J Bar

Partake in a four-course family-style meal for $65 per person beginning at 5:30 p.m. At 9 p.m., celebrate New Year's Eve with dancing and other festivities at the J Ball, where DJ Terry Thomas will play dance tunes and Janos will present guests with complementary sparkling wine and parting gifts. Admission to the J Ball is complimentary with dinner, or $20 per person without; 3770 E. Sunrise Drive; 615-6100.

Level Bar Lounge and 58 Degrees

Doors open at 8 p.m. for the end-of-the-year extravaganza, with two-for-one cocktails and half off premium champagne bottles, including Krug. Resident DJs provide the music. The cover charge is $20. However, if you chose to sample 58 Degrees and Holding Co.'s prix-fixe menu with wine (at the St. Philip's Plaza location), the cover charge is only $10. Level is at 4280 N. Campbell Ave.; 615-3835.

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

At the Flying V Bar and Grill, chef Alexis Martinez is creating a three-course Southwestern menu for $85 from 5 to 10 p.m.; 615-5495. Another option: Enjoy the quiet elegance of the Tucson's only Five Diamond dining room. Ventana Room staff, under the direction of executive chef Marc Ehrler and wine director Kevin Brady, will delve into every detail with a four-course menu for $120 from 5 to 9 p.m.; 299-2020. Guests who dine at the Flying V or the Ventana Room are welcome into the Cascade Lounge Soirée from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. for live music, party favors and a midnight champagne toast. The Cascade Lounge is open to the public for $25.

NoRTH

Celebrate the New Year with a special three-course prix-fixe modern Italian dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. for $55 per person. Reservations and pre-payment are required at 2995 E. Skyline Drive; 299-1600. The bar remains open until 1 a.m.

Terra Cotta

From 4 p.m., Terra Cotta will be serving a three-course menu with options for $55 per person at 3500 E. Sunrise Drive; 577-8100.

VinTabla

Sip and savor at the first seating, starting at 5 p.m., with a four-course dinner for $50 plus $25 for the wine package; the second seating is $65 for a six-course dinner plus $35 for the wine package; the third seating costs $80 for a seven-course dinner plus $40 for the wine package. Guests at all seatings enjoy live music and a glass of champagne at 2890 E. Skyline Drive; 577-6210.

Westward Look Resort

You've got dining, dancing and entertainment options--take your pick. Chef Jamie West dazzles diners with two separate three-course menus in the Gold Room. Seatings are at 5:30 p.m. ($65 per person) and starting at 7 p.m. ($79 per person). Reservations are required by calling 297-1151. At the Lookout Bar and Grille, enjoy the regular menu or a three-course holiday menu from 5 to 10 p.m. for $40. Diners who eat at the Gold Room or the choose the three-course holiday menu at the Lookout get free admission to the Santa Catalina Ballroom New Year's Eve party; diners who eat off the regular Lookout menu can purchase discount admission for $20. The party begins at 6 p.m., with a DJ playing music from various decades. Live entertainment starts at 9 p.m. with East 2 West performing '60s and '70s classic rock and blues. First-come admission is $30 per person, which includes a ticket for one well drink, dancing, party favors and a midnight champagne toast. In the Sonoran Ballroom, revelers can sample a variety of dishes by West followed by dancing into the New Year. The buffet, from 7 to 9 p.m., features a wide variety of appetizers, entrées and desserts. A DJ will perform from 6 to 8:30 p.m., followed by the Tucson's Retro Rockets--the '60s revisited--from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The cost is $75. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 297-1151. At midnight, everyone breaks to watch the fireworks spectacle; westwardlook.com.


EASTSIDE/NORTHEAST

Dakota Café and Catering Co.

Dakota Café will offer two specials in addition the regular dinner menu: osso bucco ($24.99) and broiled main lobster tail, grilled shrimp with drawn butter and petite filet mignon ($31.99). Dinner will be served from 5 to 10 p.m. at 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road; 298-7188.

Jonathan's Tucson Cork

Enjoy classic dinner specials such as beef Wellington for $35.95 and seafood Newberg for $23.95, in addition to the regular dinner menu. Dining begins at 5 p.m. at 6320 E. Tanque Verde Road; 296-1631.

Montana Avenue

Celebrate with a special three-course prix-fixe dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. for $45 per person. Reservations and pre-payment are required at 6390 E. Grant Road; 298-2020.


VAIL

Hacienda del Lago

At the Del Lago Golf Club, join Frank Sinatra- and Marilyn Monroe-style performers for an entertaining evening. There are two seatings: 6 to 9 p.m., and 9 p.m. to midnight. Both offer four-course dinners for $65 per person. Reservations are required by calling 647-3109; 14155 E. Via Rancho del Lago; dellagogolf.com.


GET OUT OF TOWN

Amberian Peaks Lodge and Restaurant

Tired of Tucson? Escape to the village of Greer in the White Mountains to celebrate at the intimate Amberian Peaks Lodge and Restaurant, where hospitality meets good food, and skiing is only 15 minutes away. Relax during the Let It Snow Celebration. The restaurant is open from 5 to 11 p.m., serving cuisine with no fixed pricing and dessert fireside. Check out the special New Year's Eve room rates at peaksaz.com or call (800) 556-9997.