Bistronomic
Celebrate like a Parisian with a five-course meal at this sexy Gold Coast hot spot. You’ll indulge in playful French-inspired dishes like Madagascar shrimp salad with caviar and crème fraiche, beef tenderloin au poivre with dried plums, homemade gnocchi with sage and butternut squash and crème brulee wrapped in phyllo. (How brilliant is that?) As I’ve told you before (windycitytimes.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=30691), portions are small at Bistronomic, but the flavors and sophistication are very big. The five-course menu is $80 per person and $105 with wine pairings—a steal for what you’re going to get. A four-course menu is also available between 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. for $60 per person and $85 with wine pairings. Bistronomic is located at 840 N. Wabash Ave.; call 312-944-8400 or visit www.bistronomic.net.
Rockit Bar and Grill
If you want your New Year’s Eve “dinner” to have a heavy focus on cocktails, check out Rockit Bar and Grill’s River North location. For $125, you’ll get hors d’oeuvres, a dinner buffet, premium open bar (8 p.m.-1:30 a.m.) and a champagne toast at midnight. Rockit’s regular menu includes tasty bites like fried shrimp with chili lime sauce, barbeque pork sliders and irresistible truffle fries, and I’d expect the same kind of high-quality comfort food on New Year’s Eve. As a bonus, you’ll get 20 percent off brunch at Rockit on New Year’s Day, which will help defray the cost of the Bloody Mary you’re going to need. Rockit River North is located at 22 W. Hubbard St.; call 312-645-6000 or visit www.rockitbarandgrill.com/events/event/new-years-eve-chicago-2012-packages-at-rockit-bar-grill/.
Mexique
West Town’s Mexique is offering an elegant chef’s tasting menu for $80 per person. Expect flawless blends of French and Mexican flavors in dishes like lobster bisque with corn flan, port wine-poached beets with fried goat cheese, and beef Wellington with truffle oil and Brandy peppercorn sauce. Finish the evening with a chocolate Tamal with spicy Ancho chile sauce. Mexique is located at 1529 W. Chicago Ave.; call 312-850-0288 or visit www.mexiquechicago.com.
Chen’s Chinese and Sushi
Ring in the New Year on the cheap at Chen’s. The Pan-Asian restaurant is hosting a Chinese buffet with fresh sushi and an open bar for just $45. You can also make reservations to dine from the regular menu. Plus, Chen’s is just a hop, skip and a jump from Boystown, so you can fill up on fried rice and sashimi and still make it to the bar in time to find someone to kiss at midnight. Chen’s Chinese and Sushi is located at 3506 N. Clark St.; call 773-549-1000 or visit koi-chens.ticketleap.com/chens-nye-2011.
Vincent
Looking for a civilized evening with some quaint European flair right in the heart of Andersonville? Then book a table at Vincent (windycitytimes.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=28634). Maybe you’ll bump into Beyonce and Jay-Z, who reportedly stopped by a few weeks ago for some frites while they waited for a table at Great Lake, the tiny pizza joint that’s always packed ever since GQ Magazine named it the best pizza in America in 2009. Vincent will be serving a special five-course meal with dishes that aren’t on its regular menu. A staff member told me the New Year’s menu should be finalized this week and it will have distinct Dutch influences. I’m confident Chef Joncarl will design a meal that is at once comforting and sophisticated. Vincent is at 1475 W. Balmoral Ave.; call 773-334-7168 or visit www.vincentchicago.com.