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 Nosh In The New Year At One Of Tucson's Finest Restaurants. By Rebecca Cook AS WE ENTER the final chapter of the millennium, bubbly and a round of "Auld Lang Syne" are a must, as are well-intentioned but soon-forgotten resolutions for a better you in the coming year. Just as important is devising an evening with ample portions of merriment, good cheer and memorable repast. If you're too exhausted from the holiday gift glut to plan your own festivities, consider joining some of your favorite restaurants for an evening filled with all of the above. Here's a list of some of the scrumptious revelry happening around town this year. Make your plans as soon as possible, as reservations are a must if you hope to get in the door at most places. Wildflower Restaurant. 7037 N. Oracle Road. 219-4230. Promising absolutely no glitches of any kind (computer or otherwise), Wildflower has put together a selection emphasizing grand tastes and a high-energy celebration. A fixed-price menu will be offered during two scheduled seatings: one at 6:30 p.m., and the other at 8:45 p.m. Cost per person is $50 without the benefit of the grape, and $75 for a meal that includes a scintillating selection of still and sparkling wines to go with each course. Dining excesses will be inevitable with dishes such as lobster bisque with saffron-infused oil; pan-seared Atlantic salmon with a warm onion marmalade and Bordeaux wine sauce; fresh Maine lobster ravioli; and shrimp and smoked corn phyllo pouches, served with a brown-butter hazelnut sauce. Gets your mouth watering just thinking about it, doesn't it?
Le Rendez-Vous. 3844 E. Ft. Lowell Road. 323-7373. While the exact menu has yet to be determined, Le Rendez-Vous promises to deliver the same classy, quality dining experience for which it's well known. A six-course meal (with appetizer, soup or salad, choice of entrée, cheese and fruit, and dessert) will be offered at $60 per person, and bookings will be scheduled until 10 p.m. If living well is the best revenge, Le Rendez-Vous offers the ideal Y2K retaliation. The Tack Room. 7300 E. Vactor Ranch Trail. 722-2800. If elegance and class are what you're looking for to commemorate the night, you'd also do well to consider making the Tack Room your party central. A harpist will pluck away the countdown hours to midnight while you dine on a four-course prix fixe meal at the cost of $85 per person. Menus are still being set here as well, but lamb, beef, poultry and fresh seafood are all likely to be featured.
The Dish. 3200 E. Speedway Blvd. 326-1714. Master chef Doug Levy never misses an opportunity to craft something wild and wonderful, and Y2K Eve will be no exception. Although he's still toying with the special offerings to be featured that evening, possibilities range from the freshest seafood available to lamb or veal (last year's gargantuan grilled veal chop was a showstopper). Limited selections from the restaurant's regular seasonal menu will also be available. Seating is limited at this tiny gem, so do call for reservations forthwith if you have your heart set on ringing in the new year here. Daniel's Restaurant. 4340 N. Campbell Ave. 742-3200. Featuring a new Mediterranean menu, Daniel's will offer a three-course meal (appetizer, soup or salad, and entrée) for $55 per person. A choice of 10 entrées is available, and dessert, while not a part of the package, may be ordered for a slight additional charge. Mediterranean cuisine emphasizes healthier dining (less fat and more vegetables and complex carbohydrates) without sacrificing anything in terms of taste. Dining at Daniel's allows you to get started right away on at least one of those healthy resolutions. Nonie. 2526 E. Grant Road. 319-1965. In the spirit of the bayou, owner Chris Leonard likes to keep things open and easy. Thus, like many other restaurants, New Year's plans are still in the works. You can count on one thing, though: A party is definitely brewing, and there'll likely be no hotter spot to be on December 31 than Nonie. The kitchen will be hopping with its signature hot-and-spicy gumbo and jambalaya; the crawfish etoufee will be bubbling; and the fried pickles sizzling in the pan. Why wait for Mardi Gras for this kind of fun? Anthony's in the Catalinas. 6440 N. Campbell Ave. 299-1771. Also registering high on the sophisticate meter is Anthony's, where the lights of the city captivate from the restaurant's lofty perch in the Catalina foothills, the service is generally impeccable, and the food of consistently high quality. Live piano music will serenade diners, who'll be choosing their evening's repast from a limited version of the regular menu, which will feature ample surf and turf. Seating will continue until midnight, when guests will be served a round of champagne and provided with party favors to welcome in the New Year. Le Mediterranean. 4955 N. Sabino Canyon Road. 529-1330. For those desiring an international flair to the evening, Le Mediterranean will be featuring its usual Lebanese, Greek, Turkish and Arabian fare with a few chicken and lamb specials thrown in to mark the passing of another year. Belly dancing will be the featured entertainment of the evening. Fuego Bar & Grill. 6958 E. Tanque Verde Road. 886-1745. No special menus are being prepared for New Year's Eve at Fuego, but the recently expanded menu will thrill the senses of everyone who searches out interesting and exotic fare. Chef Alan Zeman is the acknowledged progenitor of Southwestern cuisine, and he continues his innovative ways with venison, ostrich and a wide variety of seafood--all with regional ingredients worked in marvelously creative ways.
However you choose to mark the occasion, do it safely and in
good taste. Happy New Year!
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Barrio Bar & Grill. 135 S. Sixth Ave. 629-0191.
While many restaurants will be featuring live entertainment as
well as outstanding special menus on New Year's Eve, Barrio will
instead fill the musical space with a custom-designed and tasteful
assortment of taped dance music. Not that the tables will provide
any room for the old soft shoe, as this space will no doubt be
taken up with edible wonders from Barrio's kitchen. The menu will
be a "greatest hits" collection of the restaurant's
most popular dishes over the last 15 months. Sure to be included
is the famous rack of lamb served with a blackberry demi glace,
and the grilled chicken with papaya-mango salsa. Fresh seafood
will also be on hand, along with great desserts, champagne and
noisemakers at midnight. What's not to like?
Kingfisher Bar & Grill. 2564 E. Grant Road. 323-7739.
With seating through the midnight hour, Kingfisher plans to crown
the evening with the musical talents of the Jim Dixon Duo (piano
and bass), as well as a feast of selections from their regular
menu and festive nightly specials. As always, seafood is the name
of the game here; but don't be surprised to find some tantalizing
land-lubbing dishes as well.
