Many Vineyard restaurants, those that are still open, will welcome the New Year with lavish feasts. The last night of the year is perhaps the Island’s busiest and most creative restaurant night of the winter — a time for chefs to put together elaborate prix fixe menus.
The Times surveyed the prix fixe and special menu offerings. Many other Island restaurants will celebrate New Year’s eve without departing from tried and true menus. It is best to call for reservations.
Edgartown
The celebration with all the trimmings is at the Harbor View Hotel, at 131 North Water Street. The highlight of the night is a spectacular fireworks display over the harbor with Edgartown Light for a backdrop.
The New Year’s Eve party begins at 9 pm and includes appetizers, deserts, and a champagne toast. The lineup includes delights such as dirty martini oyster shooters, mini Yukon potatoes with truffle crema and caviar, duck confit spring rolls with Thai chili sauce, and braised pork sliders on brioche.
The party is sold out, but room packages, which include two tickets, were available as of Sunday morning with prices starting at $289. Guest are asked to dress in semi-formal attire. Call 508-627-7000 for more information.
On New Year’s Day, the Harbor View will serve brunch in the Water Street restaurant from 10 am to 2 pm. The menu includes omelet and waffle stations, cold and hot selections, a local oyster raw bar and desserts — all to live jazz by Eric Johnson and Jeremy Berlin. The cost is $38 per person.
Moving over to Main Street, Alchemy, located at 71 Main St. (adjacent to the courthouse) will be open regular hours on New Year’s Eve but will have two seatings for their prix fixe menu at 5:30 pm and 7:15 pm.
The menu for the three-course meal offers filet mignon with chives and potato gnocchi, rack of lamb, or lobster, with foie gras or oysters on the half shell with olive oil Sauvignon and caviar. The cost is $72. Patrons can eat a la carte at the bar area. Alchemy will be closed for the rest of January. Call 508-627-9999 for more information.
Lattanzi’s Restaurant, located at 19 Church St. in Edgartown at the rear of the courthouse, is offering a New Year’s Eve special three-course dinner for $49.95. Reservations are recommended. Call 508-627-8854, ext: 11.
Moving up Main Street, The Grill on Main, located at 227 Upper Main st. in Edgartown, has extended its popular 2-for-1 entrées special, usually only offered Thursday through Saturday, to include New Year’s Eve. Chef Tony Saccoccia highlighted menu items such as roast prime rib of beef and Edgartown bay scallops. “It’s one of our busiest nights,” he said. “A lot of locals come out. You can’t beat the value of a 2-for-1 special.” Call 508-627-8344 for reservations.
Lucky Hank’s, the newest star in Edgartown’s winter dine out constellation, located at 218 Main St. in Edgartown, is in its nascent third month. The New Year’s Eve prix fixe menu includes an appetizer choice between Oysters Rockefeller and Duck Rillete. The choice of entrées is between bay scallops with lobster and asparagus risotto and rack of lamb with roasted fingerling potatoes and foraged mushrooms. Deserters will be divided between those who side with the floating islands chocolate meringue with crème anglaise and those who choose the mulled stone fruit over brioche.
There are two seatings for dinner, which cost $50 per person, tax and gratuity not included. They will also serve New Year’s brunch from 7 am ’til 2 pm New Year’s Day. Call 508-939-4082 for information and reservations.
Oak Bluffs
M.V. Chowder Company in Oak Bluffs is doing something new: Dinner and a Sitter, from 5 to 9:30 pm. Pre-school certified child cafe givers (who are also EMT’s) will be watching children upstairs at Dreamland with crafts; movies; and a full dinner buffet including chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, and hot dogs. Parents (who must dine at Chowder Company to use the sitters) can enjoy the regular menu downstairs. Children cost $25, or $20 per child if there are more than one. Price includes two hours of sitting and the $10 food buffet. Call 508-696-3000 for reservations.
Up Island
In West Tisbury The Lambert’s Cove Inn, located at 90 Manaquayak Rd., has prepared an entire evening of eating and entertainment centered on four-course dinner. The entree choices include poached lobster, swordfish, Waygu beef and braised kurobuta pork. Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish will be jamming out 2012, and 2013 will be welcomed in with a champagne toast. This is the Lambert’s Cove Inn’s eighth year hosting a New Year’s Eve party, and the cost is $150. Call 508-693-2298 for more information.
But wait, there’s more
Do not despair if prix fixe is not your thing. Many other Island restaurants will be open and serving up fine fare on the last night of 2012.
In Edgartown: The Wharf (508-627-9966), Eleven North (774-549-9187), Square Rigger Restaurant (508-627-9968), The Terrace at the Charlotte Inn (508-627-6227), and Sharky’s Cantina (508-627-6565).
In Vineyard Haven: Zephrus (508-693-3416), Le Grenier French Cuisine (508-693-4906); and Mon Amour (508-693-8444). The Black Dog Tavern, along the Vineyard Haven harbor off Beach Road Extension, is also open for dinner on New Year’s Eve. The regular dinner menu will be available, in addition to a number of specials. Cafe Moxie, on Main Street, is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on New Year’s Eve, and will host a New Year’s Day brunch. Call 508-687-9140 for more information and for reservations.
In Oak Bluffs: Seasons Restaurant and Pub (508-693-7129). Offshore Ale on Kennebec Avenue features two-for-one entrees from its regular menu this New Year’s Eve. Call 508-693-2626 for more information. And Sharky’s Cantina (508-693-7501).
