Dine out on New Year’s Eve

Most restaurants around Boise will be open New Year’s Eve to fill the stomachs of revelers.

Here’s a look at several that will offer special menus and parties. To make sure you get in on the fun, consider making reservations soon.

▪  Chandlers at Hotel 43, 981 W. Grove St., is throwing a big New Year’s Eve party with special menus in the lounge and main dining room. UPDATE: As of 12/27, Chandlers is sold out for New Year’s Eve, but has a waitlist.

From 4 p.m. to midnight, hang out in the soon-to-be-remodeled lounge area and enjoy an a la carte menu that features starters such as beef carpaccio ($16), shrimp scampi ($16), crab cakes ($20), classic oysters Rockefeller ($18) and freshly shucked Pacific oysters on the half shell ($3 each).

You can also get entrées in the lounge area, including day boat scallops ($36) on truffled potato cakes with shiitake mushrooms in citrus butter sauce. How about a petite filet mignon ($36) or an American Kobe beef flatiron steak ($40) served with a broiled Parmesan tomato and smashed potatoes?

There will be plenty of sparkling wines offered by the glass ($9-$25) to put people in a festive mood.

Two seatings will happen in the main dining room (5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), where diners can get a four-course prix fixe menu for $100 per person.

The first course is the Seafood Trilogy (Maryland crab cake, shrimp scampi and an oyster Rockefeller), followed by a choice of salads or buttery lobster bisque.

Entrée choices include Surf and Turf (beef tenderloin with Australian lobster tail), day boat scallops, filet mignon and other hand-cut steaks.

For dessert, go for either the chocolate soufflé or fromage blanc cheesecake with wild honey sauce.

Big spenders can add supplementary items for extra mullah, including wild Baja California abalone ($50), an Atlantic lobster tail ($35) and real-deal Japanese Wagyu beef ($75/five-ounce cut; $150/10-ounce cut).

Make reservations at chandlersboise.com or (208) 383-4300.

▪  In Northwest Boise, 36th Street Bistro, 3823 N. Garden Center Way, is offering a four-course wine dinner ($65 per person) from 5 to 8:30 p.m. UPDATE: As of 12/27, 36th Street Bistro is sold out for New Year’s Eve, but has a waitlist.

Chef Joe Leseberg will start diners off with an amuse bouche (small bite) of caramelized onion tartlet with port glaze and cranberry crème fraiche.

The first course will come in the form of chilled, slow-roasted sunchokes with local micro greens, vichyssoise puree, roasted tomato confetti and white balsamic-fennel vinaigrette.

Next up, choose an Asian-inspired tarragon crepe or caramelized butternut squash ravioli with Greek yogurt-coriander sauce and spiced hazelnuts.

Main-course options include pan-seared lamb chops on crispy quinoa-blue cheese cakes, roasted corvina fish or portabella mushroom ragout with saffron-flecked couscous.

For dessert, go for the olive oil-semolina cake pudding with lemon ice cream or Textures of Chocolate, an arrangement of cocoa meringue, dark chocolate wafer cookies, chocolate-brandy ice cream and shaved white chocolate.

Each course will be paired with a select wine.

Reservations required. Call (208) 433-5108.

▪  The Owyhee Tavern, 1109 Main St., won’t be running its regular menu on New Year’s Eve. Instead, the new steak and seafood restaurant in The Owyhee building is offering a special menu from 4 to 11 p.m. UPDATE: As of 12/27, The Owyhee Tavern has only early and late reservation times remaining.

Here’s how it works: You can choose from three entrée menus ($50, $75 and $100) that come with champagne, soup or salad, an Oregon berry sorbet intermezzo, and a choice of velvety vanilla mousse or chocolate soufflé.

The $50 menu includes entrees such as salmon, lobster pasta, Kobe top sirloin or a 10-ounce cut of prime rib. The $75 entrees include beef Wellington, filet mignon, Kobe flatiron steak, one pound of king crab legs or a bone-in New York strip steak. Or go big with the $100 entrée menu, which includes bone-in prime rib, porterhouse steak, filet mignon with Mexican shrimp or a Kobe flatiron steak with a lobster tail.

Reservations recommended. Go to opentable.com or call (208) 639-0440.

▪  Saint Lawrence Gridiron, 705 W. Bannock St., is right in the middle of the action for the Idaho Potato Drop thanks to its prime location across from the Borah Station U.S. Post Office. The popular gastropub is running its regular menu, as well as three entrée specials, from 5 p.m. to midnight. The bar will stay open long enough to toast in the New Year.

No reservations required.

Online: saintlawrencegridiron.com.

▪  Barbacoa Grill, 276 Bobwhite Court, is once again throwing a big New Year’s Eve bash ($55 per person) starting at 9 p.m. This year’s theme is the Black and White Masquerade Ball, meaning revelers should wear those colors and masks to give the party an air of mystery.

Assorted hors d’oeuvres will get tray-passed all night long, and attendees also will receive a complimentary cocktail and a champagne toast when the clock strikes midnight. A live DJ will keep the place hopping throughout the night.

For tickets, stop by the restaurant or call (208) 338-5000.

Get out of town on New Year’s Eve

▪  Shore Lodge, 501 W. Lake St., in McCall is putting on a big party ($119 per person) that includes live music, 1920s-inspired cocktails, appetizers and a four-course dinner at The Narrows restaurant. For reservations, call (208) 634-2244. UPDATE: As of 12/27, the Shore Lodge is sold out.

Online: shorelodge.com.

▪  Sun Valley Resort, 1 Sun Valley Road, has a packed schedule of activities, events and special dinners planned for New Year’s Eve. Why not take a snowy sleigh ride to the Trail Creek Cabin for dinner? The iconic, tucked-away restaurant — one of Ernest Hemingway’s old haunts — will be offering a four-course prix fixe menu ($159 adults, $95 kids 12 and under, sleigh ride included) by the roaring fireplace. For reservations, call (208) 622-2135.

To see the events calendar, go to sunvalley.com.

▪  Southfork Lodge, 7234 Idaho 21, in Lowman is offering a New Year’s Eve overnight package ($199, double occupancy) that includes a room at the inn, dinner for two, party favors galore and a toast of bubbly at midnight. The package also comes with a three-course breakfast on New Year’s Day and plenty of mimosas and sake bloody Marys to iron out the rough edges. For reservations, call (208) 259-3232.

Online: southforklodgeidaho.com.

This story was originally published December 22, 2016 at 6:11 PM with the headline "Dine out on New Year’s Eve."