Kitchen Doors: Where to Ring in the New Year
Kitchen Doors
Festive Feasts
CENTURY GRAND
Phoenix, centurygrandphx.com
Century Grand is the latest concept from Barter & Shake, the award-winning team behind UnderTow, the pirate ship and tiki bar-inspired cocktail lounge. After much anticipation, Century Grand officially opened to the public in November, offering guests two experiences through Century Grand and Platform 18. In both cases, you’ll find yourself stepping back in time to the 1920s, when the flapper and Art Deco influenced everything from fashion to architecture. Century Grand offers a large selection of cocktails and a truly unique dining experience with food served dim sum style — small bites and other dishes served from a cart, which allows you to pick and choose what you’d like. The menu changes often, so check their website for details. Meanwhile, Platform 18 is what Barter & Shake calls an “immersive cocktail experience,” fashioned like a Pullman train car with scenes displayed out of the windows that will make you feel as if you’ve been whisked away on an exotic trip. Ring in the New Year with Century Grand, an experience that will take you to another place and time. Reservations are highly recommended, so make yours early.
HEARTH 61 (Local First)
Scottsdale; mountainshadows.com/dining/hearth
Located at the beautifully restored Mountain Shadows resort, Hearth 61 serves flavorful seasonal American fare prepared by acclaimed Chef Chuck Wiley and his talented culinary team. Hearth 61 will be hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration with music, dancing and a special four-course Champagne dinner that will help you bring a deliciously delightful close to 2019. The menu features a caviar hors d’oeuvre followed by cauliflower chowder with Alaskan king crab, black truffle and celery. Next is a flavorful Hamachi crudo (Japanese fish served raw) and then an herb-crusted Niman Ranch prime beef striploin accompanied by a foie gras croquette, porcini mushrooms and mustard greens finished with a classic Sauce Robert. Finish with a delectable Valrhona chocolate chai opera cake made with chai tea Bavarian cream. Join Hearth for a 6:30 p.m. seating ($125 per person) or for their second seating at 9:30 p.m. ($150 per person). Price includes favors and a Champagne toast at midnight. Contact the resort for reservations.
TALAVERA RESTAURANT
Scottsdale; talaverarestaurant.com
Talavera Restaurant at the Four Seasons in Scottsdale serves up amazing Spanish cuisine alongside sweeping views of the Arizona desert. At the helm of this incredible steakhouse is Chef Samantha Sanz, a 2019 James Beard nominee for Rising Star Chef of the Year. Talavera has put together a special six-course tasting menu to celebrate New Year’s Eve this year and it is one not to be missed. From 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. for $345 per person, sip on Krug champagne and indulge in a menu that features seafood, a winter salad with pickled squash, paella made with duck confit, Iberian sausage, and Jamón Ibérico (cured ham), a grass-fed tomahawk ribeye and a dessert aptly named the Midnight Chocolate Orange Cake. Following dinner, guests can extend the party into 2020 at the Onyx Lounge’s Glitter & Gold New Years Eve Party hosted by Krug Champagne. The party features a live DJ, complimentary passed sweets, late-night bites and a Champagne toast at the stroke of midnight. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 480-513-5085 or visiting OpenTable.com.
FEATURED:
ZUZU AT HOTEL VALLEY HO (Local First)
Scottsdale; hotelvalleyho.com/zuzu
ZuZu has created three different New Year’s Eve experiences so you can welcome 2020 any way you’d like. Those looking to turn in early or head out for the rest of the night should book the Early Birds dine-and-dash evening (5:30 to 7:30 p.m., $99 per person), featuring a three-course dinner prepared by the exceptional Chef Russell LaCasce and his talented culinary team. Those looking to celebrate into the New Year will want to check out The Roamers late-night experience from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. For $129 per person, you’ll enjoy three glasses of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label or cocktails while noshing on hors d’oeuvres and dancing to the sounds of live DJ entertainment. Those wanting to take their celebration to the next level should choose one of ZuZu’s All-Nighters VIP packages. You and your party will enjoy reserved table seating with a bottle of Veuve la Grande Dame, a seafood platter and hors d’oeuvres or customize your night further by adding a three-course dinner or doubling your order of Champagne. Prices are $400 to $1,000 based on the number of guests in your party. Visit hotelvalleyho.com/NYE for additional details and to make your reservation.
