Ring in the new year with food, drinks and a toast
choice of three nights. Lola is serving a special prix fixe menu from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The menu includes smoked trout mousse blini roll, signature lime Caesar salad, entree choices of Scottish salmon with herbed risotto and apple slaw or caramelle pasta with braised beef short rib and parmesan jus, and dessert choices of pear torte or chocolate cake. $40. 1100 Galveston Ave., North Side; 412322-1106; lola-bistro.com. Toast to 2018: prosecco toast with amuse bouche course.
Melting Pot: Entree course packages include New Year’s Delight (lobster tail, filet mignon, teriyaki marinated sirloin, mojo shrimp, garlic chili chicken, wild mushroom sachetti and winter vegetable medley) or New Year’s Celebration (Memphis-style barbeque pork medallion, filet mignon, teriyaki marinated sirloin, black angus sirloin, garlic chili chicken, mascarpone and sun-dried tomato ravioli and winter vegetable medley). Dessert course is a choice of various chocolate fondues with dippers. Five courses, champagne toast and gift bag for $138 per couple; reservations after 9:45 p.m. are $99.95 per couple. 125 W. Station Square Drive, South Side; 412-261-3477; meltingpot.com/pittsburghpa/ Toast to 2018: Second course is a choice of lobster bacon cheese, loaded baked potato cheddar or sparkling gruyere cheese fondue.
Morcilla: Celebrate the new year Spanish-style with cider and the regular a la carte menu including charcuterie, pickled vegetables, oysters, beef tartare, tapas and more. Reservations available from 4 to 10 p.m. 3519 Butler St., Lawrenceville; 412-652-9924; morcillapittsburgh.com. Toast to 2018: Footprints Farm Cochinillo ($115; recommended for four to six people) — crispy skin suckling pork roast with romesco sauce, piperade, salsa verde and toasted sourdough.
Muddy Waters Oyster Bar: The “Bubbles and Oysters Party” runs from 10 p.m. to midnight. $75 (tickets available through the Facebook event page; go to facebook.com and search for “New Years Eve Oyster Party”). 130 S. Highland Ave., East Liberty; 412-3610555; muddywaterspgh.com. Toast to 2018: Ticket includes two complimentary glasses of sparkling wine and unlimited access to select East and West Coast oysters.
Olive or Twist: New Year’s Eve party from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. includes music, open bar, hot and cold hors d’oeuvres and desserts, photo booth and midnight balloon drop. $150; ages 21 and up only; available at eventbrite.com (search for “NYE 2018 Celebration at Olive or Twist!”). 140 Sixth St., Downtown; 412-255-0525; olive-twist.com. Toast to 2018: Open bar includes premium liquors.
Or, The Whale: Choices for the evening include a fivecourse prix fixe dinner with seatings at 5 or 7:30 p.m. ($135), wine pairings for an added $50, a New Year’s Eve celery root and red wine bordelaise sauce, for $31.
Smallman Galley: Fourcourse meal from Duncan St Dinners served between 6:30 and 9 p.m. The menu works traditional NYE foods, sauerkraut and pork, into the evening in the form of crispy pig ear and sauerkraut salad for the salad course and pork tenderloin with roasted potatoes and herb-roasted cauliflower for the main course. The bar team will choose paired beverages. $95 (includes 20 percent off tickets to Brew Year’s Eve at partner restaurant Federal Galley later in the evening). 54 21st St.; 412-281-0949; smallmangalley.org. Toast to 2018: champagne olive oil cake with champagne-marinated strawberries for dessert.
Spoonwood Brewing: Four-course beer pairing dinner from 6 to 8 p.m. with pork belly and slaw, burrata salad, hay-fired strip loin, and blueberry and lemon shortcake trifle. $65. 5981 Baptist Road, Bethel Park; 412-833-0333; spoonwoodbrewing.com. Toast to 2018: Dinnerpairings include four brews — Eyes Aglow winter white, Shadowgraff cider/ ale, Bruna Belgian porter and Elise barrel-aged saison party ($150), and a combination ticket for the 7:30 p.m. dinner with the party afterward ($250). The five-course dinner includes a surf and turf entree of braised short rib with truffle sauce, potato dauphinois, butter-poached and wood-fired lobster tail, caviar cream and charred greens. The party with a live band and dancing, starting at 10 p.m., includes chowder, crudo and caviar stations and an oyster cart. 463 Boulevard of the Allies, Downtown; 412-632-0002; orthewhalepgh. Toast to 2018: Ticket includes five drinks from a champagne bar, a martini bar and the full beer and wine list, plus a champagne toast at midnight.
Revel + Roost: A ticket for the eve celebration ($50 online, $75 at the door, ages 21 and up only) includes open bar and dance floors with music starting at 9 p.m. Guests can also choose to upgrade to a 9 p.m. prix fixe dinner ($150) along with the party. Or if you prefer a quieter dinner, seatings are available at 5 and 7 p.m. at Roost for the prix fixe dinner only, minus the later party. 242 Forbes Ave., Downtown. Tickets: showclix.com/ event/revel-and-roost-newyearsToast to 2018: champagne toast and balloon drop at midnight.
Scratch Food & Beverage: Four-course dinner with seatings from 5 to 10 p.m. includes entree choice of tagliatelle with scallions and lemon or New York strip steak with potato, onion and red wine. $80 per person; $20 for optional wine pairings; reservations at opentable.com/r/scratchpittsburgh. 1720 Lowrie St., Troy Hill; 412-251-0822; scratchfoodbev.com. Toast to 2018: dark chocolate panna cotta espresso.
Six Penn Kitchen: Specials include an appetizer and two entree choices. The appetizer consists of seared foie gras with cranberry gel, zucchini bread, and apple and raisin salad for $15. The surf ’n turf entree is grilled filet of beef with crab cake, wilted greens, marrow hollandaise and scalloped potato for $40. Specials will be served from 5 to 9 p.m. 146 Sixth St., Downtown; 412281- 7366; sixpennkitchen. Toast to 2018: entree special, La Belle Farm duck breast with lentils, — and a champagne toast.
Spork: Choose a regular or vegetarian menu from 4 to 10 p.m. The regular menu includes sweet potato gnocchi, crab souffle, arugula salad with smoked root vegetables and lobster, beef deckle with winter truffles, and chocolate orange bombe for dessert. The vegetarian option subs rapini and Gruyere for the crab in the souffle, grilled halloumi for the lobster in the arugula salad, and ricotta, sage and squash ravioli for the beef in the entree course. $100. 5430 Penn Ave., Bloomfield; 412-4411700; sporkpittsburgh.com. Toast to 2018: $40 wine pairings available with dinner.
Superior Motors: Chef Kevin Sousa’s first NYE dinner at his Braddock restaurant will feature a five-course prix fixe menu in two seatings: 5 to 9 p.m. for $125 per person or 9 p.m. to midnight for $135 per person (includes a champagne toast). Optional beverage pairings are an added $50. Dinner includes rib eye Wellington, lobster en papillote and baked Alaska. 1211 Braddock Ave. Reservations: 1-917-455-9207 or chris@ superiormotors15104.com. Info: 412-2711022; superiormotors15104. Toast to 2018: smoked sturgeon with caviar and buckwheat along with a special house cocktail that will be revealed at seating time.
Whitfield: A regular brunch will be served from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. But for dinner, which will be from 5 p.m. to midnight, Whitfield will serve from both the regular menu and an $80 four-course prix fixe menu. Ace Hotel Pittsburgh, 120 S. Whitfield, East Liberty; 412-626-3090; whitfieldpgh.com. Toast to 2018: The prix fixe menu includes mushroom soup, frisee and watercress salad with pickled beets and poached egg, strip streak with ricotta pierogi and a creamsicle sundae.