New Year's Eve
Toasts and jams
Whether 2007 brought you stock-market pain or new-baby pleasure, our dinner, party and morning-after options will help you ring in 2008 the right way—even if you’re an NYE hater.
Illustrations by Jude Buffum
Your year
You broke up—now hook up
Your relationship went up in flames just in time for NYE. Think you’re going to miss out on that stroke-of-midnight smooch? We don’t think so. The plan: Zone in on places that are sans snuggly couples and full of your type. Just try to pick one where you-know-who is unlikely to show up: 2008 is about a new batch of cuties, not drama, right?
NICE PIECE OF GLASS The Bottle Bar is a great place to make googly eyes at hotties.
Photo: Jessica Dixon
Your night
Dinner
Get some single friends together and go somewhere with close quarters or a communal environment. The proximity to your fellow diners, coupled with liquor, could get strangers talking, and if you’re lucky, touching. Even though it’s not presenting anything special for New Year’s and not taking reservations, small-plates haven Avec (615 W Randolph St, 312-377-2002) is a good choice: The tables are so close together, you’re practically seated in your neighbor’s lap. Wicker Park tapas joint People (1560 N Milwaukee Ave, 773-227-9339) will host an NYE dinner at $130 per person that includes four courses such as wild mushroom soup, duck breast with serrano ragout and a chocolate parfait. This spot also has a long communal table, great food and a young, friendly crowd—all crucial ingredients for a meal with possibilities, if you catch our drift.
Partytime
For the evening’s main event, you’re looking for booze aplenty and pretty people. And preferably not some cheeseball hotel bash hosted by middle-aged radio jocks that advertises itself as “the party of the year.” Not that we ever succumbed to that in high school or anything. Ahem. Chichi lounge krem (1750 N Clark St, 312-932-1750) hosts festivities for $125 that include high-end cocktails (Belvedere vodka and Veuve Clicquot) and hors d’oeuvres. Also up north, Lakeview’s Bottle Bar (950 W Wolfram St, 773-665-5660), which offers 99 different kinds of bottled brew, is having a “beer lovers” NYE bash and serving “only Gold Medal winners from the World Beer Cup” (everything from Chimay to Olde English). But never fear, beer haters: Bottle also will have an open bar with premium vodkas and rum. Both of these bashes will include all the elements—swank decor, great music, flowing liquor—to get the talky, sexy vibe going.
If these places sound too high-end for your down-homey tastes, and you’re wondering where the regular, jeans-wearing folks go for a drunken and raucous New Year’s bash, one answer (okay, maybe not the right answer) is the fete at Hogs and Honeys (1551 N Sheffield Ave, 312-377-1733). It might not be the classiest party in town, but it’s $50 per person and its motto—“Be yourself so you don’t have to go home by yourself”—seems apropos for your goal to hook up tonight. That ticket includes a buffet, an open bar, a Champagne toast and yes, darlings, bull rides. Hey, we didn’t say getting some one-night-stand action included maintaining your dignity.
Morning after
On the first morning of 2008, you’ll want to get both grub for your belly and candy for your eyes. HotChocolate (1747 N Damen Ave, 773-489-1747) delivers both. With its seasonally inspired fare like a scramble with in-season veggies and cinnamon-sugar eggs, combined with the cute, friendly singles who often sit at the bar, it’s hard to go wrong. Or try Orange (3231 N Clark St, 773-549-4400), which specializes in classic American egg dishes and fresh-squeezed juices. It also specializes in long waits, which can bring up natural topics for flirting (the ridiculous wait, the menu). If you got lucky and found a boy- or girl-toy on NYE, you can always eat in. Plan ahead by hitting Sweet Thang (1921 W North Ave, 773-772-4166) the day before. This bakery has some of the best, flakiest croissants around; we love the chocolate, almond, turkey and Swiss, and spinach varieties.—Gretchen Kalwinski
Hater option
If you’re bored by the party or dinner thing, the hater choices for newly single folks on the Eve basically boil down to one of two paths: (1) The black book: Meet up with an ex-love you had great chemistry with (not the one you just split with, fer crissakes) at your friendly neighborhood dive bar like Logan Square’s Whirlaway (3224 W Fullerton Ave, 773-276-6809), and celebrate with the regulars, complete with noisemakers and cheap Champagne in plastic glasses. Then, bring the ex home, while knowing full well that nothing will come of this except hot, one-night lovin’. (2) Wallowing: Stay at home and steep in melancholy whilst enjoying your vices, whether of the booze, cigarette or cupcake variety. Watch films about romance gone bad (Casablanca, Annie Hall, A Heart in Winter, The Apartment, Vertigo, Match Point) while booing and hissing. Let 11:59 become midnight with no ceremony whatsoever; maybe even go to bed before 12 to give the middle finger to 2007. That’ll teach ’em.—GK
