New Year’s Eve is a few hours suspended from the normal rules of time, neither one year nor the next, yet both. While a “memorable evening” is often the goal, it’s all too frequently a night whose details escape memory. Still, a new year at least offers the assurance that things will be different, whether better or worse remains to be seen … next year.
A small handful of places plan to stay open past midnight, beyond their usual hours, to usher in the new year. A few plan festivities and special menus, but will close before the clock strikes 2025.
Lo & Behold
DJ Kevin West will manhandle the sounds, and the dance floor will be open for the “last dance” of 2024, following regular dinner service that ends at 10pm. No cover, a “traditional grilled cheese toast” (?) at midnight, open till 1am. Lo & Behold Bar and Kitchen is at 214 Healdsburg Ave.
Troubadour
Boulangerie by day, diner by night, Troubadour Bread & Bistro celebrates with extended seating hours and a special menu of French-inspired dishes leading up to a midnight toast, featuring a champagne pairing menu to complement each course. 318 Healdsburg Ave.
John Ash & Co.
The celebrated restaurant at Vintner’s Resort, one of Sonoma County’s original farm-to-table icons, will pull out the stops for a five-course dinner and afterparty, starting at 8pm. Memorable but not cheap: Cost is $255 or more per person, plus the usual charges, (707) 575-7350 for reservations. 4350 Barnes Rd. at River Road., Santa Rosa.
Cyrus Geyserville
It’s a “Caviar & Champagne” night upstream at Cyrus, with a special Bubbles Lounge reservation beginning with a glass of grower-producer Champagne, and featuring aged Ossetra Caviar (15g). Option to customize by selecting the inimitable Krug Grande Cuveé to fill one’s glass. For parties of 1-4, prepaid reservations at $95 per person plus, from exploretock.com/cyrus.
Bubble Bar
The classic way to spend New Year’s Eve is by toasting sparkling wines and indulging in the glamour of French culture. And what better way than a New Year’s countdown in Paris? (Trois-deux-un … !). That would be 3pm local time, so naturally the Healdsburg Bubble Bar will be open noon to 8pm that Wednesday, Dec. 31, to make the most of the occasion. Then do it all over again at midnight—this will be owner Sarah Quider’s first New Year’s Eve in the tasting room, so she’ll stay open past 12am! 134 North St. (707) 395-4434.
Spoonbar
The H2Hotel ground-level restaurant will be open from 5-10 pm on Dec. 31, with a special five-course tasting menu ($125) by candlelight, featuring delightful dishes and desserts. An optional wine pairing is available for $60. There will also be live music by John Schott and Marc Capelle, playing a mix of pop, jazz and soul tunes until 10:30pm. 219 Healdsburg Ave.
The Matheson
Rooftop 104 will be open from 3-8pm and will serve a special featuring Yukon-Chive Croquettes with California White Sturgeon Caviar and crème fraîche, paired with a glass of sparkling wine, for $25 per person. Gather around the firepit, sip your drink and take in the breathtaking views of Fitch Mountain (before 5pm these days), bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one. 104 Matheson St., fourth floor.
Dry Creek Kitchen
Charlie Palmer’s DCK culinary team offers two festive menus for New Year’s Eve, each featuring seasonally inspired Wine Country fare. Seating No. 1, from 5-7:15pm, is a four-course dinner for $145 (optional $75 wine pairing), while the second seating, from 7:30-10pm, is a five-course dinner for $175 ($95 wine pairing). Menus and reservations at tinyurl.com/2uwc75ye, 317 Healdsburg Ave.
