Auld Lang Syne & Dine

Top Fort Worth restaurants for a sparkling night out on New Year's Eve 2023

Cheers to the new year!

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New Year’s Eve is on the horizon and now’s the time to solidify plans if you're going out to celebrate. Several restaurants are presenting multi-course dinners to close out 2023, while others are hosting late-night parties with dancing, bubbles, and bites. Here are some of the best places in Fort Worth to ring in the New Year, presented alphabetically.

97 West Kitchen & Bar
The rustic-luxe restaurant inside Hotel Drover will offer a four-course New Year’s Eve dinner. Start with hors d’oeuvres including Wellington bites and jumbo lump crab cakes, followed by choice of arugula salad or lobster bisque. Entrée choices include lobster ravioli and carpertbagger steak, then finish with devil’s food cake or “ooey gooey” butter cake. Dinner is $130 for adults, plus tax and gratuity. Kids 6-12 can dine from the Lil Ropers menu for $35.

Blue Mesa Grill
For those celebrating earlier in the day, the Southwestern restaurant will serve a brunch buffet from 10 am-4 pm featuring pastor marinated pork tenderloin with pineapple salsa, smoked brisket, red chile glazed ham, and red chile salmon with black-eyed peas. The brunch will also include shrimp and grits, blue corn enchiladas, build-your-own taco bar, chicken and waffles, breakfast items and much more. The $35 price, plus tax and gratuity, includes mimosas.

Bourbon Street Bar & Grill
The Cajun restaurant and bar in Bedford will offer an affordable four-course feast for $40. Start with choice of jalapeno shrimp and grits or Cajun chicken bruschetta, then black-eyed peas with pork tasso, ground beef, and cabbage soup, followed by a main course of seafood cornbread stuffed pork loin or redfish with lemon-dill beurre blanc. Save room for a praline ice cream sandwich with caramel rum sauce. Reservations are recommended.

Emilia’s
Located inside Fort Worth’s new glitzy Crescent hotel, Emilia’s will host a five-course prix-fixe menu for New Year’s Eve. Menu highlights include sunchoke soup with crème fraiche, truffle and chanterelle spaghetti, and venison with farro risotto. The dinner is $195 per person, plus tax and gratuity, with an optional wine pairing for $60.

Fitzgerald
The Camp Bowie Boulevard coastal-inspired restaurant will host a party with casino games, DJ music, dancing, and a midnight toast. Tickets are $75, or go VIP with an all-inclusive bar and a food buffet by chef Ben Merritt for $175. (Don’t miss Fitzgerald’s popular espresso martini to stay perky.) The party will run from 8 pm-midnight.

FnG Eats
The Keller restaurant will offer a three-course dinner with seating times at 6 pm and 8:30 pm. The menu includes crab cake shooters, shrimp bisque or wedge salad, choice of filet, wood-grilled salmon, or Alaskan halibut, and flourless Kahlua chocolate cake or cheesecake with miso caramel sauce. Dinner is $80 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

Hotel Vin
The downtown Grapevine hotel will host a “Totally 80’s New Year’s Eve,” complete with dinner, drinks, casino, an 80’s band, and midnight balloon drop toast. The $275 ticket includes a four-course dinner with wine pairings and admission to the party. (Gratuity is also included.) There’ll be cash bars at the party, which will start at 9 pm. Arrive by 7 pm for dinner.

La Onda
The Latin-inspired seafood concept, which moved into the Near Southside's Hotel Revel, will host a five-course dinner for New Year’s Eve. The menu includes a shaved beet salad, roasted heirloom pumpkin soup, scallops a la plancha, lamb t-bone chop, and a surprise dessert. The dinner is $250 for two, plus tax and a service fee, and will begin at 7 pm.

Le Margot
The French concept by restaurateur Felipe Armenta and celeb chef partner Graham Elliot will present an elegant six-course dinner for New Year’s Eve. The menu includes oysters with champagne gelee, sturgeon caviar, foie gras, lobster risotto, beef Wellington with black truffles, and chocolate tarte with Chantilly cream and raspberry coulis. The dinner is $125 per person, plus tax and gratuity, with an option wine pairing for $75 more.

Martin House Brewing Company
The Riverside brewery will host Cello Fest, a New Year’s Eve afternoon celebration of their high ABV cello beer series. Tickets are $53 per person and include a sipping glass, four pours of cello beer, and four pints of cello beer to take home. The lineup includes Limoncello, Peaches & Creamcello, Pina Coladacello, Srirachacello, Dr. Hoppercello, Birthday Cakecello, Strawberrycello, and Oyster Mushroomcello. The party will run from 12-5 pm.

Musume
The downtown subterranean Japanese sushi and steakhouse will host a Roaring Twenties soiree with Great Gatsby vibes. There’ll be DJ music, a photo booth, and a cash bar. Tickets are $40, or get the $100 VIP ticket and get personal plush lounge seating, an open bar from 10 pm-1 am, dessert bar, and breakfast burritos. The party will run from 8 pm-2 am, with DJ music to start at 9:30 pm.

Quince
The eclectic WestBend restaurant will host a Studio 54-themed dance party with live music and a five-course tasting. Menu highlights include Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo, passion fruit sorbet with mezcal cream, surf and turf, and baked Alaska. Reservations are $150 and include a welcome cocktail and a Veuve Clicquot toast to bring in the New Year. The party will run from 8 pm-1 am.

Refinery 714
The 24th floor bar atop downtown’s Kimpton Harper Hotel will host a Western chic-themed celebration to ring in the New Year. There’ll be live DJ music, bites and sweets, and cocktail specials. Admission is free and the party will run from 9 pm-2 am.

Toro Toro
The Latin steakhouse inside the Worthington Renaissance hotel will host a five-course New Year’s Eve dinner with two seating times: 5 pm and 8 pm. Courses include grilled Caesar salad, tuna tartare, A5 Japanese Wagyu steak, and choice of entrée and dessert. The dinner is $135 per person, plus tax and gratuity, with optional wine pairings available.

Wicked Butcher
The underground steakhouse inside The Sinclair Hotel downtown will host a three-course prix-fixe feast for New Year’s Eve. Choices include steak tartare, lobster bisque, tuna and foie gras, rack of lamb, duck a l’orange, bone-in strip loin, and molten chocolate souffle. The dinner is $125 per person, plus tax and gratuity, with an optional $75 wine pairing. Reservations run from 5-11:30 pm.

holidays

Time For Some Tasty Tidbits

Lots of new dishes to check out in this Fort Worth restaurant news

Vickery Cafe

Shepherd's pie at Vickery Cafe

This roundup of restaurant news around Fort Worth has an exciting new opening, a sad closing, 2 high-profile relocations, and loads of new menus to check out.

Here's what's happening in Fort Worth restaurant news:

Japan House, a unique all-you-can-eat concept with full-serve table service, has opened a location in the Lake Worth area of Fort Worth at 5912 Quebec St., off 820 — joining two other locations already open in North Richland Hills and Irving. They feature an expansive menu of more than 170 items: appetizers, sushi rolls, sashimi, ramen, poke bowls, hibachi. They scrapped their previous buffet model and instead bring AYCE dishes to the table.

Vickery Cafe, the longtime favorite diner, has re-opened in its new location in the former Max’s Wine Dive location at 2421 W. 7th St. Owner Curtis James moved because his lease was not extended. It's known for its Southern and Tex-Mex fare.

Craft & Vine, the Roanoke taproom and eatery, closed its doors after seven years. They served craft beers, shared plates, and 3rd-floor patio offering views.

Always Cooking Nola, a family-owned concept serving Cajun and New Orleans-style food, previously located in a Chevron in River Oaks, has softly opened in a new location at 6301 Randol Mill Rd. where it's serving po'boys, gumbo, wings, and more. Hours are 11 am-6 pm.

Dog Haus is celebrating Thanksgiving all month with a twist on the Turducken: a turkey, duck, and chicken sausage topped with garlic aioli, turkey gravy, onions, and scallions, served on King’s Hawaiian rolls; and the Turducken burrito, a turkey, duck, and chicken sausage, three sunny side up eggs, white American cheese, sweet potato fries, caramelized onions, and spicy mayo in a toasted flour tortilla.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill has new menu items including Arancini, a risotto bite with fennel sausage, mozzarella, parmesan, & Romano cheese; rigatoni al forno, with tomato cream sauce, Italian sausage, Romano, parmesan, mozzarella and goat cheese; and short rib marsala, bone-in short rib over garlic mashed potatoes with Lombardo Marsala wine sauce. Dessert includes a triple chocolate bread pudding. New festive cocktails feature the merry berry martini and wood-fired old fashioned. Available through January 13.

Laredo Taco Company, 7-Eleven's in-house restaurant, has two holiday specials: Quesabirria, featuring shredded beef and melted cheese, available as a taco or bowl, paired with consommé dipping sauce; and tamales in choice of pork or chicken, in packs of three, six, or 12 or a family size with two dozen tamales and two sides.

Main Event has new frozen hot chocolate shakes in three flavors: Classic, a frozen hot chocolate with chocolate candy frosted rim, and a Little Debby Christmas tree cake; s’mores with marshmallow rim and graham crackers; and peppermint with peppermint frosted rim and a candy cane. Bailey’s Irish Cream or Caffè Borghetti can be added to any flavor for $3. Prices start at $11. Available through January 7.

Menchie's Frozen Yogurt is collaborating with candy brand Hi-Chew for a limited-edition Key lime pie flavor, inspired by Hi-Chew Dessert Mix’s Key Lime Pie. The flavor is available through November 30 at Menchie’s locations in Euless' Glade Park and Colleyville.

Rita’s Frozen Custard has two limited-time frozen treats: Frozen Hot Cocoa Gelati, which layers Rita’s Frozen Hot Cocoa Cream Ice with Vanilla Custard, blending the taste of hot cocoa with cool Italian Ice; and Frozen Hot Cocoa Gelati Blender with a crushed peppermint topping.

Dunkin' is bringing back holiday favorites and new menu items. Drinks include the cookie butter cold brew, peppermint mocha latte, toasted white chocolate latte, and white hazelnut bark coffee. New items include the cookie butter donut, holiday cookie latte, almond croissant, and hash brown brisket scramble bowl.

Barrilitos, the Mexican soda, has returned to Texas shelves. Originally produced nearly 100 years ago, the drink is available in four flavors: Mandarina, Manzana, Piña, and Ponche de Frutas in both 12-ounce and 1.5-liter bottles. The aguas frescas were sold until 2020-2021, and the sodas were sold until 2017. Now they're available at El Rancho, La Michoacana, and Fiesta stores.

P.F. Chang’s has added Asian fried chicken to the menu for the first time. It comes in two options, Korean fried chicken and Taiwanese popcorn chicken, with a choice of sauces, including sweet soy glaze, dynamite, hot honey, and chili crisp. Available as bone-in three-piece or six-piece and boneless four-piece or five-piece, eight-piece or 10-piece for shareables.

Wendy's has a new salted caramel Frosty. It can also be paired with the limited-time mushroom bacon cheeseburger, which features roasted mushrooms, bacon, Muenster cheese, and garlic spread. The Frosty is $3 and the burger is $6.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission has shut down two oyster harvest areas in the Gulf: the 14-acre Desperation Reef and the 529-acre Dollar Reef, both in Galveston Bay, to allow the oyster population to recover the reef is healthy enough that they can start harvesting oysters again. They'll reopen in November 2026.

Chipotle has launched a wacky new merchandise collection that includes a $10 cilantro soap, a nod to the small percentage of the population who are genetically wired to experience a soapy flavor when eating cilantro; the $28 “Water” Cup candle, a lemonade-scented candle; and $20 car napkin holder. The collection will be available for individual purchase, or as a bundle for $50.
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Raven Jordan contributed to this story.

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