New Year’s Eve is prime time for prix fixe at Tacoma-area restaurants
New Year’s Eve is a funny holiday for restaurants.
People definitely dine out, but they don’t necessarily want to be sitting at a table in front of dirty dishes at midnight. That means an earlier dinnertime, after which everyone anticipates the same thing at the same time.
Some parties rush to make it home to clink their own glasses, in their own home, at midnight. Others head to the bar where they know the drinks will be flowing and the music playing.
“We don’t usually get much action for late-night on New Year’s Eve,” said Chris Casella, the general manager at Asado on Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue.
On a typical week, the Argentinian steakhouse keeps its kitchen open later than most restaurants in town — until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and midnight every other night.
Newcomers like Wooden City, 1022 South J, and Dirty Oscar’s Annex also serve past 10 p.m., alongside late-night stalwarts ranging from the comfort food of The Spar in Old Town to the pricey steaks at El Gaucho downtown.
On New Year’s Eve, however, Wooden City has opted to offer a five-course set menu with only three seatings — at 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Neighbor En Rama, in Courthouse Square, announced the same times for its 5-course set menu ($65 or $80 with wine/sherry pairings) last Thursday — only to sell out by Sunday afternoon.
At Asado, Casella doesn’t anticipate a big crowd past 10 p.m., but he admitted you never really know. If the people cometh, food (and drink!) will be available until 1 a.m. for those who prefer to revel in the wild.
Want to keep decision-making to a minimum on New Year’s Eve? These restaurants can’t tell you how to toast 2020, but they can fill your bellies for a set price.
WOODEN CITY
Where: 714 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-503-0762, woodencitytacoma.com
Details: Wooden City connects with its fans primarily through Instagram, where news of its New Year’s Eve prix fixe spread like oysters at happy hour. Message the restaurant there, @woodencitytacoma to receive an email with additional information. Choose from a 5 p.m., 7 p.m. or 9 p.m. seating.
The five-course menu revolves around an “old-school New York City, 1950s supper club kind of vibe,” according to chef-owner Jon Green, albeit with Pacific Northwest ingredients in Wooden City style. Think Oysters Rockefeller with beauts from Lilliwaup, rich Crab Louie made with local Dungeness, and lobster ravioli. The star will be a Steak Dianne (filet mignon, traditionally flambéed with pan drippings tableside) cooked in a brandy-peppercorn blanquette and served with potato gratin. Seal the meal with a chocolate tarte. Green recommends plenty of wine and cocktails, too.
“All of it is meant to be really simple, delicious and fun,” he said. “And hopefully to make a case for why these classics became classics in the first place.”
ASADO
Where: 2810 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-7770, asadotacoma.com
Details: The Latin steakhouse from X Group Restaurants, which also owns nearby Engine House No. 9 and E9 Brewing, will offer a family-style set menu intended to feed four people. Though not unique to New Year’s, “The Complete Asado Experience” showcases some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.
For $205 (before tax, gratuity and beverages), start with empanadas, ceviche and the house chopped salad. The main course features flat iron and hanger steak, plus prawns and chicken skewers — served alongside purple mashed potatoes, polento, lentils and grilled asparagus. End with a bite (or two) of a chocolate torta, crepes with dulce de leche and a seasonal dessert. Ask for a beverage pairing and you shall receive, said GM Casella.
THE TABLE
Where: 2715 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253-327-1862, thetabletacoma.com
Details: At one of Sue Kidd’s best new restaurants of 2015, chef Derek Bray regularly offers prix fixe menus Thursday through Sunday. On New Year’s Eve, The Table will offer two seatings — at 6 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. — for a nine-course meal ($141.41 after service charge and tax), kicked off with a complimentary glass of bubbly. Start with Dungeness crab capellini, followed by short rib braised with black garlic, seared scallops in a coconut curry, and slow-roasted ribeye. For dessert: the restaurant’s “infamous” cinnamon roll bread pudding and marshmallow mousse bonbons.
Leave wine to the house with an optional $40 pairing, or opt for full bottles or glass pours from a limited selection. Reserve your spot soon, as the restaurant plans on a full house.
DER BLOKKEN
Where: 1100 Perry Ave. NE, Bremerton, 360-377-2344, derblokken.com
Details: Ideal for families or sleepyheads, head north to celebrate “Early Eve” at the Bremerton brewpub. That means a 9 p.m. champagne toast! Before that, enjoy a four-course prime rib dinner for two ($90, before tax and gratuity), replete with a stuffed mushroom and salad to share, plus a slice of raspberry cheesecake or carrot cake. House beers range from pale ales to porters, stouts and Scotch ale. Reserve through Eventbrite.
PIMIENTA BISTRO & BAR
Where: 34029 Hoyt Road SW, Federal Way, 253-838-2398, pimientabistro.com
Details: In lieu of its regular menu of Latin American fusion, the Federal Way lounge will serve a four-course menu for $75, including a glass of bubbly. Lead off with a smoked salmon mousse crostini and malossol caviar, followed by either artichoke parmesan soup or a house salad (mixed greens with champagne vinaigrette, seasonal fruit, goat cheese). For the main event, chef-owner Blanca Rodriguez will offer an espresso-rubbed filet with truffled fingerlings or homemade tagliatelle with Dungeness crab and prawns in a lemony buerre blanc. To finish, there’s a chocolate mousse “cube” topped with an almond-tinged chocolate ganache.
Pimienta is no stranger to fixed menus: every third Wednesday and Thursday of the month, Rodriguez creates a six-course tapas menu with wine pairings.
“It’s one of our busier nights,” said her son, Josh.
Reservations for New Year’s Eve are fairly open, but it’s a small restaurant — with only 12 tables and some bar seating — so definitely make one for Dec. 31 from 4 p.m. through the last seating at 8:30 p.m. Book through OpenTable or by calling the restaurant.
This story was originally published December 27, 2019 at 6:30 AM.