Chicago Neighborhood News New Years Edition: Logan Square, Ukrainian Village, River North, Lincoln Park, Uptown

Like practically everything else in 2020, New Year’s Eve will be very different than what we are accustomed to. Big parties ringing in 2021 are strongly discouraged due to COVID-19, and the usual late-night festivities are not an option due to bar and restaurant closures for the time being. However, we still need to eat. Thankfully numerous restaurants in many of our favorite Chicago neighborhoods are ready and waiting for your order. Let’s look at some great spots to bring in food and drink while we toast a hopefully much brighter 2021. 

Logan Square: Flat & Point, located at 3524 West Fullerton Avenue, offers a New Year’s Eve ala carte menu highlighted by what they do best: delicious smoked goods. You can order a half-pound of smoked shrimp with cocktail sauce for $18. One cannot go wrong with their meat board featuring pork pate, coppa, chicken liver mousse, and brandade for $32. Cheese lovers will delight in triple creme, goat cheese, manchego, and aged cheddar that makes up their cheese board for $32. If you’re really looking to go all out this New Year’s, why not order up the brisket wellington that comes with mushroom duxelle and spinach sausage wrapped in pastry dough, which feeds two to four for $95. Find more info here. 

Ukrainian Village: Send 2020 packing by going above and beyond with the offerings at Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar, located at 2700 West Chicago Avenue. The Entertainer Package for $650 comes with four Polanco caviars, thirty-six oysters, smoked trout dip, pimento cheese, whipped eggplant-ricotta dip, stuffed clams and mushrooms, foie gras and mushroom stuffed beef wellington, a cocktail kit, and more. Check out their website for other items and when to pick up your order. Find more info here. 

River North: The Gage, located at 24 South Michigan Avenue, has a three-course New Year’s Eve menu with many options created by Executive Chef Chris Gawronski for $95. Choose from among oysters mignonette or Rockefeller, baked petite Brie, lobster bisque, or hand-cut steak tartar for your first course. From there you can choose between truffled chicken pot pie, their NYE burger, Ora King salmon, filet mignon frites, braised lamb shank, or baked wild mushroom lasagna for the second course. Decide your decadence with either the dark chocolate tart or lemon opera cake for dessert. The Gage also has wine specials available. Find more info here. 

Lincoln Park: Bumbu Roux, located at 833 West Haines Street, serves up an Indonesian New Year’s Eve Rijsttafel Dinner for a nice change of pace. This 12-course meal includes nasi kuning, fried prawn chips, stir-fried eggplant, fan-favorites gado-gado, bali telor, and rendang, and much, much more. Options for two, four, and six people cost $95, $180, and $260, respectively. You can pick up or have your feast delivered. Find more info here.

Uptown: As 2020 draws to a close, we could all use a drink. Larry’s, located at 1020 West Lawrence Avenue, has you covered when it comes to cocktails, beers, and spirits this New Year’s Eve. Choose from their vast array of drinks ranging from made to order cocktails for two for $20 to larger bottles such as their Rocking Chair, Hot Thang, and Canadian Punch, which serves eight, for $70. Find more info here. 

ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO