New Year’s Eve Dining

For you, dear reader: A brief round-up of fine dining gambits with which to bid the shambolic shitshow of 2020 adieu

The vegan wizards of Rebel Cheese are wining up the New Year with a damn fine feast

EMMER & RYE It almost goes without saying that the House of Fink (award-winning chef Kevin Fink, that is) is offering an elegant pre-fixe dine-in menu of locally sourced brilliance ($125), but you can also get yourself a celebrate-at-home kit ($150 for two people), the very thought of which already has us drooling: Soft scrambled eggs with caviar, winter salad, pasta bolognese, tiramisu, and Champagne. 512/366-5530 www.emmerandrye.com

NYE WITH SUPPER FRIENDS The culinary savants of Stephen Shallcross’ 2Dine4 want to pamper your 2020-weary palate with a five-course of foie gras torchon, tuna tartare, butternut squash bisque, osso bucco with creamy polenta and grilled broccolini(!), and, for dessert, chocolate truffles with winter berries and cream. And if you don’t want to join the socially distanced few on the lovely Swoop House grounds (or they’ve sold out reservations), you can still get all this goodness right in your own urban cocoon via pick-up or delivery. www.2dine4.com

REBEL CHEESE: WINE & CHEESE TASTING Could be a hundred places making vegan cheese in Austin (hint: there aren’t), and this company would still be the tops. Join cheesemakers Kirsten Maitland and Fred Zwar for an exclusive Zoomed event featuring four housemade cheese and a bottle of sparkling wine. (And yes, of course it also comes with bread and crackers and olive and fruit; these folks aren’t, you know, philistines.) Warning: There are a lot of obsessive cheese lovers in this town and a lot of vegans; we recommend reserving your spot ASAP. Event: Thu., Dec. 31, 7-8pm. Price varies. www.rebelcheese.com

SOUTH CONGRESS CAFE In case you’ve missed your usual globetrotting habits in 2020, you would-be jetsetter, here’s a final chance to eat your way around the planet, as the popular Cafe is offering an array of “Threesome” packages with cuisines from all over: The Texas Threesome’s got an eight-ounce ribeye, grilled shrimp skewers, and rosemary-roasted purple potatoes; Mexican Threesome, seared redfish with salsa verde, beef medallions with chile lime glaze,and yucca mash; French Threesome, featuring petit filet with burgundy demiglaze, baked lobster tail, and potato croquettes; and an Italian one that – oh, do check the website, OK? (But note: Each threesome is $49 per person and comes with a salad and choice of espresso chocolate mousse or vanilla bean creme Anglaise for dessert.) www.southcongresscafe.com

HOPFIELDS: NYE FEAST AT HOME Enjoy your very own five-course dinner at home with detailed instructions from head chef James Flowers on how to best enjoy it. The fierce Hopfields kitchen will do all the work; all you have to do is order online and pick up the noms at curbside. The festive package brings you a cheese & fruit plate, an array of housemade charcuterie, paddlefish caviar, half a harissa-roasted dewberry chicken, and a peanut-butter ‘smores cup for dessert. But that’s just the food! Also: choice of bottled wine, beer, or cider, plus NYE hats and flair and a Hopfields snifter glass for each person. $200 (for two), $320 (for four). www.hopfieldsaustin.com

DEVIL MAY CARE: WARHOL NYE This posh Mediterranean venue will kick off 2021 with a Pop Art-inspired pop-up, featuring live performers, a special menu, DJ entertainment, and “all of the Instagrammable moments you crave.” Yeah, glamhounds will especially appreciate the glitz, but everybody loves the sumptuous food at this West Sixth hotspot.Tickets ($45) include table seating, a welcome cocktail, and one platter of hors d’oeuvres. www.devilmaycareatx.com

DAI DUE NYE Join chef Jesse Griffiths and his crew of accomplished locavores to celebrate 2020’s finale with two multicourse menu featuring the region's finest vegetables (brown butter carrot spread, potato soup with chickpeas, mushroom bourguignon, roasted winter veggies) and game meats (rabbit rillettes, wild boar meatballs, antelope paprikash, duck egg custard). You can dine on the outdoor patio (with heaters at every table) or pick up your meal for takeout in advance. (Takeout meals will, of course, include detailed instructions on how to best re-heat and serve.) $69-79. www.daidue.com

TLC AUSTIN: NYE SURF & TURF This local bastion of hearty Texas cuisine offers a sort of tasty throwback to fancy NYE dinners of yore – dinners for two, to be precise, with two eight-ounce tenderloin filets, crab-stuffed lobster halves, rosemary fingerling potatoes, asparagus, and a chocolate brownie with spiced strawberry compote. And a bottle of Taittinger Brut Champagne comes with, naturally. Note: Add ons include hot black-eyes peas, Texas caviar, and bloody mary and mimosa kits. $250. www.tlcaustin.com

L’OCA D’ORO NYE TAKEOUT L'Oca d'Oro will help you celebrate with folks at home this year, featuring a dinner with the sort of luxe items you'd expect while dining at this excellent House of Tedesco on the last holiday of the year – details coming soon to their social media. Note: Subscription deadline of 12/26 midnight to pick up on 12/30 for New Year's Eve. Both holiday subscriptions are available as meals for two or four people (with optional wine add-ons) through Table22. www.table22.com/loca-doro

KEMURI TATSU-YA This acclaimed eatery’s new Omakase Club features three different styles to choose from, including “O-niku Omakase,” a smoked meat-focused menu; "O-sakana Omakase,” a pescetarian-friendly menu; or the "O-yasai Omakase," a vegetarian menu, with all of these delectable arrays previewing the redefined, elevated dishes from Kemuri’s upcoming kitchen program. (They’ve also revamped the venue to operate only on their covered patio space, with tables at a minimum of six feet apart.) Bonus: A curated menu of cocktails, sake, whisky, and shochu. www.kemuri-tatsuya.com