Happy New Year's!

San Antonians love to party on New Year’s Eve. Well, we love to party almost any day of the year, but New Year’s Eve is special. The following restaurants are offering special meals or special hours to ring out the old and ring in the new. Reservations are required at ease. Prices do not include tax and tip.

And Happy New Year’s!

Achiote at the Grand Hyatt, 600 E. Market St.,  210-224-1234 — The New Year’s Eve dining hours are 5 p.m.-midnight. The buffet will include the Achiote Salad Bar, a Seafood and Ceviche Raw Bar with fresh oysters, shrimp, crab claws and Peruvian Red Snapper Cilantro Ceviche,  Antipasto and Cheese Station with Lobster Bisque and Roasted Carrot Kabocha and Ginger Soup, and an  Assorted Dessert Bar. Entrees will be served tableside, and choices include:  Naturalwell New York Steak with Roasted Shallot Sauce, Miso Glazed Salmon with Char Sui Bar BBQ Sauce,   Stuffed Wild Rice Cornish Game with Cherry Port Sauce,  and Petite Filet and Chile Glazed Shrimp. All entrees served with local baby vegetables and choice of either Roasted Garlic Peruvian Mashers or Herb and Texas Blue Cheese Polenta.  Cost is $60 a person, plus tax and 18 percent tip.

Barriba Cantina, 111 Crockett St., 210-228-9876 — The restaurant and bar will be open regular hours, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. There will be live music with no cover charge. And reservations are not needed.

Biga on the Banks, 203 S. St. Mary’s St., 210-225-0722 — Biga has two options:

• The New Year’s Eve early menu will be served 5:30-7:30 p.m.  The menu includes an amuse bouche of Duck rillete with cumberland sauce, followed by choice of appetizer: two Pork and Mushroom Spring Rolls with cilantro and ginger dipping sauces (add spring roll for $6 extra); Grilled Natural Scallop with lobster risotto and truffled butter; Hong Kong Crab Congee with scallion chile oil; Cuzco Ceviche, Gulf fish and shrimp, sweet potato, avocado, chile and crunchy corn; Chicken-Fried Oysters with squid ink linguini, Swiss chard, pancetta and mustard hollandaise; 10 ounces of Farm Raised American Transmontanous caviar ($85 supplement); or 10 ounces of Wild American Hackleback Caviar ($50 supplement). Soup and salad choices include  Hong Kong crab congee with scallion chile oil; Chardonnay Braised Leeks, smoked salmon, capers, organic egg, an dlemon dill vinaigrette (add caviar for extra $12 ); Grapefruit, Watercress and Endive Salad with hard cheese, toasted almonds, honey vinaigrette (add seared foie gras for extra $12);  romaine Leaves with red pepper Caesar dressing, tiny croutons and Parmesan tuile (add chicken-fried oysters for extra $8); Spinach salad with tart apples, brie, spiced pecans, bacon, trumpet royal mushrooms, gaufrettes and warm sherry garlic vinaigrette (add grilled quail for extra $8). Entree choices include two fishes of the day; Roasted Australian Lamb Rack with wild rice mushroom strudel, soft fennel, date chutney and balsamic mint sauce; Slow Cooked Veal Cheeks, pappardella pasta, asparagus, herbs and porcini jus; Grilled Beef Tenderloin, smashed purple potatoes, asparagus, portabella mushrooms, blue cheese béarnaise, and port veal demi glaze (add two shrimp for extra $7); and Beef Bourguignon in Puff Pastry, fingerling potatoes, broccolini, mushrooms, bacon, baby carrots, pearl onions.  Dessert options: Pistachio Dacquoise, with dark chocolate mousse, raspberry crush and orange dust; trio of panna cottas — strawberry, coffee and cajeta, and Dulce de Leche and Banana Crepe, coconut anglaise, dulce de leche ice cream and caramelized banana. Cost is $65 a person.
• The later dinner will be served 8 p.m.-midnight. The menu includes an amuse bouche of Duck rillete with cumberland sauce, followed by choice of appetizer: foie gras terrine with cherry-Grand Marnier marmalade, two Pork and Mushroom Spring Rolls with cilantro and ginger dipping sauces (add spring roll for $6 extra); Grilled Natural Scallop with lobster risotto and truffled butter; Hong Kong Crab Congee with scallion chile oil; Cuzco Ceviche, Gulf fish and shrimp, sweet potato, avocado, chile and crunchy corn; Chicken- Fried Oysters with squid ink linguini, Swiss chard, pancetta and mustard hollandaise; 10 ounces of Farm Raised American Transmontanous caviar ($85 supplement); or 10 ounces of Wild American Hackleback Caviar ($50 supplement). Soup and salad choices include  Hong Kong crab congee with scallion chile oil; Chardonnay Braised Leeks, smoked salmon, capers, organic egg, an dlemon dill vinaigrette (add caviar for extra $12 ); Grapefruit, Watercress and Endive Salad with hard cheese, toasted almonds, honey vinaigrette (add seared foie gras for extra $12); Emile’s hydroponic greens, Rebecca Creek Goat feta and lemon maple vinaigrette;  romaine Leaves with red pepper Caesar dressing, tiny croutons and Parmesan tuile (add chicken-fried oysters for extra $8); Spinach salad with tart apples, brie, spiced pecans, bacon, trumpet royal mushrooms, gaufrettes and warm sherry garlic vinaigrette (add grilled quail for extra $8). Entree choices include three fishes of the day; Hill Country Axis Venison and Bandera Quail; Roasted Australian Lamb Rack with wild rice mushroom strudel, soft fennel, date chutney and balsamic mint sauce; Slow Cooked Veal Cheeks, pappardella pasta, asparagus, herbs and porcini jus; Grilled Beef Tenderloin, smashed purple potatoes, asparagus, portabella mushrooms, blue cheese béarnaise, and port veal demi glaze (add two shrimp for extra $7); and Beef Bourguignon in Puff Pastry, fingerling potatoes, broccolini, mushrooms, bacon, baby carrots, pearl onions.  Dessert options: Pistachio Dacquoise, with dark chocolate mousse, raspberry crush and orange dust; trio of panna cottas — strawberry, coffee and cajeta, and Dulce de Leche and Banana Crepe, coconut anglaise, dulce de leche ice cream and caramelized banana. Cost is $100 a person. Music by Bett Butler and Joel Dilley.

Boudro’s on the Riverwalk,  421 E. Commerce St., 210-224-8484 — Boudro’s will be open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day from 11 a.m. to midnight. The New Year’s Eve special will include a starter of Texas Blue Crabcake with Avocado Frisée Salad, Tangled Onion Rings and Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette. The Entrée will be a combination plate with Grilled Black Angus Tenderloin, Bordelaise and Potato Galette along with a Baby Lobster Tail Etoufee, Choron Sauce and Wild Mushroom Spinach Flan. Dessert will be a Frangipan and Apple Tart with Champagne, Vanilla Sabayon. The cost is $45 aperson, plus tax and gratuity, or $70 a person with wine pairings. Regular A La Carte Dinner Menu available. Credit card number required for reservations, call (210)-224-8484. www.boudros.com

Ring out the old at your favorite restaurant.

Fig Tree Restaurant, 515 Villita St., 210-225-2111 — The New Year’s Eve menu begins with a little something special: 30 grams of  Osetra caviar for a $150 supplement. The prix fixe includes Duck Terrine with Apple Cider Poached Quince, Mache Salad, Cider Vinaigrette;  Sunchokes Ravioli with Season’s First White Truffle and Truffle Scented Honey; Butter Poached Lobster with Saffron Risotto, English Peas, Pequillo Peppers, and Spanish Chorizo; Roasted Veal Tenderloin with Poached Veal Cheeks, Creamy Polenta and Chanterelles; and your choice of Pineapple Tatin with Almonds Crumble and Passion Fruit Sorbet or Chocolate Fondant with Fiore de Latte Gelato.  The cost is $98 a person plus tax and 18 percent top.

Las Ramblas at the Hotel Contessa, 306 W. Market St., 210-229-9222 — Enjoy a four-course wine-paired dinner with a midnight Champagne toast on the rooftop. Seating is at 10 p.m.  The menu includes Duck Bacon “BLT” amuse bouche with Volvetti Prosecco, followed by Carpaccio Melange with Shrimp, Lobster, Scallop and Octopus with 2009 White Haven Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Smoked Oyster and Salsify Soup with Foie Gras Torchon will be paired with 2009 La Crema Pinot Noir, followed by Certified Angus Beef with Honeycomb Potato, Cabrales, Pancetta and White Truffle Dust with 2008 Navarro Correas Malbec Gran Reserva. Dessert is Frozen Strawberry Terrine with Champagne Gelee, Dark Chocolate Torte, Marcona Almond Butter and Cookie Crumb iwth Neige Apple Ice Wine. The cost is $125 a person plus tax and tip.

Little Rhein Steak House, 231 S. Alamo St.,  210-225-2111 — Little Rhein has two New Year’s Eve options.

• The early bird menu, served from 6 to 6:30 p.m., begins with a choice of Shrimp Cocktail or Quail Legs, followed by a choice of Beefsteak Tomatoes with Roquefort Cheese or Field Greens with Cranberries, Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Basil Vinaigrette.  Prime Rib-Eye,  Prime Strip Loin,  Filet Mignon, Wild Salmon or  Filet and Lobster are the entrée choices. Entrées served with Au Gratin Potatoes, Sautéed Wild Mushrooms and Buttered Asparagus. Dessert choices: Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream or  New York Cheesecake with Strawberries. A glass of Champagne is included. Cost:  $70 a person plus tax and 18 percent tip.
• The later menu is offered at seastings set for 6:30-9 p.m. or 9 p.m.-midnight. The menu includes choice of Shrimp Cocktail  or Quail Legs, followed by Lobster Bisque. A choice of Field Greens with Cranberries, Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Basil Vinaigrette or Beefsteak Tomatoes with Roquefort Cheese precedes choice of Prime Rib-Eye, Prime Strip Loin, Filet Mignon, Wild Salmon or Filet and Lobster. Entrées served with Au Gratin Potatoes, Sautéed Wild Mushrooms and Buttered Asparagus. Dessert choices: Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream or  New York Cheesecake with Strawberries. A glass of Champagne is included. Cost is $79 a person plus tax and 18 percent tip.

Lüke, 125 E. Houston St., 210-227-5853 — A New Year’s Eve dining event featuring a prix fixe five-course dinner with wine pairings will be offered. Seating begins at 8 p.m. in Lüke’s upstairs private dining space overlooking the River Walk. Cost is $150 per couple, plus tax and tip. Prepaid reservations are required for event. Lüke will also offer its full menu from 11 a.m. until midnight on New Year’s Eve. lukesanantonio.com.

Mike’s in the Village, 2355-3 Bulverde Road, Bulverde, 830-438-2747 —  Mike’s will be serving its regular menu along with some specials from 5 to 9 p.m.

Ocho at the Havana Hotel, 1015 Navarro St., 210-222-2008 — New Year’s Eve at the Hotel Havana will include live music by Son y No Son from 9 p.m. to 12:30  a.m. Cost is $100 a person and includes wine, Champagne and passed hors d’oeuvres. The menu features Fried Quail and Waffle, Truffled Egg Rolls, Shishito Pepper Bites, Fried Avocado Lollipops with cilantro lime crema, Cornflake-crusted Shrimp and Tinga Tostadas. Special room rates may also be available over the holidays.

Oro at the Emily Morgan, 705 E. Houston St., 210-225-5100 —Oro is having a three-course Champagne dinner and fireworks showing from 5 to 11 p.m.  the evening begins with a chef’s offering to stimulate your palate, followed by your choice of smoked oyster and corn chowder with caviar crème fraiche; Oro mixed lettuce, marinated tomatoes, goat cheese and white balsamic vinaigrette; or sweet potato gnocchi, truffle, shaved Parmesan and veal jus. Main course choices are pan-seared filet, roasted pepper potato dauphinoise, asparagus and clove demi; natural grilled chicken, caramelized onion sweet potato puree, wilted spinach, and chile hollandaise; or herb-seared farm-raised trout, borracho black eyed peas, and tomato cucumber escabeche. Dessert choices:  Tahitian vanilla bean and cherry crème brûlée, snicker doodle cookie and seasonal berries; selection of Da Vinci sorbets — mango, lemon, or pomegranate; or Oro trifle, seasonal berries, crème anglaise and chantilly cream. A Champagne toast and fireworks showing on the rooftop included. Price is $65 a person.http://www.savorsa.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=31244&action=edit&message=10

It's party time, San Antonio.

Q on the Riverwalk, Hyatt, 123 Losoya St., 210-382-6325 —The New Year’s dinner will be served from 5 to 10 p.m. The menu includes house-smoked standing rib roast of Angus beef, fire-grilled Arctic char, fillet of salmon, Korabuta pork loin with grilled Korabuta pork chops and roasted breast chicken with fresh oregano. The salad display will feature winter greens tossed with spiced pecans, bay shrimp, marinated mushroms and amphissa olives. Selections from the dessert display include vanilla bean crème brulee, chocolate mousse shooters and cappuccino tarts.

Texas de Brazil, 313 E. Houston St., 210-299-1600 — The Brazilian steakhouse will be serving its regular menu of meats as well as the varied salad bar and desserts. Dining hours will be until late in the evening.

Tost Bistro & Bar, 14415 Blanco Road, 210-408-2670 — The New Year’s Eve menu begins with Lobster and Crab Croquette, blood orange béarnaise sauce and micro greens, followed by a choice of Wild Mushroom Bisque with herb crème fraiche and shiitake “bacon” or Arugula, Brie and Fig Salad with crispy prosciutto, shaved red onions and balsamic Dijon vinaigrette. The entree choices are Pan Roasted Sea Bass with butternut squash puree, grilled broccolini and Champagne beurre blanc; Braised Veal Osso Bucco with creamy Yukon goat cheese masher and tomato, onion and olive ragout; or Seared Beef Tenderloin with truffle hollandaise, bleu cheese mash potato and grilled asparagus. Dessert is the Tost Trio with Crème Anglaise. Cost: $55 per person or $90 with the midnight celebration. Tax and tip not included. An open bar will be from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The Westin La Cantera,16641 La Cantera Parkway, 210-558-2253 — If the Mayan calendar brings everything to an end in 2012, then it’s time to party down on New Year’s Eve at the Westin La Cantera where the last supper is the party theme of the evening. Wear your toga if you’d like and enjoy a Mayan-themed menu that includes Various Mayan Flavors, such as Blue Corn and Sikil Pak Cannelloni, Tamale Negro, Xni-Pek and Sour Cruda Xcatic Salsa. Whetstone Valley Goose with Black-Eyed Pea and Confit Hash, Pulverized Corn, Red Pipian, Salt-Brined Hen Yolkand Celery Root Puree will percede Ossabaw Pork Tenderloin, Brushed Anchiote, Sylvetta, Bacon, Mashed Plantain, Golden Corn Puree and Huitlacoche Coulis. Lobster with Avocado, Chanterelle Puree, Sweet Potato, Carrot, Sweet Corn Granola and Foie Gras Sauce will be served before  Chayote Mousse, Vanilla Cornbread, Cocoa Nib, Crunchy Beet, Horchata, “Gold,” and a Pine Nut Praline. Mayan cocktails, Pol Roger Champagne and more will be available. The cost is $125 a person.

Zinc Bistro and Wine Bar, 207 N. Presa St., 210-224-1313 — Celebrate the New Year in the wine cellar at Zinc with a five-course dinner that begins at 8 p.m. Matching wines and Champagnes will be paired with the dinner courses. The menu starts with appetizers of Oregon mushroom duxelle in a sour cream tartlet, gorgonzola and tobacco onions on lavosh squares and brandy-cured salmon on crisp flatbread with poblano cream cheese and daikon sprouts paired with Canals and Munne Rosé Cava. Shiitake mushroom and arugula consommé with shaved serrano ham will preced pomegranate marinated duck confit salad with spicy walnuts and orange vinaigrette and 2009 Louis Tete “Le Pot”,Beaujolais. After mango basil granite, there is a choice of filet of black Angus beef tenderloin with shallot-cabernet demi glace or poached halibut with shrimp, crawfish and clam stock. Both will be paired with 2007 Orogeny Pinot Noir. Zinc profiteroles and Moet et Chandon Imperial Epernay will close out the meal. A Champagne toast at midnight is included. Cost is $100 a person, plus tax and gratuity. All reservations must be prepaid.

Restaurateurs, if your restaurant is not on this list, please email details of your party to griffin@savorsa.com or walker@savorsa.com.

Habanero Roast Beef at the Station Cafe.

Cabin fever usually refers to people who have been cooped up in their homes for a long, hard winter and are antsy to get back in circulation. We in San Antonio have had cabin fever of the reverse order this year, with the scorching heat driving us near the air conditioner both day and night.

Now that the weather has gotten slightly cooler, however, people are anxious to get back to their former habits in the great outdoors.

That’s what they did en masse for October’s First Friday celebration. Thousands of people crowded into venues as far flung as the Arneson Theater on the river to the Friendly Spot in the heart of Southtown.

Little Rhein sits on a beautiful corner of the River Walk.

And everywhere people were, food was sure to be there, too. OK, there were also plenty of artists with their artwork, but not a one appeared to be starving.

My evening started on a great note: I found a parking space on the street in Southtown, a legal parking space — and, no, I won’t divulge the location in case I want to head there again. I will say it was only a couple of blocks from my first stop, the Station Cafe on South St. Mary’s. I had really enjoyed this place when it was the Filling Station next door, but I hadn’t been to its larger, more colorful digs next door.

The space is open, wide open, almost epically open, and it feels great, thanks to lively wall coverings, from paintings to cute cat photos.

All of the food at the Station is made from scratch, from the pizza dough to the pies. That means deciding on something can be a bit of a chore. I settled on a Habanero Roast Beef sandwich with provolone melted into the meat and sweet-hot dressing slathered on the house-made roll. The flavors were clean and delicious, with just the right amount of fat and crispy edges to give it a boost.

The not-so-small petite filet at Little Rhein.

Turns out the Station hasn’t finished its expansion. Coming this January is the Filling Station Brewing Co.

Pizza and a cold hand-crafted brew? I can hardly wait.

Then it was off to La Villita where a host of festivities were under way. Artists filled the sidewalks, while food booths lined up outside the Arneson, where the 11th annual International Accordion Festival was beginning. The three-day event kicked off with bluesqueezebox, an Austin group that performed a type of accordion blues mixed with a healthy dose of Kurt Weill, some Henry Mancini from the “Peter Gunn” years and even a little hillbilly music.

The Austin band bluesqueezebox performs at the Accordion Festival.

I decided to have another bite at the nearby Little Rhein Steakhouse and listen to the music on the restaurant’s gorgeous patio. The petite filet was more than big enough, especially with a side of mixed mushrooms and a glass of Chateau d’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé, one of the best rosés I’ve had this year and perfect on a warm fall evening.

From there, it was on to the Equinox gallery in La Villita where Jillian Palone, the wife of a co-worker, was showing her jewelry with two other artists. Her bracelets were drawing plenty of deserved attention for their dramatic textures and colors and are worth checking out if you are in the area.

But you can’t eat a bracelet, so I headed back to Southtown. Along the way I passed a number of old favorites, such as Azuca, La Focaccia and La Frite, all of which appeared to be packed. A woman coming out of Azuca sadly told her friends that the restaurant had been booked for the entire evening with reservations and they would have to go elsewhere.

Crowds line up for a beer at the Friendly Spot.

Elsewhere for me was the Friendly Spot on South Alamo St,, the massive beer garden with some great snacks to munch on. I ordered pork tenderloin tacos and was pleasantly surprised to find welcome strands of pickled onion on top. But beer is the name of the game here, and an IPA was the perfect way to wash down the spicy tacos while navigating the enormous crowds.

I wasn’t ready to call it a night, so I made one last stop down the street at Feast, Southtown’s newest dining spot. The Art Deco building, which has been dressed to the nines, had an empty table outside where I had a nice, relaxing sit under some sparkling fiber optic lights hung from the tree overhead. A skillet soon appeared with Jack Cheese Mac, noodles bathed in cheese and saffron cream with garlic crumbs on top. It was a gooey bit of excess that worked all too well. I couldn’t stop eating it. I also tried the grilled sweetbreads, which were served with a tomato salad and cumin molasses. It was good, but it couldn’t hold a candle to the mac.

Feast is the latest addition to Southtown's restaurant roster.

That was it for me. I dragged my tired carcass past a bustling Rosario’s and back to my car. I’m sure most of the restaurateurs in the area welcomed the break in the weather and the crowds. I don’t get to First Friday often enough, but this evening left a great aftertaste that makes me hungry for more.