Ringing in a new year is very exciting, and we like to celebrate in low-key style. Some years we've done the party scene, but quickly found it's very hard to get home afterward which ruins the buzz of the fun. Other years we've kept it very quiet and had movie marathons at home. This year, we decided to do a little of both and have a nice dinner out before returning home to watch the ball drop and see the Central Park fireworks from our window. So we made reservations at Del Frisco's to enjoy a plentiful steak meal while closing out 2013. Mark and Rachel were also in the mood for a relatively quiet night, so they decided to join us!
On the walk to the restaurant, we enjoy looking at the holiday lights all over the city. It was hard to resist snapping a few pictures!
As we drew nearer to the restaurant we discovered a bit of an obstacle. Since we were so close to Times Square, we had to cross a police blockade. They weren't letting anyone in unless they had proof of a hotel room, residence, or restaurant reservation. Thankfully DJ had our reservation email on his phone, so after being searched we were allowed to pass. Once past the blockade, the streets were eerily quiet! Mark and Rachel went through the same thing coming from the west side. We all chuckled at the fact that none of us had ever been to a Time Square New Year's Eve ball drop and that this would be about as close as we'd come. Though we agreed that the level of security is quite impressive! An extremely well-oiled machine. Thank you, NYPD!
Anyway, once all the hoops were jumped through we settled in for a delightful meal. The decor at Del Frisco's is quite elegant with an old-fashioned dark wood bar, a spiral staircase leading to another level of diners, and beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of bustling 6th Avenue.
We started off with a few cocktails, including Del Frisco's signature drink: The VIP. It's vodka infused with fresh Hawaiian pineapple in this huge glass vat. How cool is that pineapple stacking?! A libation work of art.
Then we hunkered in for some delicious meat. Mel, DJ, and Mark all got variations on steak and shared the Spinach Supreme, Maque Choux Corn, Asparagus, and Chateau Potatoes as sides.
Rachel opted for the tuna steak and was quite pleased with the preparation.
Though we were all ready to take a nap after such a feast, we couldn't celebrate the new year without a bit of dessert. So we all shared something chocolatey. Yum!
We didn't want to call it a night too quickly, so DJ had the thought that we could walk over to Aquavit for one more drink before heading home. He had called in advance to confirm that there were no private parties going on, and they ensured that the lounge would be open. And was it ever! When we arrived, we were directed to the back room which was completely empty and broadcasting the scene from Times Square while a live jazz band was playing in the other room.
For a second we were sure there was some sort of catch; that all of a sudden they would say, "Just kidding! You owe us $100." But it turns out we just got really lucky and had the whole lounge to ourselves until we all decided to head home.
Cheers to 2014 and all the fun it will bring!
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