New Year’s Eve –
Get the Bubbly Ready!

Ah, New Year’s Eve, when we get to say goodbye in style to 2006 and welcome in 2007, probably with a sick hangover! With parties taking place from one end of the city to the other, and hundreds of thousands of partiers set to take the Strip by storm, we wanted to give our readers a tool to help plan out their New Year’s Eve celebrations. 

America’s Party

The city’s largest organized event would be America’s Party, taking place down on Fremont Street, which will be offering a 4.5-hour concert bash featuring some amazing names that are helping bring some life to what had been a pretty tepid New Year’s party. One organizer told the Eye that it will be one of the largest private parties in America, with approximately 20,000 revelers expected to attend. Helping to rock in the New Year will be the All-American Rejects, Chicago, Smash Mouth, Five for Fighting, OK GO! and Rock Star Supernova, which includes drummer Tommy Lee of Motley Crue fame. Mayor Oscar Goodman will be overseeing the festivities, which should get very lively with bars set up right on Fremont and access to all of the casinos included in the paltry ticket price of $80. The party is also going to include a ton of media outlets, as CNN and FOX Network have already announced they will be broadcasting live from Fremont Street – a first for both networks. Some tickets remain, although they are going very fast. Please click here for more information or to purchase tickets.

Nightclub Parties

Not only will be PURE Nightclub (Caesars Palace) be celebrating New Year’s Eve with one of the planet’s biggest stars in Britney Spears, but it will also be the informal second anniversary for one of the country’s hottest nightclubs. If you remember, they opened on New Year’s Eve 2004 with Mariah Carey. With Spears signed on to host, you can expect PURE to be a beehive of activity with several celebrities like Shannon Elizabeth and Nick Lachey picking it as the place to bring in the New Year. VIP tables, which carried an opening price tag of $5,000, already are sold out, but a few general admission tickets are still available at $250 per person. They include a champagne toast, party favors and access to the PURE Terrace, a prime firework watching spot. To purchase tickets, please call (702) 474-4000.

Tao Nightclub (The Venetian) wanted to prove that Britney isn’t the sexiest New Year’s Eve host by inking ultra-babe, and former LVFBM cover model, Pamela Anderson to oversee the activities at the Asian-themed venue. As with last year, the restaurant will give way to nightclub, thus giving Tao almost 42,000 square feet of space for their patrons to party. Hors d’oeuvres from the kitchen of Tao Chef de Cuisine Josh “Moses” Thomsen will passed from 8:30 p.m.-11 p.m., the same time that an open bar will be offered for their patrons. Three DJs also will be dropping three different musical formats spread throughout the venue, with DJ Reach playing top 40 and hip-hop in the main room, Omar Galliano playing house music in the lounge, and another DJ still to be determined will be playing rock and mash-up hits in the Opium Room. Tickets for the Tao New Year’s Eve celebration cost $250 per person and are available by clicking here.

Across the street, JET Nightclub (The Mirage) will celebrate New Year’s Eve with a familiar face: rocker Kid Rock, who helped open JET Nightclub by hosting last year’s NYE festivities. Ironically, Pam Anderson’s ex will once again set up shop at the high-flying club, not a stone’s throw from where his vivacious ex will be partying. Kid Rock will be hosting the New Year’s countdown as well as performing an extremely rare DJ set. We got a sneak peek at Kid Rock’s request list to the club and saw that Kid has requested two microphones, two guitar stands and other interesting equipment. A source close to the promotion noted that ZZ Top guitar-man Billy Gibbons was going to be accompanying Kid Rock, but then got close-lipped. Hmmm, interesting indeed.  Regardless, tickets cost $200 and include a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets can be purchased at JET Nightclub or by calling (702) 693-8300.

Tryst Nightclub (Wynn Las Vegas) continues to hold to its brilliant marketing mantra: no celebrity hosts, just an amazing party with a beautiful crowd, even on New Year’s Eve. Local favorite JJ will host the New Year’s countdown, while favored local DJ Justin Hoffman and DJ Create set the musical tone for the celebration. Tickets cost $200 for men and $150 for women and offer a champagne toast at midnight. A limited amount of VIP Tables are still available, but are going quick, and are priced from $1,000 to $10,000. For more information, or to make VIP table reservations, please call (702) 770-3375.

MOON Nightclub, high atop the Palms Resort’s new Fantasy Tower, will be offering a special New Year’s party hosted by two of Vegas’ favorite local DJs in DJ 5ive and DJ Stonerokk, who will deliver a mix of hip-hop, rock, pop and, of course, mash-ups! For $200 ($225 at door), guests will receive a champagne toast, noisemakers and party hats. MOON, with its multiple outdoor patios, also should serve as a key venue for those who want to catch the fireworks. Tickets DO NOT INCLUDE access to the Playboy Club.

OPM Nightclub, Las Vegas’ reigning home of upscale hip-hop, will be presenting a very special Diamond New Year’s Party where one lucky partygoer will literally win a $10,000 canary diamond from Ice Link Watches! Every ticketed guest will receive a black jewelry bag with a small diamond in it, only one will be worth a lot more than the others. Famed DJ and hip-hop pioneer DJ Kid Capri will be residing over the party and spinning real live records;  no computers for this Kid. Tickets cost $100 and include a champagne toast. You can be purchase through the OPM Web site here or call (702) 369-4998 for VIP table reservations and more information.

The Hard Rock Hotel’s pumping nightlife destination, Body English, will be hosting a special New Year’s Eve party that is sure to rock – literally – when rock supergroup Camp Freddy sets up shop in the club for what is sure to be another memorable performance. As if that wasn’t enough, add into the mix an open bar from 9 p.m. until midnight, and the $250 ticket seems like a bargain. For more information, call Body English at (702) 693-5066.

Our gay and lesbian readers looking for a special way to ring in 2007 might want to check out Krave Nightclub and its three-night themed party entitled “Resolution.” It starts on Friday night with “Respect,” continues on Saturday night with “Love” and finishes up on Sunday night with “Unity.” Each night will feature entertainment to reflect the Resolution theme, including Krave’s aerial act, the “Airotic Fly Boys” and staged dance production routines. Three night VIP packages are available for $75 in advance. For more information or VIP Table reservations, please call JL Jordan at (702) 836-0830.

Light Nightclub has always shied away from promoting parties specifically attached to one personality or celebrity, and New Year’s Eve will be no different. Light will the end the year with Cirque du Soliel and a cadre of performers from not only “O,” but also KA, Mystere, LOVE and Zumanity. With Cirque involved, expect a handful of surprises. Already, the troupe has promised live dancing displays and an “extraordinary countdown” experience. Tickets cost $150 and include a midnight champagne toast. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please call (702) 693-8300.

Rain Nightclub at The Palms will be hosting a house music-focused New Year’s Eve party with acclaimed DJ Bad Boy Bill serving as the headliner for the evening. He won’t be alone, though, as Mike “The Funkler” Fuller will be using NYE as one of those special occasions where he returns to the DJ booth; they also will be joined by DJ Jonas Temple. Tickets cost $100 ($125 at the door) and include complimentary hats, noisemakers and a champagne toast.

Tangerine Nightclub (Treasure Island) is hosting what might be the best deal in town, with a New Year’s Eve party hosted by rocker Dave Navarro and featuring legendary DJ Grand Master Flash on the 1s and 2s. Although VIP Tables are already sold-out, general admission is only $100 per person and includes a champagne toast, party favors and an amazing view of the fireworks from the Strip-front patio deck. To purchase tickets please call (702) 894-7723

The Rio’s Voodoo Lounge has long enjoyed a reign as one of the best views in Sin City, making it a premier spot to watch the fireworks explode over the Strip. The gorgeous L-1 and Joey Mazzola will both be working the patio turntables as the house band, LF8, jams away inside. General admission tickets are available for $200.

Across the way at the Palms Casino Resort, ghostbar has always rivaled Voodoo for the title of “Best Strip View,” thus making it a great spot to watch the big firework show on New Year’s Eve. Making the night even more special is a DJ performance from Joel Madden, of Good Charlotte fame, who will be mashing up hit after hit. Tickets to ghostbar cost $300 and include passed hors d’oeuvres and an open bar from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. Additionally, admission also gets partiers a champagne toast and party favors. The key selling point? How about open seating, meaning anyone can get the best seats to watch the fireworks!

Tabu Ultra Lounge (MGM Grand) and its intimate venue is the perfect setting for its Naughty New Year’s Eve party, which will feature DJ Jose 2 Hype and DJ Lenny Fontana on the wheels of steel. All ticketed guests will be able to enjoy complimentary champagne, party favors and passed hors d’oeuvres. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please call (702) 891-7777.

Drai’s After Hours (Barbary Coast) is a subterranean hangout usually reserved for late nights (actually, early mornings). However, on New Year’s Eve, Drai’s namesake Victor Drai has decided to open at 9 p.m., offering over a half-day of house music mayhem as the party roars well into the next day. Tickets cost $100. For VIP table reservations, please call Drai’s venerable big man Mr. T at (702) 403-2990.

Las Vegas’ premier home of all things rum-related, rumjungle Nightclub (Mandalay Bay), is hosting a special New Year’s Eve party that will be broadcast across the globe thanks to a live XM Radio remote taking place that night. For $150 per person, partygoers can enjoy several exclusive DJ performances, live entertainment and a midnight champagne toast. Special dining and nightclub packages are also available (see “Dining in the New Year” below). For more information, please call (702) 632-6907.

The Playboy Club (Palms Resort) is sure to be one of the sexiest spots to celebrate the big night, especially when you can say goodbye to the year with 2006 Playmate of the Year Kara Monaco! You want more bunnies you say? OK. Miss May, Alison Waite, and Miss July, Sara Jean Underwood, also will be present, mixing and mingling with dozens of bunnies that set up shop at the hybrid gaming lounge each and every night. Tickets cost $300 and include passed hors d’oeuvres and open bar from 8 p.m.-10 p.m., as well as complimentary noisemakers, party hats and a champagne toast. Although Hef won’t be present in person, he will end the year with a special video countdown. Like ghostbar, The Playboy Club will be offering an open seating policy, ensuring a social party! Tickets DO NOT INCLUDE access to MOON Nightclub.

New York, New York’s premier watering hole, Coyote Ugly, will be honoring “Coyote-for-the-Night,” and New Year’s Eve party host Jenn Grijaiva,  of MTV’s “Real World: Denver.” Look for Grijaiva and the other coyotes to “lasso in 2007” and make the evening memorable with a midnight balloon drop and champagne toast that is included in the $50 ticket price. To purchase tickets, please call (702) 740-6969.

The Empire Ballroom has a huge New Year’s Eve spectacular planned, which will offer up over a dozen DJs from around the country dropping hits in the main room, hip-hop lounge and on the outstanding patio. DJs taking part include Juicy Jay (Los Angeles), DJ Keoki (Las Vegas), Teri Bristol (Chicago), Matt Lamont (United Kingdom), Adam Rush (Los Angeles), Pauly Macc (Las Vegas), DJ Vegas Viba (Las Vegas), DJ Madam Malixa (Las Vegas), Rich Cabral (San Diego), DJ Jeff Bomb (Los Angeles) and DJ Marcus from San Francisco. Tickets for the extravaganza cost $95 and include party favors and a champagne toast.

The hybrid gentlemen’s club/after-hours venue Seamless will be celebrating New Year’s Eve with a special party hosted by adult film star Bobby Billard and a fantastic lineup of DJ talent that includes DJ Hollywood, DJ Inferno, Brian Hart, Keoki and DJ SINcere. For more information and to purchase tickets, please call (702) 227-5200.

If you’re not a fan of the bubbly, then perhaps joining the legendary tequila goddess at Isla Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar would be better-suited for your New Year’s Eve celebration. Noche de la Diosa will feature DJ Lian spinning the best in pop, rock en Espanol, reggeaton and more. Tickets to the party cost $50 and include complimentary party favors and a champagne toast. Oh, and don’t forget about the tequila! For more information or to purchase tickets, call (702) 894-7223.

Dining in the New Year

With so many phenomenal restaurants inside Wynn Las Vegas, you knew that some very special restaurants would be hosting some very special tasting menus to kick off the New Year. If you’re interested in making reservations or for more information on any of these tasting menus, we recommend calling Wynn Las Vegas at (702) 770-7000 and asking for the specific restaurant.

For those in search of a slightly toned down New Year’s Eve dinner, we start at The Country Club, where the idyllic view overlooking the Wynn Las Vegas golf course will set the tone for an amazing dinner. For $250 per person, diners will enjoy a special tasting menu that includes Beluga Caviar served on Potato Cake with Chopped Egg, Chives and Sour Cream; Hamachi Carpaccio with Citrus Vinaigrette; Roasted Maine Lobster; and Filet Mignon with Porcini, Foie Gras sauce. Service for the six-course tasting menu begins at 9 p.m.

At Tableau, Executive Chef Mark LoRusso has prepared a very special New Year’s Eve menu that, like the Country Club, begins service at 9 p.m. Chef LoRusso’s special six-course tasting dinner is stacked with delicacies, including his famous Golden Osetra Caviar “Club” with Smoked Salmon and Mascarpone; Black Truffle Soup with Dungeness Crab and Lemon Essence; Chilled Maine Lobster; Crispy Skin Tai Snapper; and Porcini-Crusted Strip Loin with Wild Mushroom Soufflé. The Tableau tasting menu starts at $250 per person and includes tax and tip.

Both of Wynn’s stellar Italian eateries are offering less restrictive special menus that give guests more options from which to choose while still staying on the Prix Fixe and tasting menu formats. Stephen Kalt’s phenomenal Corsa Cucina is doing a special four-course menu that allows patrons to choose both their second and third courses from a long list of 17 menu items that are guaranteed to impress. The large selection of dishes, some of which carry a slight up-charge, include some of our favorites, like the Lobster Gnocchi and Veal Sweetbreads with Lobster Jus; Pepper Crust Sirloin with Gorgonzola and Cipolini Onions; Seared Diver Scallops with Cauliflower Risotto and Fig Jam; and Fresh Trenette Pasta with Truffle Butter and Shaved White Piedmont Truffles ($20 extra). The meal ends with a selection of desserts from the chef.

Nearby at Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, award-winning chef Paul Bartolotta is offering a somewhat similar menu format to Chef Kalt, but is instead offering multiple selections for all five courses. For example, the dinner will begin your choice of three salads before moving onto the next course, which again offers guests to choose one of three dishes. This time, it’s Seared Sea Scallops with Imported Porcini Mushrooms; Beef Tartare scented with White Truffle, Crisp Celery Heart Salad; or Red Mullet, Taggiasche Olives, Capers, Bell Peppers. Bartolotta is truly one of Las Vegas’ more special restaurants (his fish is flown in directly from the Mediterranean several times a week) and a fantastic dinner might be a great way to get the year off to a great start! Bartolotta’s “Il Menu di Capodanno” costs $125 per person.

Lastly, Wynn’s signature Japanese restaurant, Okada, also is offering a special New Year’s Eve tasting menu – an eclectic nine-course meal that offers dishes from Okada’s varying cooking techniques: sushi, robatayaki, teppan, etc. The meal will begin with the Okada Ocean and Earth Appetizer sampler, which combines some of the planet’s most luxurious delicacies from both the water and the earth: foie gras, spiny lobster, truffles, caviar, you name it. From there, guests will enjoy sushi and sashimi, king crab legs cooked over Robatayaki coals, Chilean sea bass and wild mushrooms, Japanese Kobe beef, and even the traditional New Year’s Eve good luck, Soba Noodle Soup! The cost of the tantalizing Okada tasting menu is $250 per person and seating will begin at 9 p.m.

Piero Selvaggio’s stellar Italian eatery, Valentino Las Vegas (The Venetian), is offering a special “Tasting of the Year” even on New Year’s Eve that is featuring a unique menu from Valentino executive chef and James Beard Award winner Luciano Pellegrini. For $140 per person, guests will enjoy a multi-course tasting menu that includes appetizers, pasta, fish, meat and dessert sampler platters. Some highlights from the sampling platters include Tuna Carpaccio with Grape Green Onion Dressing, Buffalo Mozzarella and Tomato Tartare; Roasted Goose Cannelloni Gratin; Beggar Purse with Ricotta and Lobster; Roasted Tasmanian Salmon with Butternut Squash Spaghetti; and Roasted Foie Gras-Stuffed Chicken Breast with Orange Chutney Cream Sauce. “We at Valentino will prepare you for the new year by filling your bellies with the most delightful of dishes,” said Pellegrini. “We only hope that your 2007 will contain as much variety and flavor as our tasting menu!” For more information or to make reservations, please call (702) 414-3000.

PURE Management Group’s slick and savvy restaurant concept Social House is getting into the New Year’s party mood with a special tasting menu from outstanding Executive Chef Joseph Elevado. The former Nobu chef has a seven-course dinner menu planned that includes sushi, seared toro salad, poached spiny lobster, Kobe beef and dessert from phenomenal pastry chef Ralph Perrazzo. The tasting menu will be offered exclusively during the prime post-9 p.m. seating, which will offer guests an amazing fireworks watching experience on Social House’s Strip-front patio to go along with the fabulous fare. The tasting menu is available for $125 per person. For more information, or to make reservations, please call (702) 894-7223.  

If your plan was to avoid the Strip on New Year’s Eve, don’t worry, because the brand new Vintner’s Grill in Summerlin has prepared a special New Year’s Eve dinner, complete with wine pairing, for the amazing price of $110 per person. The menu includes appetizer, salad, pasta, fish, meat and dessert courses from the kitchen of celebrated local chef Matthew Silverman. The tasting menu also is available sans wine for $75 per person. For more information, or to make reservations, please call (702) 214-5590.

We already mentioned the party that is going to take rumjungle Nightclub by storm. However, we’d be remiss not to mention the fabulous dining packages that have been put together by rumjungle Executive Chef Gerry Benitez. Dinner seating will begin at 6:45 p.m. and will offer guests a “Fire Pit” tasting dinner of the classic Brazilian feast served up on spits and carved right before your eyes. The “Dinner and Nightclub” package ($225 per person) also includes entry into the nightclub and includes party favors, entertainment and, of course, a champagne toast at midnight.

One of Las Vegas’ newest restaurants, PT 78, located inside the Platinum Hotel on Flamingo Road and Koval Lane, will be introducing locals to its phenomenal fare with a special New Year’s Eve tasting menu. The 9:30 p.m.-tasting menu includes five courses paired with wine and a champagne toast for the very reasonable price of $135 per person. The restaurant is located right off of the outdoor pool terrace, providing the perfect backdrop to ring in the New Year. In case you’re wondering: Yes, this is the restaurant that respected food critic Al Mancini raved about a few weeks back in City Life. Seating is very limited, so for reservations, please call (702) 636-2525.

Special Shows

Las Vegas’ newest headliner, Prince, will be upping the ante on New Year’s Eve by offering a “once-in-a-lifetime” 3121 experience. Special packages are available that include a six-course tasting menus at 3121 Jazz Cuisine, champagne served in commemorative glasses and a VIP table in Club 3121 to watch Prince bring in the New Year. As our girl Carla says, “How many people can say, ‘I spent New Year's Eve with Mr. Purple Rain himself!’?” General admission tickets are also available. Call (702) 777-7776 for more information or to purchase tickets.

The Big Flamingo, Flamingo Las Vegas President Don Marrandino, will be presenting an evening of stars from yesteryear at “The Original Idols Live” at the Flamingo showroom, mere steps away from the Strip-side madness. The one-night only event will feature the Bay City Rollers, Leif Garrett, The Cowsills and more, all emceed by former Brady Bunch star Barry Williams aka Greg Brady. The 90-minute show begins at 9 p.m. and tickets range from $59-$99. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call (702) 733-3111.

In the 1990s, fewer bands sold as many records as easy rock supergroup Hootie & The Blowfish. On New Year’s Eve, Hootie and the gang will be performing a special concert at the Silverton Casino Lodge, and guests will even have the opportunity to ring in 2007 at a special VIP party with the band in the Shady Grove Lounge! The concert will begin at 10 p.m. with tickets priced at $75 and $125. The $75 ticket includes access to an after-party in Mi Casa Grill Cantina and one free specialty drink, while the $125 ticket includes access to the VIP after party with Hootie & The Blowfish!

Other Parties of Note

On Monday, Jan. 1, JET Nightclub will be the place to be as multi-talented Light Group Vice President Marklen Kennedy will be celebrating his birthday bash in style and helping to re-create New Year’s Eve for the service industry. “We’re doing this for everyone who worked so hard the whole weekend,” said JET marketing mind Steven Lockwood. “They should all have a chance to celebrate the countdown themselves!”

As a result, the evening will include a countdown and champagne toast, as well as DJ Crooked on the wheels of steel and several surprise celebrity guests who will be in attendance. “I want to invite everyone down to participate in the New Year celebration,” added Kennedy. “My birthday party just happens to be an added bonus!” So let’s get this straight: New Year’s for industry locals, JET on a Monday AND Marklen’s birthday party? Wow, OK, see you there! For VIP table reservations, please call (702) 792-7900.

On Saturday, Dec. 30, rumjungle Nightclub at Mandalay Bay will be host to the Official Ultimate Fighting Championship after-party following the championship rematch of Chuck “The Iceman” Lidell and “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz. Expect plenty of UFC fighters to be present and partying.

PURE Nightclub isn’t focusing just on New Year’s Eve, with a packed weekend of special events as party people prepare for the big night. Friday starts with a birthday party for up-and-coming actor Jared Leto before handing over the hosting conch to Nick Lachey and Grand Master Flash on Saturday night. As mentioned, Lachey will hang around for the next night’s big party.

Following in big brother’s footsteps, Tangerine Nightclub also has a busy pre-New Year’s weekend planned, with a special MySpace party that will start the weekend off right on Friday night. The next night, “Desperate Housewives” star Jesse Metcalf will be reprising his emceeing duties, hosting the Saturday night party. Like Lachey, Metcalf will be spending his NYE at PURE Nightclub.