Auld lang dine Toast and taste the new year

When most people make their New Year’s Eve plans, they worry about what to wear, where to go, or which champagne to buy.

I don’t care if I watch the ball drop wearing Pj’s, nursing a bottle of Tott’s, just as long as I’ve had a good meal beforehand.

Some of my most vivid New Year’s Eve memories involve food. There was the bitterly cold evening we spent driving around Greater Bangor, unable to agree on where to go. We ended up at the Oronoka, and Ellen Severance greeted us at the door with noisemakers and cardboard tiaras that spelled “Happy New Year.” I’m not sure if it was the honey biscuits, the hospitality or the roaring fire that did it, but we left full, happy and warm.

Last year the family hit Ichiban for a bit of Japanese food. We settled in and ordered a boatload of maki and sashimi. It seemed like a good idea, until we realized that only two of the six of us liked sushi. So we ordered tempura and packed up the leftovers. At least the cat had a happy new year.

Whether you head to your neighborhood pub, a nearby sushi bar, or an upscale cafe, your New Year’s Eve celebration should be nothing less than memorable – no matter how many glasses of bubbly you imbibe. Following are a few tantalizing options to make sure your New Year’s Eve meal is unforgettable. We’ve taken care of the “where to go” part, and most of these places will pick out the champagne for you. But you’ll have to pick out your own outfit.

. Talk about a hidden gem. Even the owner admits that the Irish pub at the Brooklin Inn is located “way down at the end of nowhere,” but if you have a designated driver, it definitely would be a unique New Year’s Eve destination. For the past several years, Chip Angell has decorated the pub with life-size cardboard cutouts of such entertainment legends as Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and John Lennon. “We advertise it by saying, ‘All your old friends will be there,'” Angell said, laughing. This year, there will be an open house with free food and coffee, but no music, no cover charge and no reservations. If you’re up for the trip, call 359-2777 or visit www.brooklininn.com.

. If you’re wondering what the Dickens to do on New Year’s Eve, head to Chippers in Hancock, where former English teacher Steve Coffin will give fireside readings of Charles Dickens stories throughout the evening. Owner Chip Butterwick plans to pass around hors d’oeuvres such as chicken wings, hot crab dip and smoked salmon pate, which will be followed by a main dish of chateaubriand, salmon in puff pastry or cherrywood-smoked duck (which is smoked on site). “Everything’s just set up really nice right now,” Butterwick says. For information or reservations, call 422-8238.

. Cafe Nouveau in Bangor is another place to go if you have late-night plans. Though the cafe and wine bar get pretty busy through the evening, owner Leslie Thistle said the crowd starts to thin out around 10-10:30. Thistle plans to serve old favorites, such as duck breast with honey, ginger and lavender, as well as a few surprises. Reservations are required. For information, call 942-3336.

. You’ll need a reservation if you want to spend your New Year’s Eve at Mache, the diminutive bistro in Bar Harbor. Owner Maureen Cosgrove has a five-course prix-fixe menu planned for the evening. “It should be fun and the food is going to be awesome,” Cosgrove said. That is, if you’re lucky enough to get one of the nine tables.

. This New Year’s Eve, you can treat your taste buds on a trip to the Mediterranean without leaving the area at Cleonice in Ellsworth. Chef-owner Rich Hanson opened the bistro as an homage to Hanson’s mother, Cleonice Renzetti, who shared her love of cooking and experimenting with international cuisine with her son. For New Year’s Eve, Hanson has planned “a lavish selection of dishes,” in addition to Cleonice’s bistro fare. “I think we’re going to do more deluxe thing,” Hanson said. Deluxe, indeed – the menu will feature chicken breast with truffles under the skin, duck confit, locally raised lamb, and a mixed grill of prawns, octopus and oysters. For information or reservations, call 664-7554.

. If you’re looking for an elegant way to spend the evening, try Arborvine in Blue Hill. “It’s a very cozy and very intimate place to be on New Year’s Eve,” chef-owner John Hikade said. He said the restaurant puts on its best show for New Year’s Eve, from the festive, warm atmosphere to the prix fixe dinner. There will be two seatings, at 6 and 9 p.m. The former will be a bit more casual, with four courses and two dinner selections, and the latter will be more upscale, with six courses and three entree choices. Both will include champagne. “The 9 o’clock seating is a little bit more for people who are going to spend the evening with us,” Hikade said. Reservations are necessary. For information, call 374-2119.

. Dinner at Primo restaurant in Rockland is always memorable. This year, for New Year’s Eve, chef-owner Melissa Kelly has a seven-course dinner planned. Reservations are recommended. For information, call 596-0770.

. Guinness & Porcelli’s in Bangor will ring in 2003 with a fun, funky and festive celebration. “Live jazz is definitely one of the highlights,” manager Salina Pierce said. Jazz Noir will play throughout the evening with guest violinist Gyllian Svensson. There will be two seatings, at 5 and 8:30. Both will feature a five-course, prix fixe menu that includes gnocchi with sage sauce, monkfish with white beans and lamb chops with almond pesto. Pierce is hoping to clear space after the later seating so guests can dance the night away. Reservations are recommended. For information, call 947-2300.

. If you’ve ever eaten at Maidee’s in Ellsworth, you know that it can be an all-night affair. Everything on the international menu is made to order, so if you don’t have any pressing plans, it’s a good place to settle in for the evening. And the atmosphere can’t be beat. Owner-chef Maidee Chang plans to serve “strong dinner specials” well into the night (the restaurant is open until 2 a.m.). “We just have a happy time,” Chang said. “It’s a very friendly, happy New Year’s atmosphere, and we’ll cheer to the year 2003.”

. You can start your evening with an elegant meal and head to a late-night party if you dine at the New Moon Cafe in Bangor. The evening’s five-course menu starts with an amuse-bouche of peekytoe crab cheesecake and includes several selections for each course, including a seared sea scallop wrapped in salmon bacon for an appetizer and a roasted half-rack of lamb for an entree. Guests will be greeted with a glass of champagne at the door and will be able to choose the prix fixe menu with or without wine pairings. Two seatings are planned for 6 and 8:30 p.m. “We’re not open too late into the evening,” owner Paul Noonan said. “So people can go off to a party and do everything else they want to do.” Reservations are required. For information, call 990-2233.

. At Thrumcap in Bar Harbor, “New Year’s Eve is always the busiest day of the year,” owner Tom Marinke says. The restaurant is known for its award-winning wine list and the evening promises to satisfy oenophiles longing for something more than a free glass of Cook’s. “We’ll be dipping into the wine cellar to offer some really exceptional wines by the glass,” Marinke said. “This is more of a food and wine type of New Year’s.” The menu will include a festive selection of many small courses, and Marinke plans to seat diners until 10 p.m. For reservations, which are strongly suggested, call 288-3884.