Manchester, NJ

What's HOT This New Year's Eve Your Guide To The Best Hot Spots At The Jersey Shore By Keith Hagarty And Lauren Puglisi You've got your noisemakers. You've got your crazy party hats. You've got a group of friends and you've got a great excuse to go out: New Year's Eve. But where to go? After all, you've only got one shot at this. One chance to have a night to remember. No worries. This is the Jersey Shore, and that means there is no shortage of great places to enjoy a night on the town, even in the middle of winter. Want to know what places are hot and which are not? You're in the right place. Check out some of these great spots for a New Year's Eve to remember, all of them close to home. Hemingway's Café - Seaside Heights The newly opened Hemingway's Café in Seaside Heights is hosting their first ever New Year's Eve celebration. Owner Vincent Cratarotta has designed a night for people looking to enjoy both a great dinner as well as a night filled with entertainment. With a reservation, Hemingway's Café is offering a choice of two separate dinner seating options. The earliest seating starts at 5:30 p.m. Guests will pay a flat rate of $39.95 and receive a full four-course specialty dinner. --Photo By Lauren Puglisi The Green Room at The Sawmill Café is sure to be hopping on New Year's Eve, just one of a many party places this holiday. The second dinner seating starts at 8:30 p.m. and is mainly geared towards a crowd that is looking to spend the rest of the night partying at Hemingway's after their meal. The $59.95 cover for this seating includes dinner, free admission to the night-club and a continental breakfast. The bar and lounge portion of Hemingway's opens at 9 p.m. Guests will pay a cover of $20. The cover charge also includes free 2008 VIP Cards for discounts on upcoming Hemingway events. The first 500 tickets sold after midnight will get a half price admission of $10. Hemingway's is located not far from the beach at 612 on the Boulevard. Call ahead for reservations and a detailed menu for each of the evening's two specialty courses. Hemingway's can be reached at 732-830-1255. --Photo By Lauren Puglisi Good times are expected at Hemingway's Café in Seaside, one of a number of hot spots we expect will be jumping on New Year's Eve. La Bove Grande Banquet Facility - Lakehurst For a touch of elegance to welcome 2008, set your sights on the La Bove Grande Banquet Facility in Lakehurst at the Circle Landmark on Route 70. The $110 per person package includes a sit-down dinner available from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m., offering a full course, fresh gourmet continental cuisine. Some of the items on the extensive dinner menu include a wide selection of entrees, such as beef, chicken, pork, seafood and surf and turf. A five-hour open bar is also included in the package, with festivities for the New Year's Eve party running from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., complete with a champagne toast, hors d'ouevres, noise makers, party favors and an unlimited, all night sushi bar. Those with a sweet tooth will look forward to the grand chocolate fountain, hot coffee or tea and lively entertainment courtesy of a DJ to get the crowd dancing. --Photo Courtesy Of Club Mansion Party-goers look to have a wild New Year's Eve at Club Mansion in Brick. Established 19 years ago by brothers Jerry and Luigi Bove, the Circle Landmark features a contemporary interior wrapped in pinks, greens and marble throughout every room. "I've been involved in every one of them," Jerry said of the facility's New Year's celebrations over the last two decades. Geared toward mature to middle-aged patrons, La Bove's elegant atmosphere, such as fine dining in their fireside room sets it apart from all other New Year's options in the area. "Our ambiance is one of the finest in the county," said Jerry. "It's a nice evening for people who want to enjoy a great evening without all the commotion ... our place is gorgeous, attractive and the price is right." To make a reservation, call 732-657-8377. The Green Room at Sawmill Café - Seaside Park The Seaside boardwalk may be less crowded than it is during the summer, but for New Year's Eve, one of the most recognizable hot spots along the Jersey Shore is sure to be packed to the core. The Sawmill Café and the upstairs Green Room is offering complete New Year's Eve packages to anyone who plans on bringing in the new year at the beach. When guests pay a $35 cover they have the luxury of an open bar from nine to midnight, hot and cold appetizers, party favors, a champagne toast at midnight and a continental breakfast. "I am excited to announce that I was able to get Ocean County's #1 party band, The Amish Outlaws, to perform for the evening," owner Steve D'Onofrio said. "I would describe them as a 'dead on' band that incorporates today's classic/ modern rock, hip hop and alternative music." To help countdown the highly anticipated ball drop, DJ Prime will also be entertaining guests as the emcee for the night. Guests that are traveling to the area must not be worried about overnight accommodations. The Sawmill is located across the street from the Ocean Terrance and the Windjammer Hotels; both open on the biggest party night of the year. To purchase tickets online, visit www.sawmillcafe. com or call 732-793-1990. Tiffany's Restaurant - Toms River Tiffany's Restaurant in Toms River, on Route 37 East, invites New Year's Eve revelers to watch the ball drop from Times Square on one of their 20 state-of-the-art high-definition plasma televisions. With a four-hour open bar, Tiffany's offers two party packages: the $49 per person package includes the open bar only, while the $89 package includes the open bar, as well as a full course dinner. "We'll be doing a shrimp cocktail for an appetizer, and we're going to have different types of dinners: the first being a rack of lamb, a surf and turf and we're also going to do a roasted chicken," said executive chef Marco Polo. Live entertainment includes a DJ getting the crowd going on the dance floor. To further promote a safe night, Tiffany's packages also include discounts for rooms at the Holiday Inn, within easy walking distance. "The most important thing for us is safety," said Polo. "We feel obligated not to let anyone get drunk and drive away, so our agreement with Holiday Inn works out perfectly." Now in its third year in Toms River, Tiffany's is poised for a healthy and happy New Year. "We're looking to do better and better every year," said Polo. To make reservations for one of Tiffany's allinclusive packages, call 732-281-1036. Club Mansion - Brick For the younger crowd looking for a primo hotspot, look no further than the New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball at Club Mansion in Brick, located at Route 70 and Chambers Bridge Road in Brick Plaza. Doors open at 8 p.m. with a $99 per person package including a top shelf open bar from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., complimentary party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. The party will keep jumping into the morning hours, with a full continental breakfast offered to all-night patrons at 4 a.m. The club's entertainment includes music spun by DJ Angel Manuel, DJ Yanni Mel and MC Jordan Marshall will get the joint jumping as the club dances in the new year, serving up the best of top 40, 80s rock and dance. Now in its second year in Brick, the club is excited to build on the high energy spectacle generated at last year's New Year's Eve bash. "It was phenomenal," said club managerDebbie Conway. "Everyone had such a great time." The club also offers an assortment of VIP table packages personally tailored to the individual needs of patrons. Bringing a lively, shore party atmosphere with a more local flavor is what makes Club Mansion a big hit this New Year's Eve, said Conway. "It's close to home, and everybody just has a really good time here," she said. "It's great." For more information about the club, visit their Web site at www.myspace/mansionnightlife. com, and reservations and VIP table inquiries and pricing, call 732-262-5155. The River Belle & River Queen - Point Pleasant & Brielle Crowded nightclubs are not the only places for people to go and have a great time on New Year's Eve. The River Belle and River Queen party boats are offering a Gala New Year's Eve cruise for people looking for a funpacked night sailing along the Jersey Shore. Tickets are $100 per person and include an array of unique amenities. The cruise is four hours long and begins and ends with continual choices of deluxe cuisine including shrimp, vegetables, international cheese, assorted nuts and more. Guests aboard the River Belle and River Queen boats are offered a complimentary open bar as well as a champagne toast at midnight. Unlike most cruises that close their bars hours before docking, the River Belle and River Queen both offer drinks up until 15 minutes before guests depart the boat. The captains of the boats are fully aware that it is winter and New Year's Eve may be a very cold and breezy night, so for the purpose of comforting the passengers each boat is fully enclosed and heated on both overlooking decks. Guests aboard the River boats are all urged to dance and enjoy themselves with complimentary party favors and continual music by a DJ. For tickets to the River Belle, which docks in Point Pleasant Beach or the River Queen, which resides in Brielle, call (732) 528-6620. The Bamboo Bar - Seaside Heights The Bamboo Bar in Seaside Heights is one of the most recognizable night clubs along the Jersey Shore. This years New Year's Eve Party is expected to be one of the biggest holiday parties to date. The doors at Bamboo open at 8 p.m. and so does the complimentary bar. Guests that buy tickets beforehand will pay a $35 cover, while anyone that decides to pay at the door will be charged $50. "This is the first year that we discounted prices for tickets sold before the event," Bryan Hunteneurg the nightclub's manager, said, "We are expecting a crowd of about 400-500 people on New Year's Eve." The cover to Bamboo Bar includes an exclusive open bar from 8 p.m.-12 a.m. as well as a champagne toast at the drop of the ball. Hats and noisemakers will be handed out so everyone can join together in celebrating New Year's Eve. There will also be a hot and cold buffet available throughout the night. "In New Jersey, New Year's Eve is the one night that bars are permitted to stay open as late as they want. We plan on staying open until the crowd starts dying out." Huteneurg said. Since the Bamboo Bar is willing to stay open later that most in the area guests should plan on staying out long after the ball drops. For ticket information, call 732-579-7890. Myspace users can visit the Bamboo Bar's official site at http://www.myspace.com/ thebamboobar for further information and directions. The Happy Hour Bar - Toms River For a more affordable New Year's Eve party alternative, look to the Happy Hour Bar, Restaurant & Liquor Store, in Toms River, located on Jamaica Boulevard in the Mini Mall Plaza. With a party package of $45 per person, the celebration gets underway at 8:30 p.m. with no set hour on final call. Entertainment includes DJ music and karaoke, dancing and giveaways, hors d'ouevres, buffet style dinner, dessert, champagne toast and complimentary party favors and noise makers and a continental breakfast. A cash bar is provided for the event, with the party package including sales tax. Gratuity, however, is not included in the package price. For more information on the event or to make reservations, call 732-341-4424. The Quality Inn, Route 37 - Toms River The Quality Inn on Route 37 in Toms River has party packages ranging from $99 to $179 per person. Each package includes a five-hour open bar, with brand name liquors, wine, beer and soda; and spectacular decorations, party hats, noise makers, balloons, a cocktail reception and full-course dinner with Viennese table settings, a complimentary champagne toast at the countdown to midnight. The cocktail reception will be held from 8 to 9 p.m., and includes buffet style hors d'oeuvres, a carving station, pasta station and cold display platters. Dinner and dancing with DJ Joe begins at 9 p.m., with appetizers such as fresh mozzarella, grilled vegetables and a jumbo shrimp tower over baby arugula with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze. Some of the dinner entrees to select from include roasted chateaubriand with a cognac and black truffle demi glaze, crispy roasted half duckling with a sun dried cherry and brandy sauce, and fettuccini tossed with lobster meat, fresh basil and champagne cream. To cap of the meal, desserts include a chocolate fountain with all the dipping accompaniments, a full Viennese table of assorted rich delicacies, and an ice cream sundae bar. Quality Inn's Party Package for $99 includes all of the above, while the $179 Overnight Party Package includes the New Year's party, deluxe accommodations for the night, hot breakfast buffet on New Year's Day. Both packages include sales tax and service charges. For reservations, call 732-341-2400, ext. 305, or for more information, visit www. qualityinntr.com. No refunds are accepted after December 24. The Idle Hour - Point Pleasant The Idle Hour in Point Pleasant is widely known as a friendly neighborhood sports bar. To keep with its comfortable atmosphere, the Idle Hour is offering a closed private party for this New Year's Eve. Tickets are $75 before the night's event; guests will not be permitted into the entire bar without having a voucher, ensuring a comfortable, not-too-packed party atmosphere. The cover to the bar includes a full service buffet that starts promptly at 8 p.m. and ends only when the bar closes at 2 a.m. There is also an open bar throughout the night and a champagne toast at midnight. Guests will also be promised to be entertained by performances by the popular live band 2nd Floor. For information on purchasing tickets, call the Idle Hour at 732-899- 2102 or visit the bar's Web site http://www. theidlehour.net/ for complete information on this years upcoming New Year's Eve bash. Jenkinson's Night Club - Point Pleasant Jenkinson's Night Club may be one of the only places on the Pt. Pleasant boardwalk that guarantees to be lively throughout the entire winter season. Jenks' New Year's Eve bash is one of the most highly anticipated events the nightclub hosts. The doors at Jenkinson's Night Club open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are $40 at the Jenks Box Office or at ticketmaster.com when previously purchased before the night's event. Ticket entry is still available to guests on New Year's Eve but the cover price is slightly upped to $50. The flat cover charges include a buffet style dinner, a continental breakfast as well as a champagne toast at midnight and party favors. "Something that we tried to do differently this year was incorporate two big name bands rather than just one," John, the nightclub's general bar manager, said. "I think we all put a lot more into the planning of the event this year." Performances by The Nerds and Big Orange Cone will go on throughout the course of the night. In between sets, DJ Unique is promised to play dance music of all genres to keep guests on the dance floor. Guests that would like buy tickets for the night's events should call the nightclub party line at Jenks directly at 732-899-0569.