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Most restaurant industry slaves refer to New Year's Eve as "Amateur Night". Having worked plenty of NYE's in past, I can't say that I'm eager to go out and cram myself into a bar with a bunch of sweaty, drunk people. Have fun.

I wouldn't mind tucking into a cozy booth at a favorite restaurant, but we always seem to have too many revelers in our pack and no one can make a decision as to the best location.

So it's my house for the fest. But what manner of fest shall we have?

Fancy Schmancy

Part of me thinks it would be fun to do it up glam-style. I have a sassy black dress and shiny shoes (one of the benefits of hosting, never having to trudge through the snow in fabulously inappropriate footwear) that would do the trick. We'd prepare a spread of serious nosh: something in an escargot puff, a caviar treat, some foie possibly, maybe an oyster thing or two. There'd be Manhattans, natch, and likely a sake sangria. Low lights, music from Tao, good gossip and pretty people (we're all pretty people in low light). Bubbly at midnight, no?

Slippery Fun

The other part of me thinks that it might be nice to hang low this year. We'd have a bunch of fun-lovers over for a little family skating/Boot Hockey (yes, the Hub built a rink in the backyard this year) starring a massive pot of chili. Maybe I'd sink a few growlers of Surly in the snow not far from the bonfire. Spiked cider, spiked cocoa, stick-roasted hot dogs for the little'uns and a slumber-pit for those who can't make it to midnight. Toast in the year with Hot Toddies, and we're all still pretty in firelight.

EITHER WAY ... there's one thing that people who come to my house for NYE know and fear, the required shot of the evening to bring in luck for the new year:

The Crazy Nikolashka

Pour a healthy shot of whiskey (your choice). Take a half slice of lemon and remove the peel. On one half of lemon, pour a small mound of sugar, on the other half, pour a small mound of ground coffee. Throw the lemon in your mouth and chew vigorously. Swallow and chase with the whiskey. Glory be.