Where to dine in Petaluma this New Year's Eve

Several local restaurants have announced New Year's Eve specials, and I'll start with Wishbone's because how can I pass up on a menu titled 'Pagan Delights?'

The restaurant promises: 'The menu for this event is presented as an accounting of our surroundings, blessings, and sacrifices of the past year and a little bloodletting for the coming year as well.'

'Mushrooms and more' starts off the meal with a plate of tastes and toasts from the dirt, including turnip, radish, herbs, alliums and mushroom confit. Next up is 'gifts from the salt,' which is a briny broth of clams and seaweed, coupled with hardtack biscuits. Bitter greens, yesterday's bread and butter and black walnuts make up the 'rosemary and horseradish salad.' 'Blood is blood' brings diners tartare, egg yolk, persimmon and pickled mustard. Atriaux is a culinary specialty of French-speaking Swiss and Wishbone's 'Goats ala Atriaux' are braised in sweet apples, wine and spices and come with smoked potato, cured citrus and black garlic. Concluding sweets are stewed berries, citrus, strained cheese, honey and candy cap chocolate truffles.

Defined as 'a person having cultivated, refined, and sociable tastes especially with respect to food and drink,' Wishbone offers 'Bon Vivant' dining experiences several times a year. This will be the last of 2018. Reservations are required with tickets at $80, including gratuity. There will be special accommodations available for restricted diets. The Pagan Delights menu is scheduled for both Dec. 30 and 31. wishbonepetaluma.com.

Seared's NYE party kicks off in the River Room at 7:30 p.m. with a limited seating dinner of appetizers, house and Caesar salad, crème fraiche mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, hand-carved prime rib, salmon and Mary's chicken, plus special desserts. Dinner includes everything, even wine with dinner, coffee and a champagne toast at midnight. Dinner reservations are $85 and give you a front row seat to the Highway Poets, who will start up the band around 9:30 p.m. petalumaseared.com.

Rosen's 256 North was a favorite for last year's New Year's Eve bash and plans to do it up again this year with a limited dinner menu from 5 to 10 p.m. Dinner's main event will be Maine lobster tails, accompanied by Rosen's starters, sides and award-winning desserts. Music and dancing will start at 9 p.m. to the sounds of the Humdingers, with party hats and champagne toasts planned for midnight. Reservations are required. 256north.com.

Pongo's Kitchen and Taproom will host 'New Year's Eve Deliciousness' beginning at 6 p.m. Expect special menu offerings and live music from Buzz Unplugged. pongospetaluma.com.

There is no ball quite like a Viennese, which is where you will find yours truly on NYE, starting at 8 p.m. at Hermann Sons Hall. The ball begins with a buffet of authentic Viennese food, followed by waltzing to a live Strauss orchestra. Dress is formal, which is always fun, and for those that aren't familiar with waltzing, don't be shy about asking any one of the San Francisco Waltz Society members to take you for a spin around the room just to get you warmed up. skyhill.org.

Restaurant changes

Barber Lee Spirits is going into the old Mike's Glass location on Washington, just across the alley from parent company, Barber Cellars and is looking to raise the final bit of capital. Check out 'Barber Lee' on kickstarter.com for all sorts of great rewards, ranging from chicken shot glasses and tours of the distillery, to a catered meal for you and your friends right next to the still, to a multi-day class on how to make your own whiskey.

What a Chicken is closed from Dec. 24 thru Jan. 2 in order to give the staff a well-deserved rest after an outstanding first year.

Rosen's 256 North has an excellent happy hour menu, as highlighted in my happy hour features in both the Petaluma Argus-Courier and Play Petaluma magazine. Well, they have expanded their menu by adding pretzel bites with cheese for $3, with $4 draft beers to wash them down. I'm a huge fan of 'bites' of any kind, but pretzels are perfectly suited to be offered as bites, and top my list of favorite finger foods, especially when it comes out of Jan Rosen's kitchen.

The Block – Petaluma bar manager Julie Tenorio just let me know that they have a new happy hour special for the New Year. Any pint and your choice of cheese or pepperoni pizza is just $10, Wednesday through Sunday from 4-6 p.m.

Speaking of pizza, Pizza Politana has retired their spot at the Ferry Building farmers market in order to spend more time with us here in Petaluma, at their Lunchette restaurant downtown. For those who haven't yet been, Lunchette offers great 'grab-and-go' organic salads and grain bowls, although we usually prefer to stay and dine at their sidewalk picnic table. For more on Lunchette, refer to Petaluma360.com for my past feature article.

Small bites

While judging the Latke MasterChef competition at Chabad Jewish Center of Petaluma earlier this month, we learned from the extremely dynamic Rabi Dovid Bush that the center has all sorts of food-related events throughout the year. One special edible activity they continue to host throughout the year is their 'Flying Challah' outreach. Challah is a traditional Jewish bread that is usually braided and is eaten on major Jewish holidays, as well as ceremonial occasions, like the weekly Sabbath. The Chabad Jewish Center's goal through the 'Flying Challah' program is to connect Jewish families by sending 'some Shabbat warmth' to an over-worked friend, someone who has recently had a baby or just to let someone know they are loved. Whether you would like to send or receive a freshly baked Challah, visit jewishpetaluma.com to use their sign-up form. And stay tuned for future Chabad Jewish Center food events, which not only provide a way to learn about the delicious and historic Jewish food traditions, but also serve as a great way connect more deeply with our local community.