Columnist Muriel Stevens: A game plan is advised for New Year’s accommodations

Thursday, Dec. 23, 1999 | 9:29 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' dining column usually appears Fridays. Her shopping column appears Wednesdays. Reach her at muriel@vegas.com or 259-4080.

Dining out on New Year's Eve? There are plenty of choices, but if you're planning to go to the Strip you'd better have a game plan for hotel access. It's easier than you might think. Of course, ease of access depends on whether you live on the east side of town or the west. Remember the Strip will close from Russell to Sahara as soon as crowds roll in. The only east/west access will be via the Desert Inn arterial.

Caesars Palace, the restaurants at the Forum Shops, Bellagio, Mirage and Treasure Island can be accessed via Industrial Road; use Koval for the Venetian, Harrah's and the MGM Grand. Eastsiders will have no problem reaching Bally's or Paris via Flamingo; Paradise Road makes getting to the Sahara and Riviera a cinch; using Sands Road gives ready access to the Desert Inn.

From the west side, use the Hacienda overpass to get to Mandalay Bay restaurants. Make a right at the first light into the parking structure. Follow the sign to valet parking and you will be at the restaurant corridor entrance for Aureole, China Grill, Rock Lobster, Lupo, Red Square, rumjungle and Tiger Lily. Walk through Mandalay Bay to reach Charlie Palmer Steak or the Verandah Cafe at the Four Seasons.

Wolfgang Puck: Access is easy at all four Puck restaurants. Spago and Chinois at the Forum Shops have both the Forum Shops valet parking and special VIP parking in the back. You must have a VIP card to park. Seatings begin at 5:30 p.m. at Chinois. The regular a la carte menu with special menu selections will be offered. Call Johnny or Michael for reservations -- 737-9700. Spago will offer its a la carte menu and special menu selections from 5:30-9 p.m. A prix fixe menu of gustatorial delights ($200) will be offered at seatings from 9-10:30 p.m. Call Lance or Cheryl at 369-6300. Lupo at Mandalay Bay will feature a festive five-course prix fixe menu ($200). Seatings begin at 5 p.m. Lupo's a la carte menu is available after midnight. Call Lana or Lisa -- 740-5522. The new Postrio at the Venetian will present its a la carte menu at seatings beginning at 5:30 p .m. Call Matt or Laura -- 796-1110. Prix fixe dinner prices do not include beverages, tax or gratuity.

Desert Inn: Monte Carlo at the Desert Inn will showcase a special five-course millennium dinner from 6-11 p.m. Call 733-4524 for reservations or additional information. Portofino Italian Steakhouse will offer a la carte dinner specials from 6-11 p.m. For reservations call 733-4444. The first Desert Inn buffet of the New Year will be offered in the resort's Terrace Point on New Year's Day morning, 1-5 a.m. An extensive menu of breakfast specialties will be offered. The late-night/early-morning Terrace Pointe Buffet is $14.75 per person, tax and gratuity not included.

Caesars Palace: From 6-7:30 p.m. at the Palace Court French restaurant, diners may order from the new 25th anniversary a la carte menu. A special pre-set menu (with course choices) begins at 9 p.m. Pianist David Osborne will entertain from 6 p.m-12:30 a.m. Reservations require a credit card. Formal attire is suggested. Bacchanal restaurant will offer a seven-course Roman feast ($195 per person) with entertainment, a cocktail party with hors d'oeuvres, upgraded wines and champagne, party favors, dancing and a countdown to midnight. One seating at 7 p.m. Reservations require a credit card. Formal attire is suggested. Caesars Magical Empire will offer seatings Dec. 31 from 4:30-6:50 p.m. at $80, plus a $3 ticket-handling fee. Children 5-10 years are admitted half-price. Included are a three-course dinner with magic, taxes and gratuity, and all of the shows an d entertainment areas. New Year's Eve seatings from 7:30-9:50 p.m. include all of the above, plus a special holiday menu, party favors, music and dancing i n the Sanctum Secorum and fireworks at midnight. For information about the New Year's Eve and New Year's Day Palatium buffets and special Cafe Roma buffets, call 731-7110.

MGM Grand: Celebrate New Year's Eve Southwestern style at Mark Miller's Coyote Cafe and Grill Room. A four-course menu with course choices is $75 per person in the cafe. A five-course feast will be offered in the Grill Room for $180 per person. Included is a complimentary Luigi Bormioli champagne flute with Tattinger champagne. For reservations call 891-7349. Gatsby's, Brown Derby, La Scala and the Grand's new Middleastern eatery, Neyla, will have special New Year's Eve dinners. Call 891-1111 for reservations and information.

Venetian: Joachim Spichal's Pinot Brasserie will offer an early New Year's Eve five-course dinner from 5-6 p.m. (must be finished by 7:45 p.m.) for $95 per person and a second seating with a different menu from 8:30 p.m.-10 p.m. for $200. Tax and gratuity not included. For reservations call 414-8888. Stephan Pyles Star Canyon will feature a five-course dinner at two seatings, 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The price is $150 per person. Reservations are suggested. Call 414-3772. Zefferino's will have an early seating, 5-8 p.m., for $100 per person. Included is a four-course dinner and a glass of champagne. A later seating at 9:30 p.m. is $250. Included are a four-course meal and a bottle of champagne. Call 414-3500.

Le Cirque and Circo: Sirio Maccioni's Le Cirque and Circo restaurants at Bellagio will ring out the old year in grand style. The French Le Cirque is featuring a lavish meal at 9:30 p.m. for $1,000 per person, all inclusive. For reservations call 693-8100. Circo's 9:30 p.m. Italian-inspired dinner is $500, all inclusive. Circo will have music and dancing from 9:30 p.m. Call 693-8150. Both restaurants will offer their regular menus at 5:30 p.m. Diners are required to leave by 8 p.m.

Andre's: Andre's at 401 S. Sixth St. will have New Year's Eve seatings at 5:30, 6, 6:30 and 7 p.m. for $200; seatings at 9:30-11 p.m. are $350. The six-course menu includes course choices. Call 385-5016. The same seating times and a similar, but different menu will be available at Andre's at the Monte Carlo. Early seatings are $300; late seatings, $350. Call 798-7151.

Mayflower Cuisinier: A delightful New Year's Eve menu has been created by chef/owner Ming See Woo for $150 per person. Included with the four-course repast is a glass of Roederer Estate Brut Sparkling wine. Dinner service is from 5-9:30 p.m. Call 870-8432.

Spiedini: Denise and Gustav Mauler's Spiedini restaurant at the Resort at Summerlin will offer two menus ($49-$58) for early New Year's Eve dining, 5-6:30 p.m. The later seating at 8:30 p.m. is a dining extravaganza ($400) that includes live entertainment, a souvenir champagne glass filled with the bubbly, party favors and more. Call 869-8500.

Station properties: A multitude of New Year's Eve choices will be available at all four Stations: Sunset, Palace, Boulder and Texas. These off-Strip properties will ring in the New Year in a variety of ways. Texas will have a "Club Millenium 2000" gala in the hotel's South Padre Pavilion; they'll be rockin' and rollin' at Sunset Station at Club Madrid -- all of the restaurants will have special meals. Boulder and Palace Stations will have similar New Year's Eve food specials. Prices vary, and reservations are required for some offerings, so call your Station of choice for more information.

Riviera: The Riviera is offering a number of New Year's choices. Kristofer's will feature a four-course dinner, with course choices, for $45.95 per person, plus tax. Service is from 5:30-11 p.m. Ristorante Italiano will offer a four-course New Year's Eve Italian feast for $49.95 per person plus tax, from 5:30-11 p.m. For reservations call 794-9433. A New Year's Eve buffet that includes champagne is $9.95. New Year's Day the buffet will serve breakfast 7-10 a.m. ($7.99) and a champagne brunch ($9.50), 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Harrah's: Harrah's will offer multicourse New Year's Eve dinners at the Range Steakhouse, Asia and Andreotti's. Early seatings at the Range, 5-7:30 p.m., are $85. A 10 p.m. seating with a more elaborate menu is $150. Window tables are $175. Asia's holiday dinner ($65) will be served from 5-11 p.m. Prices and times at Andreotti's are the same. For reservations call 369-5000.

Wherever you go -- drive carefully, stay cool and have the best of all New Years.

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