W.While New Year’s Eve celebrations were largely scaled back a year ago, there is little uncertainty among Scottsdale restaurants and hotels this month as they prepare to ring in 2022.
Restaurants and hotels are eager to bring back elements of the pre-pandemic New Year’s celebration while delivering new experiences.
“I feel like everyone is at a point where they’re ready to go back to normal surroundings and leave the past year behind,” said Nick Neuman, the owner of EVO in OldTown. “I’m looking forward to finding my way back to my old state and being able to relax a little more and take a deep breath.”
With plans to stick to his unique four-course menu on New Year’s Eve, Neuman is delighted that nearly 100 guests who stayed at home last year are returning, bringing the number to over 400.
Roaring Fork is preparing for at least 280 guests on New Year’s Eve by offering its regular à la carte menu in addition to a steak and lobster dinner.
“The difference between our restaurant on New Year’s Eve is that, in addition to the Steak & Lobster promotion, we also offer our regular à la carte menu,” said Matt Sevigny, General Manager of Roaring Fork. “We do not offer a ready-made menu at the price per person so that our restaurateurs can enjoy their favorites and our house specialties on New Year’s Eve.”
After the bowling lanes sold out last year, Mavrix has expanded its experience for this year’s celebrations.
“Last year we only sold the lifts as a two-pack in order to reduce the interaction between the guests. Now we’re selling single lane packages, ”said JP Mullan, COO of Octane Entertainment, which owns Mavrix.
“We sold out Lane packages immediately last year, so we added Trophy Room stand packages for 2021,” added Mullan. “We have also added an earlier package at 6:30 pm for families to experience a New Year’s Eve celebration with a ball fall at 8:00 pm.”
ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho and Hearth ’61 at Mountain Shadows look forward to opening the doors to the expected 200 guests who are expected to dance and mingle more than last year.
“Last year when we had a full house it was a lot more restricted,” said ZuZu Chef Russell LaCasce. “We still had live music and great food, but the guests weren’t allowed to leave their tables to dance or mingle with the people.”
LaCasce looks forward to hosting diners this year as he believes his restaurant is a spacious and unique way to celebrate the turn of the calendar.
“We have a generous and flexible layout; We can move tables to accommodate the musicians and the dance area, and we provide indoor and outdoor space for our guests, ”he said.
LaCasce isn’t the only person who thinks their home is an ideal place to watch the ball fall.
“Since the restaurant is right next to our bar, the party can easily continue after dinner,” said Jim Gallen, Hearth ’61 Food & Beverage Manager.
Neuman, on the other hand, believes his restaurant will provide a quieter path to close out 2021.
“We have a lot of guests who visit because of the friendly neighborhood atmosphere we offer,” he said. “We have guests who come every year on New Year’s Eve to see their friends again and relax without having to overdo it.”
Probably the most exclusive party this New Year’s Eve is the celebration planned for Canopy Scottsdale.
“We have restricted entry to registered hotel guests only this year in order to maintain the relaxed atmosphere of our rooftop terrace,” said Devin Mahoney, general manager and chief enthusiast of Canopy Scottsdale. “Similar to our normal opening times, we do not take reservations and hold the door as soon as capacity is reached.”
While this year’s celebration will be more intimate than last year, Mahoney looks forward to seeing more guests as the clock approaches midnight.
“As the clock gets closer to midnight, the spirit of the hotel will be brimming with excitement at having the best view of the Valley fireworks shows in the Outrider Rooftop Lounge, high up on the hotel’s seventh floor,” he said.
The same applies to Gallen, who said: “The staff usually look forward to New Year’s Eve. We jokingly refer to this night as our ‘Super Bowl’. “
The morals are the same at ZuZu.
“We encourage our staff to celebrate with us by dressing up and enjoying the atmosphere, which in turn allows our guests to have fun,” said LaCasce.
Overall, the vibe is looking good and these restaurants are hoping to create a fun experience that really kicks off in 2022.
“We hope our guests enjoy a pleasant dining experience that is relaxing and a true celebration of the year ahead,” said Sevigny.
“I hope that our guests feel that celebrating at Hearth ’61 made the holiday exactly the way they wanted it to be and that they will welcome the year 2022 with us with fond memories of the year 2022”, said Gallen.
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