You can make your last meal of 2008 a good one

by Sharon Thompson - swthompson@herald-leader.com

Get your party attire ready, invite a few friends, and make reservations for a New Year's Eve celebration Wednesday at one of these hot spots.

■ Azur in Beaumont Centre will celebrate its fourth anniversary with a five-course dinner. Cost is $65 with seatings at 5, 7 and 9 p.m. Lisa & The Men in Back will entertain from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Call (859) 296-1007 or go to www.azurrestaurant.com.

■ Buddy's Bar and Grill, 854 East High Street, will have entertainment by Ember beginning at 9 p.m. in Lucille's Lounge. Call (859) 335-1874 or go to www.buddysbarandgrill.com.

■ Cleveland's at the Woodford Inn, 140 Park Street, Versailles, is offering a multicourse menu with choices of pan-roasted chicken breast, pork loin chop, prosciutto-wrapped sea bass, filet mignon, and surf 'n' turf. Prices range from $30 to $50. Call (859) 879-6062.

■ Holly Hill Inn, 426 North Winter Street, Midway is accepting reservations from 6 to 10 p.m. The cost is $75 (or $65 for a vegetarian option) for the seven-course menu, which features carved filet mignon and roasted sea bass. Call (859) 846-4732 or go to www.hollyhillinn.com.

■ Stonefence Bistro, 730 Main Street in Paris, is having a prix fixe menu featuring lamb medallions, surf 'n' turf, roasted chicken and poached salmon. Cost is $48. Dinner service begins at 5 p.m., and live music starts at 6. Call (859) 987-1990.

■ Thai Orchid, 1030 South Broadway, will give away dessert with the purchase of a dinner entree from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Call (859) 288-2170 or go to www.thaiorchidcafe.net. The café also is open for lunch on New Year's Eve from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

■ Three Suns Bistro, 298 East e_SDHpBrannon Road, in Brannon Crossing, will offer four entree choices: lobster tail, filet mignon, stuffed pork tenderloin and pecan-fried chicken, along with free hors d'oeuvres. Call (859) 245-0048 or go to www.threesunsbistro.com.

■ Wines on Vine, 400 Old Vine Street, is accepting reservations for dinner. The menu features beef Bourgogne, lamb or pan-seared sesame tuna. The cost is $35. Call (859) 243-0017 or go to www.winesonvine.net.

Walters no longer at Furlongs

Tommy Walters, founder and chef of the original Furlongs, is no longer connected with the restaurant.

"We are in the process of either buying our partner out or we will open another Furlongs or another venture," Walters said.

Walters is catering until then. Call (859) 913-5611 or e-mail furlongsrestaurant@gmail.com.

Mob mentality

The theme for Azur's December chef series is Sopranos Table. The dinner will be served family-style with communal seating at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. The cost is $35.

It's Boxing Day at Holly Hill Inn

Holly Hill Inn is celebrating Boxing Day on Friday with lunch and dinner. The restaurant will be accepting boxes of non-perishable food items for God's Pantry Food Bank. Boxing Day is celebrated around the world, most prominently in England. It's a day for lords to present Christmas boxes of gifts to servants; a day for priests to open the church alms boxes to distribute their contents to the poor; and in Roman times, the breaking of clay boxes that were used to collect charitable donations.

The boxing day menu will feature old-fashioned ham steak, English-style lamb curry, bangers and mash, crispy fried flounder and chicken pot pie.

Catch the three-course special

The Ketch Seafood Grill, 2012 Regency Road, is serving a three-course meal for $12.95 from 4 to 6 p.m. daily. Call (859) 277-5919 or go to www.ketchseafoodgrill.com.

Reach Sharon Thompson at (859) 231-3321 or 1-800-950-6397.

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