Full Plates on New Year’s Eve

If you want to celebrate New Year’s Eve without enduring the dumb snacks and drunken fools that mar so many parties, consider going to a restaurant. As usual, some of the top South Bay restaurants will be preparing special offerings for New Year’s Eve.

At The Depot in Old Torrance, chef Michael Shafer is offering several specials for New Year’s Eve. One is a barbecued New York steak ($19.95) basted with Shafer’s own Thai sauce: rice vinegar, fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro, brown sugar, tomato paste and both sesame oil and sesame seeds. The steak is sliced and fanned out over a mound of shiitake, oyster and tree mushrooms, carrots and red bell peppers.

Peppered swordfish ($19.95) comes with hoppin’ John, the traditional Southern New Year’s Day stew of rice, black-eyed peas, vegetables and Creole seasonings. In the style of chef Daniel Boulud, who gained fame at his New York restaurant Le Cirque for serving a black sea bass with a red wine sauce, chef Shafer lavishes grilled albacore tuna ($17.95) with a red wine reduction heady with porcini mushrooms. The fish is accompanied with pecan corn bread dressing.

Over at the little Palette Cafe, nearly hidden in the shadow of the large Gable House bowling alley, chef Tom Kamijo will prepare a three-course dinner for $27.50. The meal begins with a choice of sauteed oysters in black bean sauce, shrimp cake in fennel cream, or a pate of venison, foie gras and truffles with apple chutney. Main course highlights include lobster, scallops and shiitake ravioli with a rich lobster sauce, or a roasted rack of lamb with Cabernet sauce and goat cheese mashed potatoes. For dessert, there’s pumpkin pudding and a pear cake with assorted fresh fruits.

Now, I can’t guarantee there won’t be any drunken fools at either place, but the chances of getting a good meal are very good. And you can be safe at home in time to ring in the New Year.

The Depot is at 1250 Cabrillo St., Torrance, (310) 787-7501. Open Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Sunday, 5:30 to 11 p.m.

The Palette Cafe is at 22549 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance. (310) 373-7055. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, 5:50 to 9:30 p.m.