No Matter Which Way You Step, You’re Bound to End Up on the Floor

It’s tiny bubbles time again. New Year’s Eve pops off Saturday with a slew of parties across Orange County. From house to swing, the options to toast 1995 are tied by plenty of style.

Actors Tony Curtis, Tia Carrera, Eric Roberts and other surprise celebrity guests will count down the clock at Roxbury South in Santa Ana. Easy Street will rock the bar below, while dance devotees can groove to hip-hop, old school, disco and Top 40 upstairs with DJ Shervin.

Chef Joseph Pennezuto will serve a four-course feast and all the bubbly needed at one all-night sitting beginning at 8 p.m.

The $75-a-plate cost includes admission to the club. Entry without dinner is $25 per person.

Cover includes party favors and a midnight champagne toast. The club and restaurant are open from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m.

Roxbury South is at 2 Hutton Centre Drive, Santa Ana. (714) 662-0880.

Newport Beach’s Thunderbird is throwing a glitzy bash fitting almost every dance taste. A rockabilly band will be shakin’ it upstairs, while a jazz band will be holding court in the lounge below. DJ Sean Perry brews a steamy mix of disco, funk and house jams in the dance room.

The club’s in-house restaurant, Toukan, will serve Cal-Caribbean cuisine until 1 a.m. A first seating at 6 p.m. is $55 per person, increasing to $75 after 9 p.m. (Price includes cover to the club). Those skipping the dining pay $20, which includes party favors and a complimentary bottle of champagne. Doors open at 6 p.m. Black-tie and formal wear are encouraged, and for men there’s a mandatory dress code of collars and jackets.

Thunderbird is at 3505 Via Oporto, Newport Beach, in the Lido Village Marina. Call (714) 675-6599 for reservations.

Across the way, Visions offers an evening less hard-hitting on the pocketbook and wardrobe. A $10 cover after 10 p.m. includes a midnight toast and party favors. DJ John Elliot spins Top 40, and Modern Faith will crank the hits live. For $34.95, revelers can enjoy the festivities with a steak or seafood dinner. First seating starts at 5:30, followed by a second at 8:30 until 10:30 p.m. Dinner includes a bottle of champagne or non-alcoholic sparkling cider for every two people. The club opens at 7:30 p.m.

Visions is at 3450 Via Oporto, Newport Beach, in the Lido Village Marina. (714) 673-4700.

The Empire Ballroom in Costa Mesa will also combine vinyl dance grooves with the live rock of Awol. The $30 ticket includes an all-you-can-eat buffet by Newport’s Chez Fey from 9 until 11:30 p.m., as well as party favors, hats and the ubiquitous toast. The party kicks off at 9 p.m.

The Empire Ballroom is at 640 W. 17th St., Costa Mesa. (714) 722-6100.

If “death to disco” is your mantra, check out the following gigs. Just as glamorous, but to the tune of a different drummer:

Country music lovers can step into ’95 at the Country Rock Cafe in Lake Forest under the mirrored saddle. The good times get going at 5 p.m. with a DJ and Western-style buffet for $25, including all the expected trappings--cover, toast, party favors as well as reserved seating. Cover without dinner (which ends at 9 p.m.) is $10.

The Country Rock Cafe is at 23822 Mercury Road, Lake Forest. (714) 455-1881.

Big-band fans will want to swing over to the Red Lion Grand Ballroom for an elegant evening in supper-club form, complete with orchestra. Tickets, including dinner and toast, are $125 each couple or $65 for singles.

The Red Lion Grand Ballroom is in the Red Lion Hotel/Orange County Airport, 3050 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. For reservations and information, call (714) 540-7000, Ext. 4980.

For those who like it hot, trot on over to J.C. Fandango in Anaheim for a feast of Latin music and food. A live celebration of salsa, cumbia and meringue will be performed by Orquestra Macondo.

Fans of Pop Rock Espanol can hit the adjoining dance hall to hear the vinyl stylings of DJ Carlitos.

Reserved seating (a must here after a few songs on the floor) and a bottle of champagne come with the $30 cover, which can only be purchased at the door. Expect to shell out another $35 or so for dinner.

J. C Fandango is at 1086 N. State College Blvd., Anaheim. (714) 758-1057.

All clubs listed are 21 and over and require a valid photo identification. Dinner reservations are necessary for most places.

And remember, stay alive for ’95. Have a designated driver.