GREER’S BEST BUYS:

There’s nothing wrong with sitting home on New Year’s Eve and watching the ball drop in Times Square.

But you can do better than that! You can ring in the New Year at a spectacular Black Tie Gala on the waterfront in Newport Beach! The Balboa Bay Club and Resort’s party begins at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve with a reception featuring hors d’oeuvres and champagne. Immediately following, Chef Josef Lageder and his staff will prepare an elegant four-course dinner with paired wines. Then guests can dance the night away to the hot sounds of the band Rembrandt. At midnight, guests don party hats and noisemakers and celebrate the New Year with a festive champagne toast. The New Year’s Eve menu’s first course is a truffled porcini mushroom bisque “en croute.” The second course is a limestone lettuce salad with Maytag blue cheese, candied pecans, and Valencia orange and pink pomegranate vinaigrette. An intermezzo of rose petal sorbet is then served.

The entre is a duet of grilled filet of beef “perigourdine” and vol-au-vent of Maine lobster with winter vegetables and sauce Americaine. And lastly, dessert of Coup Saint-Sylvester. The cost for the evening is $215 per person. Membership discounts apply. Tax and gratuity not included. For reservations, which are required, call (949) 630-4145, or for guest room package reservations, call (949) 645-5000. The club is at 1221 West Coast Hwy., Newport Beach. For details, visit www.balboabayclub.com.

Moving to the web

Erica Dee, the well-known women’s, children’s and men’s fashion boutique in Corona del Mar, is closing its doors and will open online. The new online shopping destination, EricaDee.com, will go live Jan. 1 and offer the same convenient and effortless style customers have come to expect from Erica Dee but with the added benefit of lower price points. It will offer top brands including Diane Von Furstenberg, Haute Hippie, Splendid, Ella Moss, and more. At EricaDee.comyou can shop the styles you love from the comfort of your keyboard. During this transition, Erica Dee’s store offers huge sales through December, up to half off current inventory. Erica Dee’s is at 3435 E. Coast Hwy., Corona Del Mar. For more, call (949) 673-9333.

Inspired dinner

The award-winning Plum’s Cafe, a favorite breakfast and lunch spot for Northwestern-inspired cuisine, celebrates New Year’s Eve with a special dinner that marks the newest addition to Plum’s — dinner served nightly. Plum’s Cafe and Catering offers a respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. A down-to-earth ambience, friendly staff, and unique menu have made it a Costa Mesa favorite neighborhood eatery for more than 20 years.

Join Plum’s on New Year’s Eve for a special Northwest-inspired dinner served from 5 to 10 p.m. Inspired by the Pacific Northwest, you can taste its fare, featuring wild salmon, sand dabs with buerre blanc, steamer clams with fire-roasted tomatoes and saffron, grilled lamb chops, ribeye steak and its signature feta and chive popovers. Save room for dessert and enjoy the boysenberry sundae or lemon cake served with lavender ice cream.

Plum’s Cafe, 369 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, is open for breakfast 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday; lunch 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; brunch 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and dinner daily starting at 5 p.m. The catering office is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For catering call (949) 548-PLUM (7586); for the cafe call (949) 722-PLUM (7586) or visit www.plumscafe.com.

GREER WYLDER writes Best Buys, which runs Fridays. She’s the founder and president of www.greersoc.com, a free daily e-mail service that provides the latest in Orange County fashion, dining and trends.