As we unwind our Christmas lights and scrape the wax from our collective menorahs, we can’t help but feel a touch melancholy that the holiday season is racing towards its close.  Thankfully, we’ve one final holiday hurrah before the good cheer dissolves and is again replaced by the urban apathy we know and love.  It’s New Year's Eve, readers, and there’s no better way to mark the passing of time than the satisfying hiss and pop of a new bottle of bubbly.

The idea of Champagne as the province of the wealthy can be traced to George Leybourne, or “Champagne Charlie” who introduced a song of the same name to London music halls in the mid-19^th century.  He later became a spokesperson for Moet & Chandon, agreeing to drink only Champagne in public to highlight the beverage’s relationship to style and prosperity.

Talk is Cheap…Champagne is not, says Landmarc and Ditch Plains Beverage Director David Lombardo.  For the best overall flavor at a lower price point opt for these American sparkling wines.  Here’s a glance at the Bubbly Hierarchy.

Under $30

 J. Brute Rose Russian River Valley  NV, California

The rich and complex taste of this selection is laced with spicy black cherry, plum and anise.

$40-$60

Domaine Carneros le Reve Carneros 1998, California

Orange, Lemon and Lime are softened by notes of Hazelnut and Pear in this California blend. 

$70-$150

J. Schram Napa - Monterey - Mendocino Counties, 1998

Look out for Ginger, Quince, Orchid and Cherry tones in this luxe Champagne alternative. 

Jason Miller, sommerlier at Picholine, offers these tips on opening a bottle of Champagne:

• Step 1: Break and remove foil
• Step 2: Place one thumb firmly on the top of the cork (to keep it from flying off)
• Step 3: With your other hand, unscrew the wire cage (it will always take six turns)
• Step 4: Loosen the cage but do not remove it
• Step 5: Hold the cork firmly and begin to twist in one direction as you twist the bottle in the other direction.  Start to ease the cork out so it makes a light hissing sound.  Ease the cork off and enjoy immediately. 

• There’s a mighty sniffle spreading through Bullfrog & Baum’s headquarters.  A symphony of rolling coughs, whistling breaths and sneezing crescendos have taken over the relative harmony of our West 19^th street loft.  Many an Airborne tablet has dissolved in many a plastic cup and multi-symptom cold medicine is coursing through our collective veins.

So in the absence of our mother’s chicken soup (Jordana’s mother makes an incomparable matzoh ball, it has to be said) and because our doctor is in Aspen, we’ve sought out our own treatment the only way we know how.  Happy Flu Season!

• They call it Jewish Penicillin, we call it a pan-Asian panacea! A hearty sa-wàt-dee to our pals (and Frog Blog disciples) at RAIN, our favorite Upper West Side mainstay!  Chef Gypsy Gifford proves herself a fitting stand-in for our collective mothers with her Tom Ka Gai—a Thai chicken soup enhanced with seasonal, roasted winter mushrooms.

• High in natural aspirin, blueberries can help lower fevers and relieve aches.  Try New York Burger Co.’s Berry Extreme Smoothie, made with strawberries, blueberries, pomegranate juice and raspberry sorbet.

• Naturally occurring beta-carotene is rich in vitamin A and known to strengthen the immune system.  Find it in deep greens, winter squashes and carrots, like the Pickled Thumbelina Carrots and Turnips available at Cookshop. 

• Mustard can cut through congestion and clear nasal passages—good news, we are so over the graceless flu-snore. Try the Mustard Crusted Tuna with avocado citrus salad and smoked cardamom vinaigrette at davidburke & donatella.

• The heat of a chili pepper will open your sinuses and break through congestion, particularly in the lungs.  Bobby Flay’s Red & Black Pepper Crusted Filet Mignon with mushroom-ancho chile sauce at Mesa Grill should do the trick.  Just be sure to cover your mouth.

• A high vitamin C content means that lemons are ideal for helping to fight off infection.  Lemons are also an excellent remedy for sore throats and their citric acid can aid in breaking fevers.  Get your fix at Rickshaw with a seasonal Meyer Lemonade, sure to cure what ails ye.  Or opt for a hot, organic green tea, said to contain naturally occurring antibiotics (and a healthy dose of antioxidants).

• Onions contain plant nutrients (phytochemicals if you want to sound smart at your next cocktail party) said to help keep the body free of infections like bronchitis.  We’d choose Andrew Carmellini’s Fennel Glazed Duck with spicy chard, Vidalia onion and roasted fig at A Voce over a tablespoon of Robotussin any day.

It was the Native Americans who first acknowledged the vibrant berries as a source of food in this country.  They called it sassamanash and are said to have brought the fruit to the pilgrims who later introduced it into the mythic first Thanksgiving meal.

The berries are now widely cultivated in the United States in places like Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington and Massachusetts.  Recognized for their deep crimson hue, tart flavor and almost inextricable relationship to juices, compotes and baked goods, cranberries have become a symbol of the holiday season as enduring as a Christmas Tree.

Here’s where to find them right now:

Drinks:

Jovia’s Limone blends the distinctly American fruit with fresh lemon juice and Italian liquors (in this case Campari, Strega and Galliano) to yield a drink that matches the overarching theme of the menu (described as American with Italian accents).

They gave us Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman and Ikea.  A generous lot, those Swedes.  Now they bring us Aquavit New York, a white cranberry take on the classic Swedish spirit.  For a festive holiday cocktail, whip up a White Cranberry Cosmo:  Mix two ounces of Aquavit New York White Cranberry, one ounce of Citronge orange liqueur, three ounces of white cranberry juice, the juice of half a lemon and a dash of simple syrup.  Shake the ingredients in an ice-filled tumbler, strain into a martini glass and garnish with a cranberry stick.

Dinner:

At Bar Americain, Bobby Flay serves up a Gold Corn Johnny Cake with barbequed duck and cranberry butter.  Grilled Lamb Porterhouse Chops with cranberry-Texas red wine-chile de arbol sauce and cilantro-mint pesto are on the menu at Mesa Grill.

Chef Patricia Yeo of Sapa introduces the classic American berry into her French-Southeast Asian repertoire with exquisite results.  Try her Duck Spring Roll with fried cranberries, or her Cranberry Chutney (made from cranberries, kumquats and orange sections) poured over an array of meats.

Dessert:

Terrance Brennan’s newly reopened Picholine has earned the respect of critics nationwide.  If you haven’t had the chance to stop by, the Pumpkin Tart with Walnut Crumble and Cranberry Crisp is as good a reason as any!

The Cranberry and Pear Tart at Boule reflects the best of the season.  Pair it with one of the patisserie’s pear, fennel or honey ice creams.

Alternate Headline: “New Frog on the Block,” but we like rhyming.