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Lots of restaurants around the city have specials for New Year's Eve. We mention just a few here but invite restaurant owners to post their own specials on Omaha.com/GO in the Dining Notes comments section.

New Year's events

>> All three locations of Blue Sushi and Sake will have special New Year's Eve menus, and the Old Market location will have its annual NYE Bash.

This weekend the restaurants will also introduce the Lucky Buddha Lager to its customers.

The downtown location will have a happy hour on New Year's Eve from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

New Year's Eve diners can choose from the regular menu or a special menu that will be served until midnight. Downtown, DJ Le Cube will play music beginning at 9 p.m. in the restaurant's Sake Bombers Lounge. Admission for the bash is $10 and the cover starts at 9 p.m. There will be a champagne toast at midnight.

The Old Market location will also have an all-day happy hour from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on New Year's Day. For more information or to make a reservation, call 402-408-5566. The restaurant has locations at 14450 Eagle Run Drive, 416 S. 12th St. and 16939 Wright Plaza.

>> Baja Grill, 2523 S. 140th Ave., is accepting New Year's Eve reservations and will have a special menu including Jamaican roast pork loin with two sides and a glass of champagne at a price of $40 for two diners. The restaurant will also offer its regular menu. For more information or a reservation, call 402-697-7840.

>> New Benson hot spot Krug Park will introduce a special cocktail as part of its New Year's bash. The Flying High features sparkling wine and cherry vodka and will be served at the bar's party, which begins Saturday at 4 p.m. DJ Kobrakyle will provide live music at the bar, 6205 Maple St.

>> Cantina Laredo, 120 S. 31st Ave., will have a prix fixe menu Friday through Sunday. The special begins at 3 p.m. each day. For $35 a person, diners get their choice of a blueberry salad or pumpkin soup; an entrée of ribeye, halibut or pork chop; and a dessert choice of fresh mixed berries and cream or churros with chocolate raspberry sauce. Each course can be paired with a tequila cocktail for an additional $15. For more information or to make a reservation, call 402-345-6000.

>> Portovino, 220 S. 31st Ave., the newest restaurant in Midtown Crossing, will offer a three-course prix fixe menu that includes a glass of sparkling wine. The restaurant will also have its regular menu. In 2012, the restaurant will offer new events including pizza-making classes and regional wine dinners. For more information or to make a reservation, call 402-885-6800.

>> Tas's Thai Pepper, 12775 Q St., will offer a special New Year's Eve buffet. The meal is $14.95 a person and $10 for kids 12 and under. Kids under 5 eat free. The buffet runs from noon to 9 p.m. and includes pad thai, curry, mango chicken, spring rolls and other entrée choices. The restaurant will give a gift to its first 30 customers that day. For more information, call 402-895-7788.

Diners can speak up

The 2012 James Beard Foundation Award nominations close Saturday, and Omaha chefs and restaurants have the chance to get on the national map if the city votes them there.

The first-tier nomination process requires diners to fill out an online form to nominate a chef and restaurant from different regions of the United States. The diner must have eaten at the restaurant in the past year. Nebraska is in the Midwest region, along with Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Chefs from Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Kansas City have won the category in the past five years. In the past, Omaha chefs Jennifer Coco, formerly of the Flatiron; Clayton Chapman of the Grey Plume; and Dario Schicke of Dario's Brasserie have been nominated in the first round. Paul Kulik, chef and owner at the Boiler Room, said he thinks Omaha should be part of the game every year.

"This is really the Academy Awards of food," Kulik said. "In Omaha we don't have the Michelin star system, we don't have a Zagat guide, and the Food and Wine best new chef award is limiting. We should be part of this. It's our main way of being recognized."

After the first round of public voting, anonymous James Beard Foundation voters dine at all the nominated restaurants in their region and then advance five finalists.

The winners are announced at a ceremony in New York. Omahans can vote online.

New Bohemian hours

The Bohemian Cafe has new hours. Beginning in January, the restaurant will be closed on Tuesday. New regular hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant is at 1406 S. 13th St.

Runza fans watch temp

Temperature Tuesday begins next week at all Runza restaurants. Beginning Tuesday, the temperature at 6 a.m. is the price of an original Runza sandwich that day with the purchase of a medium drink and medium french fries. The special sale dates are Tuesday, Jan. 10, 17, 24 and 31; Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28.

Special wine dinner

The Zin Room will have a winter wine dinner with William J. Whiting, the director of wine education at Banfi Vintners in Old Brookville, N.Y., the country's leading wine importer. The dinner takes place Jan. 19 at 6:30 p.m. and will feature Banfi's South American wines. The dinner is $55 per person, plus tax and tip. Seating is limited. For reservations, call 402-991-0660.

Omaha travel guide

Sarah Baker Hansen's first book, "The Insider's Guide to Omaha and Lincoln," is the first nationally published travel guide to be written about Omaha. It includes her take on more than 150 restaurants and is now available in the World-Herald Store. Buy it online at owhstore.com or in the lobby of the Omaha World-Herald building at 13th and Douglas Streets.

— Sarah Baker Hansen