In Chapel Hill that might be The Recovery Room, a bar at 108 Henderson St. that opened in October.

It's been busy since then, attracting "a good variety of people," says day bartender Elisha Lonnen. It has hosted some private parties over the holidays, including one for Goodfellas, and is popular with other bartenders.

The Recovery Room serves food until 1:30 a.m. Wings and sandwiches are popular. "We have a really good pork chop," Lonnen says.

The Recovery Room will ring in the New Year traditionally, with hats and noise makers.

If you're in Pittsboro, try the City Tap, which opened at 89 Hillsboro St. in July.

"It's been great," says owner Steve Cote. "Apparently, it is a sorely needed thing in Pittsboro."

You won't find blaring TVs here. "We are not a sports bar," Cote says. "It's about people coming in from all walks of life. People end up talking to each other. It's kind of heartwarming."

If you want to go to some place old, and don't yet feel like it's the Great Depression again, check out the Roaring '20s New Year's Eve Party at The Siena Hotel. With a motif of speakeasies, cigar girls, flapper dresses and zoot suits, you can dance the night away. Festivities include music by Southern Routes featuring Callie Warner, caricatures by Richard Cloudt, and face and body art by Savvy Painting. The $65 ticket includes hors d'oeurves and two drinks, a midnight toast and party favors.

• Zina Almers is the new president and general manager of 1360 WCHL. She has served as WCHL's sales manager for three years.

"WCHL and the community could not have a better manager, leader and local broadcaster than Zina Almers," says Jim Heavner, president of VilCom. WCHL is part of VilCom, a Chapel Hill based communications company. "Having lived here for 26 years, she has been a leader in the business community for many years and knows what the community is about."

A graduate of UNC, Almers previously worked in advertising for The Herald Sun/Chapel Hill Herald for 13 years before joining WCHL in 2005. Almers currently serves on the board of The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce. She is the former chairwoman of Orange County's United Way campaign and has served as a board member of The Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce, Communities in Schools of Orange County and The Chapel Hill/Carrboro YMCA.

• Celebrate the holiday season by judging a gingerbread house competition between Sugarland's pastry staff and the Sugar "Peeps." Winners get bragging rights as gingerbread champions of Franklin Street.

Six identical gingerbread houses decorated by either Sugarland's pastry chefs or a team of Sugarland's Sugar "Peeps" (counter staff) will be on display through 6 p.m. Wednesday. Visitors will be given ballots to vote for their top three favorites. Voters will be eligible to win tasty Sugarland treats. All of the houses will be donated to N.C. Children's Hospital at the end of the contest. Stop in any day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and pick your favorite.

Sugarland is located at 140 E. Franklin St.

• The Jesse Kalisher Gallery (www.kalisher.com) has raised $1,200 in its fourth annual auction for the Fisher House Foundation.

A private collector in California had the winning bid and has won a limited edition, hand printed and hand-signed, silver gelatin print titled "Trees in the Mist" valued at $1,600. Kalisher captured this image in 2002 in San Francisco's Presidio National Park.

The Fisher House Foundation (www.fisherhouse.org) provides free housing for the families of military wounded within walking distance of military hospitals, uniting wounded soldiers with their loved ones during times of critical recovery and medical care. All the proceeds from the auction were donated to Fisher House and this year profits from the sale of the image outside of the auction were also donated to Fisher House.

The Jesse Kalisher Gallery is located at 209 E. Main St. in Carrboro.

• Local chefs will lead a free, step-by-step cooking presentation at The Fresh Market on Saturdays during the month of January. Guests are invited to drop in any time during the event at their local Fresh Market and learn how to prepare Lemon Chicken in a Garlic and Herb Butter Sauce. The Fresh Market in Chapel Hill is located 1200 Raleigh Road (across from Glen Lennox Shopping Center).

Got news? Send your business announcements to Julian Sereno at sereno@mindspring.com