So you were out all night, the drinks were flowing and the atmosphere surrounding the anticipation of a new year led you to have a few more than you usually do.

Scratch that. Way more than usual.

And now, the following morning, you have all of the classic symptoms of the dreaded hangover – headache, nausea, upset stomach, sensitivity to light and sound and a thirst that seems to persist no matter how much liquid you consume to try and quench it.

So what do you do?

According to area bartenders, there are really only two options on the table – drink more or hit your favorite restaurant.

Debbie Olsen of the 133 Club said that most people will go with the traditional Bloody Mary as the cure all, but she prefers to go with “the hair of the dog that bit ya” – one more of whatever it was that you were sucking down the night before. The move is supposed to trick your body into eliminating the new booze and forget about all of the damage done the night before.

But the thick, red and vitamin-packed glass of tomato juice and vodka – topped off with spices and a little bit of horseradish for good measure – still tops the list of what most people order up when they’re feeling it the next day.

According to Danielle Aponte of The Pub, a good Spicy Mary will usually do the trick, but a big bowl full of menudo or posole will also help. While she’s never worked the morning of New Year’s Day before, Aponte says that the day after most holidays early morning customers are putting down Spicy Mary’s to ease their pain.

Vonnie Cope at Chez Shari is also a fan of the Mexican food idea – preferring her favorite chicken dish when she’s got a throbbing headache – but says that most customers go for the Bloody Mary.

And the Mexican food cure doesn’t end there.

A search for menduo on Wikipedia reveals that the Mexican soup made with the stomach lining of beef is actually believed to be a cure for a hangover – at least according to the book “Ask a Mexican” that is used as the source for the information.

And on About.com, a healthy helping of sleep combined with a high intake of water – one of the major contributing factors to a hangover is extreme dehydration – as well as a low intake of caffeine will usually do the trick. Mineral and vitamin rich foods don’t help, and Vitamin C – through sources like orange juice – help the body recover faster.

Donna Carnett of Lathrop’s Fireside Inn, however, has a different – albeit traditional – spin on what works to take the pain away.

Soak all of the alcohol up.

While she agrees with Olsen that “the hair of the dog that bit ya” is the surefire way to cure any hangover, she’s also an advocate of picking up a “big old giant sub sandwich – the French bread will soak up all of the alcohol and take it right away.”

She also said that bread before bed isn’t a bad way to go.

“It’ll keep you from throwing up. That’s what you’re trying to avoid.”