Fun Food Holidays to Celebrate this January

There’s no need to feel let down now that the holiday season is officially over.  Because if you love eating just as much as we do, there’s always a reason to celebrate.  That’s why we’re commemorating January’s tastiest food-focused holidays at a number of New York restaurants, including National Hot Toddy Day (yes, it’s really a food holiday!) at Whiskey Soda Lounge in Brooklyn and National Pastrami Sandwich Day at Alder on the East Village!

January 6th: National Bean Day at The Cecil
This new Harlem restaurant is an unlikely collaboration between Richard Parsons, the one-time CEO of Time Warner, and Alexander Smalls, a classically trained opera singer and former chef and owner of Café Beulah.  Billed as New York’s first Afro-Asian-American brasserie, the combination of cultural influences is most explicitly expressed in Gumbo with Smoked Turkey, Chinese Chicken Sausage and Gulf Shrimp, and Dumplings with Green Apple Curry Sauce and Taro Root.  Our favorite dish, however, happens to be strictly African.  The creamy Black Bottom Bean Cakes are inspired by traditional Nigerian Moi Moi; fried patties made with smashed Black Beans and served with crispy Plantain Chips and Papaya Chutney — an appropriate way to celebrate the holiday, no?

January 10th: National Bittersweet Chocolate Day at Royce’ Chocolate
Japan’s preeminent chocolatier opened their first stateside shop on Madison Avenue in 2012. They now boast three citywide boutiques, carrying Coffee-dusted Marshmallows, Caramel-covered Potato Chips, and their signature Bitter Nama; velvety squares of chocolate made with pure cacao, Hennessy V.S.O.P and fresh cream from farms near their factory in Hokkaido. Bonus: you can prepare for National Popcorn Day (January 19th) as well by picking up a box of Royce’s decadent Salty Popcorn, coated with Milk Chocolate and sprinkled with chopped Candied Almonds.

January 11th: National Hot Toddy Day at Whiskey Soda Lounge
Andy Ricker’s new Brooklyn outpost of Portland’s popular Whiskey Soda Lounge combines the best of both worlds.  There are plenty of scrumptious Thai small plates, like Stir-fried Manila Clams with Galangal and Dried Pork with Deep-fried Lime Leaves, as well an extensive list of delicious Drinking Vinegar-based cocktails.  The Yuzu-Honey Whiskey Hot Toddy is the perfect antidote to the biting winter winds that tend to whip around the cobblestone streets of the Columbia Waterfront District; a warming concoction of Korean Yuzu-Honey “Tea” blended with a shot of strong Bourbon.

January 14th: National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day at Alder
From Katz’s on the Lower East Side to Mill Basin Kosher Delicatessen in Brooklyn, there is no shortage of places in New York to get a gold standard Pastrami Sandwich.  But we love Alder’s thoroughly modern play on the classic New York favorite; Rye Flour-based Pasta flavored with Caraway Seeds, tossed with Wine Mustard Sauce, and topped with Shaved Pastrami and Pastrami Jerky Dust.

January 16th: National Hot and Spicy Food Day at Han Dynasty
Heat-seekers will adore the authentic Sichuan food at the first New York location of this admired Philadelphia chain.  Dishes on the menu are rated according to their mouth-searing properties, so go for the appropriately fiery Dan Dan Noodles scattered with Minced Pork and Peppercorns (8), the tender Dumplings doused in housemade Chili Oil (a relatively sedate 4), and if you can handle it, the sizzling Dry Hot Pot brimming with Rabbit and Vegetables, tipping the scale at a chart-topping 10.

January 18th: National Gourmet Coffee Day at Lafayette
Andrew Carmellini assembled a real dream team for Lafayette Grand Café and Bakery, the market-driven bistro attached to his acclaimed year-old French restaurant.  The combined talents of Chef de Cuisine Damon Wise, Pâtissière Jen Yee, and Boulanger James Belisle make breakfast and brunch a particularly grand affair, so pair your Stumptown Coffee, Cappuccino or Lafayette Cuvee Espresso with a glorious Boulangerie Basket, piled high with house baked Croissants, Danish, Muffins and Pain aux Prunes et Noisettes, served with Vermont Butter and Jam.

The Cecil
210 W 118th St., btwn. 7th and St Nicholas Aves.
(212) 866-1262
thececilharlem.com

Royce’ Chocolate
509 Madison Ave., btwn. 52nd and 53rd Sts.
(646) 590-0650
royceconfectusa.com

Whiskey Soda Lounge
115 Columbia St., Baltic and Kane Sts.
(718) 797-4120
whiskeysodalounge-ny.com

Alder
157 2nd Ave., btwn. 9th and 10th Sts.
(212) 539-1900
aldernyc.com

Han Dynasty
90 3rd Ave., btwn. 12th and 13th Sts.
(212) 390-8685
handynasty.net

Lafayette
380 Lafayette St., btwn. 4th and Great Jones Sts.
(212) 533-3000
lafayetteny.com