31 Food And Drink Ways To Survive January

1) The New Year’s Day Commemoration at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site in Mount Vernon (worth a visit any time of year) kicks off 2015 with hot cider, cookies, and a 1 pm presentation about the history of New Year’s.

2) Bookend a stroll along Greenwich Avenue with some of Connecticut’s best seasonal drinks.

3) Pull up a seat at a restaurant with a fireplace. Campagna (Bedford) and The Inn at Pound Ridge are top choices. Dream on, you say? Lusardi’s (Larchmont), The Tap House (Tuckahoe), and Benjamin Steakhouse (White Plains) may be more within reach.

4) Done clearing the driveway? You weren’t thinking of going to work, were you? Head to Tarry Market (Port Chester), order some of our best hot chocolate (try it with almond milk), and sit by the window.

5) Find a cuisine you’ve never had before with our extensive local restaurant listings.

6) Stale pannetone staring you in the face? Turn it into ice cream, French toast, or bread and butter pudding.

7) Fondue—if at no other time of year.

8) Get a copy of comedian Jim Gaffigan’s book Food: A Love Story. Read. Laugh. Repeat.

9) January 9 is Double Triday Friday at Broken Bow Brewery (Tuckahoe). From 6 to 9 pm, try their Oyster Stout paired with clam chowders from Eastchester Fish Gourmet.

10) Take your kids out to eat—for free! Or, better yet, cook something—anything—together.

11) Try a brand new restaurant for the new year. Wolfert’s Roost just opened in Irvington, and Rye House in Port Chester should be open any day now. At the other end of the spectrum, the salsa bar at new Mexi-chain Zona Fresca in Rye is also pretty awesome.

12) Snowed in? Dive into some of 2014’s best foodie long reads.

13) If you would like to feed your backyard winter birds, here’s what they like to eat.

14) All this is adding up. Consult our bargain takeout and counter service guide, try a recipe from a Hudson Valley chef, and shop for January sale items at the supermarket.

15) From the 15th through the 17th, Three Day Hangover presents a live, interactive Shakespeare show at Molly Spillane’s (Mamaroneck). Actors take over the bar, and you’ll just have to go there to find out what “interactive” means. (By the way, both Molly Spillane’s and Maggie Spillane’s in Mount Vernon will be holding Wednesday night cooking classes all winter, with wine and cheese served beforehand.)

16) Dudes, January 20 is National Cheese Lover’s Day. Check out the Westchester Magazine Cheese Lover’s Guide (and tell them John sent you).

17) It’s nasty outside—a movie at Alamo Drafthouse with food and beer may be in order. The Jean-Claude Van Damme four-movie marathon on January 17 features special dishes.

18) Help someone less fortunate by making a donation to a hunger-related charity (e.g., the Food Bank for Westchester), volunteering to pick up and deliver food, or paying it forward at the coffee shop. Check out this list of volunteer appreciation nights for 20 percent off your check.

19) Get the heck out of Westchester, part 1: Brave the slush for a foodie event in the city or the wait for DiFara Pizza in Brooklyn. Feel more alive at day’s end? My job here is done.

20) Get the heck out of Westchester, part 2: Follow this map to the best multi-ethnic stores on Arthur Avenue, the Bronx’s Little Italy, a short walk from the Fordham Metro-North station.

21) Get the heck out of Westchester, part 3: 36 Hours in the Hudson Valley.

22) Stuck at the office? At least pack a good lunch, for goodness’ sake.

23) Winter farmers’ markets are a boon and a warm hub of activity. Hastings, Mamaroneck, Ossining, Pleasantville, South Salem, Stone Barns, and White Plains all have them.

24) Haven’t made Valentine’s Day reservations yet? Get on the ball, people.

25) Treat someone (or just yourself) to one of these 13 fabulous breakfasts you shouldn’t miss out on.

26) Head to Silver Tips Tea (Tarrytown) for the traditional afternoon tea (finger sandwiches, scones) you’ve been meaning to have. Their tea lineup is enough to make a connoisseur’s head spin, and if the words “tea cozy” don’t automatically make you feel warmer, I can’t help you.

27) Get out of your Starbucks rut and try an indie coffeehouse today. Coffee Labs Roasters is my Rivertowns base camp; Slave to the Grind is another home away from home.

28) Oysters! Need I say more? Check out last month’s New York Times piece on Westchester raw bars to hit up this winter. Note that Purdy’s Farmer and the Fish is first on that list.

29) Smoked fish more your thing? Our superlative smokehouses, Mount Kisco Smokehouse and The Smokehouse of NY (Mamaroneck), will get you out the door.

30) Not afraid of a wee bit of haggis, are you? The Rhinecliff holds its annual Robbie Burns supper on January 30, with bagpipes, a sword demonstration, a traditional Scottish meal, Skullsplitter ale, and Tuthilltown whiskey.

31) Congratulations on making it through the month! Celebrate with whatever moves you—be it dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns (hopefully you made reservations months ago) or an off-peak trip to iHOP.