Welcome to 2023. Feeling all right?
I’ve long since embraced the old fart’s tactical New Year’s Eve, starting and finishing quite early in the day. My beers yesterday were nice, and I’m largely pain-free, having spent the evening drinking water.
Still, a pot of Mediterranean bean soup is under construction as I write. It’s suitable comfort food for previewing the rigors of the next 365 days, matched with crusty bread from Butchertown Grocery Bakery.
Let’s ease into the aftermath of the party with this ode to accompaniments.
A Love Letter to Drinking Foods Around the World, by Diana Hubbell (Atlas/Gastro Obscura)
Thai-style fried chicken, Vietnamese scorched rice, and other dishes best paired with booze.
Science has told us that nothing can really save you from a hangover, but certain foods definitely seem to help—or at least feel destined to pair with booze.
Because so many cities have their own drinking foods, powerful, Pavlovian connections form between our most memorable nights and the dishes that fuel us through them. Drinking foods become a point of pride for the places that serve them, in part because our associations with them feel so personal.
The cover photo is borrowed from the Monsieur Vo restaurant in New York City, which is featured in the article: “Opened September 13th, 2022, Monsieur Vo celebrates Vietnamese ‘ăn nhậu’ gastropub culture that pays homage to our fathers, uncles, and brothers with street snacks, salads, and large-format meat and seafood.”
