Happy New Year’s Eve! How are you ringing in the change from 2012 to 2013?

Every year for the past few years (well, ever since the New Year’s Eve outing in 12/31/2009, my first time ringing in the New Year since I moved to PDX. This also is the time where F almost got us kicked out of the party before midnight because of his state of inebriation, tried to hail the Portland streetcar because he thought it was a taxi, and my long cashmere wool coat was stolen and still hasn’t been replaced because petite cashmere mix long coats, I now discover, are hard to find. Maybe I’m still bitter that someone stole my coat on New Year’s Eve. Maybe.), F and I have focused our New Year’s festivities more around fabulous food than party dancing. New Year’s is always celebrated with a multi-course dinner out on New Year’s Eve. This is always followed by having a New Year’s day morning in pjs with mimosas watching the Tournament of Roses Rose Parade on my DVR. It’s become my tradition for New Year’s in Portland.

Of course, seeing the Rose Parade on TV is not as breathtaking as seeing the floats live in Pasadena as I did for New Year’s Day 1/1/2008. When I was young, my mom would turn on the parade on TV, and I remember vaguely paying attention to it when my mom pointed out a float she liked, otherwise it was in the background. It was thanks to her interest that J arranged it so that my mom and sisters and I were able to attend and see the actual parade. Once I saw it in person, it was unbelievable all the details and lush beauty of the florals I had missed watching it on TV.

I immediately developed a new-found appreciation and level of viewing the floats. Add to that, now I have the bonus of knowing a couple who helps work on the Sierra Madre float (theirs was even one of my favorites floats when I watched the parade live) so it’s fun to see and hear about what it takes to put the float together, watching the progress on Facebook daily. Now I know to watch the entire Rose Parade live and uninterrupted on HGTV to get more background on the floats.

It’s a wonderful way to start the new year absorbing the cheer and camaraderie of a parade, and those floats are really magnificent celebration and appreciation of human artistry and effort and the bounty and beauty of nature, and there’s always a few that have a whimsical theme to make you grin. Here are a few photos from when I saw it in person and some of the most memorable floats that year for me (in order, they are from Rain Bird, City of Torrance, City of Long Beach, Sierra Madre, La Caanda Flintridge and City of Cerritos) and which started my Rose Parade watching tradition. I also like to now look for the Dole sponsored float, which has won 2 for 2 now for the years they have participated. Participants in the Rose Parade change each year slightly, understandably since it is a financial and time commitment. You can see this year’s list here.

 

Let’s talk about dinner now. This year after I selected some multiple choice options for restaurants offering New Year’s Eve dining (since I can eat anywhere being an omnivore, but F is a vegetarian), and from this list F picked out Coppia ($58 per person with an extra $22 for wine pairings) for our New Year’s Eve dinner. Coppia pairs food and wine from Italy’s Piedmont region in a small, intimate setting in the Pearl District. Given that they evolved from the wine bar Vino Paradiso, there is no surprise that the listed menu for the night will start with a greeting of Italian sparkling prosecco upon arrival.

FIRST COURSE
Choice of insalata of radicchio, olive oil, garlic, anchovy with parmesan and crouton or a zuppa of cauliflower veloute and scallop

SECOND COURSE
Choice of a risotto with wild mushroom or tajarin that is house-made with sugo di carne (pork & veal) and parmesan

THIRD COURSE
Choice of sformato, a souffle-flan with artichoke and spinach in a spinach sauce, or fagiano, a roasted pheasant with cavolo nero (black kale) and quince, or agnello, lamb chops with cotechino sausage and lentil

FOURTH COURSE
Choice of bonet chocolate flan-mousse with amaretti crust and caramel sauce or a torta of flourless hazelnut cake and creme anglaise

Oh, were you hoping for photos and a review? Well, you’ll have to wait, because dinner isn’t until 9:30, and I don’t think I’ll be in any shape to blog until 2013.

Happy New Year Eve everyone- thank you for the memories 2012, and here’s to the hope and opportunities of 2013 and that the best is yet to come.