There are as many traditional New Year’s meals as there are cultures
in the world, and these dishes are all eaten with the belief that
they’ll promote prosperity, life, and luck. While I am slightly
distressed by the very popular and very literal tradition of burying
coins in cakes and stews to invoke wealth (money is so dirty), I
do love that on New Year’s Day food does even more than nourish
people—it becomes the repository for hopes and dreams.
In Spain and Portugal, as well as countries throughout Latin and
South America, 12 grapes are eaten at midnight, each symbolizing one
month of the year (sour grape equals bad month, sweet grape equals good
month). The wacky Swiss, God bless them, throw sweet whipped cream on
the floor to represent surplus wealth.
The Pennsylvania Dutch eat pork and sauerkraut, which is an
extremely satisfying dish to cook up at home, but if you’d rather eat
out, I recommend heading to Prost! (7311 Greenwood Ave N,
706-5430). And if you don’t feel like cooking up a pot of Hoppin’ John,
a Southern casserole of rice and black-eyed peas that’s thought to
bring good luck, head to the Kingfish Cafe (602 19th Ave E,
320-8757) for their Hoppin’ John Griddlecakes (vegetarian friendly!).
Northern Italians eat pork sausage over lentils—the sausage, rich
with fat, symbolizes abundance while the green lentils represent money.
You can try and get rich via the house-made sausage served over lentils
at Quinn’s (1001 E Pike St, 325-7711). 
