Ring In The New Year With These Lucky Dishes

December 2020

Southerners and Alabamians especially have a tradition for almost every holiday, and New Year’s Day is no different. It’s been said that how you spend the first day of the year is indicative of what the rest of the year will bring - a little extra luck sounds pretty good for 2021. There are several traditional dishes served on New Year’s Day, each with their own symbolism for luck. Here are a few that you can enjoy in Sweet Home Alabama: 

Black Eyed Peas; Huntsville

The delicious side dish of black eyed peas symbolizes wealth or coins. Enough coins will make you wealthy, right? While black eyed peas are traditional, any peas or beans seasoned with pork will do, and Blue Plate Cafe in Huntsville does it best. In addition to black eyed peas, their rotating menu of sides will have your mouth watering for more dishes like mashed potatoes, hashbrown casserole, butter beans and turnip greens to name a few.

Cornbread; Birmingham

Cornbread not only pairs perfectly with black eyed peas, but it also symbolizes gold, and who doesn’t love a little bit of gold, right? Well, luckily Johnny’s Restaurant in Homewood serves up a variety of Southern specialties including their slightly crispy homemade cornbread. This cornbread is delicious on its own, but you add a nice, thick slab of butter to it, and you’ve got yourself some culinary gold. In addition to their cornbread, the restaurant is the perfect place to get a meat ‘n’ three with dishes like baked Greek chicken, fried catfish, turnip greens, fried green tomatoes and more. 

Pork; Auburn

Pork is said to bring prosperity, and in Alabama, good barbecue can be found in every region. Enjoy a spin on the classic at Acre in Auburn. Smoked brisket served with a collard green kimchi pancake, sunny quail egg, brown sugar Korean BBQ sauce and peanut togarashi will definitely spice up your year. If a more traditional approach suits your taste buds, try their chicken fried bacon with sawmill gravy, Vermont maple syrup and spiced pecans.

Collard Greens; Montgomery

Collard greens resemble… you guessed it, money and are said to ensure good fortune in the coming year. Luckily, here in the heart of the deep south, delicious collard greens can be found anywhere you go, but the best can be found at Mrs. B’s Home Cooking in Montgomery, Alabama. The collard greens are slow cooked to perfection and pair perfectly with the other dishes in this list. In addition to collard greens, you can indulge in a variety of mouthwatering favorites including fried chicken, fried fish, butter beans, yams, cabbage and more. 

Cake; Mobile

Last, but certainly not least, top your lucky dinner off with a cake. Round cakes are said to bring a full circle of luck to those who eat them. Flour Girls Bakery in Mobile has a large variety of cakes to choose from including every day flavors like butter, chocolate, red velvet, and wedding cake and daily flavors that change with the seasons. 

Dig into these delicious lucky dishes for a year of abundance and prosperity ahead... and an amazing meal while you're at it.