Dry January 2024: This Month and Year-Round in Portland

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Happy New Year! It’s now 2024 and while we are still in the middle of the Christmas season on the ecclesiastical calendar, the solar calendar proclaims a brand new year. January is legendary as a time of new resolutions, goal setting, and making changes—and for some, setting aside the consumption of alcohol is one of them.

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King Cakes for 2024 in Portland

Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy: The Three Wise Men” (named Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar). Detail from: “Mary and Child, surrounded by angels,” mosaic of a Ravennate italian-byzantine workshop, completed within 526 AD by the so-called “Master of Sant’Apollinare.” Photo credit: Nina-no on Wikimedia Commons

Over the years I’ve talked about the Galette des Rois, the king cake popular in France. This year I thought I’d expand the article on two other kinds of king cakes—the NOLA-style king cake and the Rosca de Reyes, popular in Mexico. Here’s the rundown of how to access these tasty treats in the greater Portland area.

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Favorites of 2023: Bakeries, Food Trucks, Restaurants, Bars, Cafes

Truly, one of the most beautiful salads I ate this year. It was a seasonal special of sharp greens, strawberries, daikons, onions, radishes, causa, and a chicha morada lavender vinagreta from Reeva.

Welcome back to another end of year list. Instead of publishing our Four Things column today, I’m giving you a list of my favorite spots of 2023, where I enjoyed happy times eating and drinking. There’s a whole variety of places, some established, some new. This list is in no particular order, aside from alphabetically; in other words, no top pick. Please enjoy!

Cheese and Crack

For my birthday this year we had lunch at Paadee and then headed a couple doors down to Cheese & Crack for their titular sundae. I maintain that they make the best soft serve ice cream in Portland. It is smooth, creamy, and luscious. The toppings on this sundae are classic: chocolate ganache, cinnamon butter cracker crumble, and torched housemade marshmallow fluff. The sundaes really are enough for two, and their seasonal sundaes never cease to impress with their magical toppings combinations. 22 SE 28th Avenue, Portland. cheeseandcrack.com

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Looking Forward: Excited About These Restaurant Openings in 2024

‘Tis the season for end-of-the-year lists. I haven’t done too many of them on the blog, but I thought this year I’d change things up. One of the topics I’ve seen talked about in food media is anticipated 2024 restaurant openings. I have a handful—and they’re not just limited to restaurants— that I’m eager to see become a reality, so I thought I’d share them here.

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