Sound Bites: Familiar Faces on Their New Years Resolutions

December 31, 2012

Give something up for New Years? Not these familiar faces! With the New Year upon us we wanted to see what a few of our favorite personalities are resolving to eat and drink more of this year. Here’s what they had to say:

“I’m planning to drink a lot more sumac next year. We’ve been playing with the fruit quite a bit, and when carbonated it’s nice and acidic. Over in R&D our guys have the “Aperol Test” where they basically mix all of our sodas with Aperol to see how it tastes. Sumac soda passed with flying colors—it’s delicious.”

Dave Arnold, centrifuging cocktail geek and partner in Booker and Dax, New York City

Photo: Adrienne Yee

“I’ll be seeking out flavors with a savory edge. Nebbiolo, Savagnin, orange wines, an Alpine amaro, Sherry—there’s a reason these are popular right now. They share what people are looking for—something they feel hasn’t been prepackaged for every taste.”

Levi Dalton, sommelier and host of the popular podcast, I’ll Drink to That

Photo courtesy Atera

“This year, I’m planning to drink more London dry-style Gin & Tonics. Old Raj is a fun one, especially with its touch of saffron, and quality tonic is a must! As for food, I’m planning to eat more vegetables. Recently, it seems like meat has been god, and while I’m planning to utilize more unique cuts of meat, I’ll be making vegetables a more predominate part of the plate.”

Matt Lightner, rising star chef at Atera, New York City

Photo: Alex Farnum

“In 2013, I resolve to reacquaint myself with the California wine scene. I’ve delved deeply into the worlds of craft beer and spirits for the past few years, but that has been at the expense of my knowledge of local vino. In the New Year, I’d also love to explore all the amazing ethnic food markets in Southern California. I’ve passed many of these places as I’ve jetted to and from the airport, but never had the time to stop and smell the spices.”

Aida Mollenkamp, host of FoodCrafters on the Cooking Channel and author of the recently released Keys to the Kitchen (Chronicle Books)