I hope everyone’s 2014 is off to a great start.

Here in Chicago, 2013 ended just as 2014 began — with snow. But, it takes more than a few inches of snow to keep our celebrations on hold. So we bundled up, grabbed our transit cards (no driving!) and headed out.

We started our New Year’s Eve celebration with dinner at Chipotle. (For those of you who don’t know, Chipotle is up towards the top on my list of guilty pleasures. Plus, we got a gift card for Christmas — score.) Afterwards, we hopped into a nearby bar that we’d been meaning to check out — the Green Eye Lounge. It was cute and cozy, plus they had board games. We grabbed our beers and our game (checkers) and settled in.

After two heated games (I won one; he won one), we headed up the street to see one of our favorite local bands — The Lawrence Arms — play at Concord Music Hall, a new venue up the street. It was here, under the balloon drop, that we all rang in 2014 together.

As for New Year’s Day, that was spent watching the still-falling snow from the comfort of our own apartment. We filled our time by lounging, eating and drinking — obviously. Here’s what we had:

Breakfast: Bagels, lox, grapefruit, coffee

Lunch: Naan bread pizzas (with kale, shiitakes, shallots and blue cheese), salad, Half Acre ChamPony (Pony Pilsner with Champagne yeast)

Dinner: Filets, caramelized onions, asparagus, mini twice-baked potatoes, Half Acre Chub Step Porter

So far so good, I’d say.

As for the rest of the year, I’m looking forward to seeing what unfolds. I’m not a New Year’s resolution type of gal, but I do hope 2014 is full of new things — new foods, new places, new people and new opportunities.

What do you hope for in 2014? Leave me a comment in the box below, or send me a tweet @freshandfoodie.

Cheers to the New Year — let’s make it a good one.