• If you missed it, I’m organizing a meetup for Edmonton foodies. Join us at the Blue Plate Diner on February 26 at 6:30pm if you’re interested in meeting some of the people behind the city’s food blogs! Just remember to include your name on the wiki before February 22.
• The list of participating restaurants in Edmonton’s 6th annual Downtown Dining Week, which runs March 6-15,  is up, though menus have yet to be posted. Calgary’s event, which runs March 9-15, will be making their list public on Thursday. I have to say I am way more excited for the latter.
• Thanks to a comment from Jim and Loosen Your Belt and Eat Around Edmonton, I now know that the Whyte Avenue cupcake store just east of Gateway Boulevard, Flirt Cupcakes, is now open. They charge, for the record, $2.95 a cupcake. Apparently the one next to Funky Pickle is also open – anyone know what it is called?
• Liane Faulder had the opportunity to interview New York Times columnist Mark Bittman last week about his new book, Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating. I’m interested in the recipes included – apparently over 75 of them.
• New labelling regulations for organic products sold in Canada will commence June 30: “under the new federal regulations, only products with organic content greater than 95 per cent can be labelled organic, and use the new logo from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Foodstuffs with at least 70 per cent organic content can call themselves ‘organic products,’ but cannot use the logo.”
• Max Satanove, of “Max’s Food Basket” fame (a weekly instalment that compared common grocery products) passed away on January 27. Foodie Suz wrote about his contributions here.
• Todd Babiak wrote an interesting article about the ubiquitous presence of television screens in the city’s restaurants. I know I don’t mind them, but then again, it definitely marks the establishment as one that’s less than formal.
• Dickson’s on vacation in Asia, and among other things, has stumbled upon some erm, interesting theme restaurants in Taiwan. One was a hospital-themed one, with waitresses dressed in nursing uniforms serving mystery concoctions to guests from plastic syringes. No, you read that correctly.
• Starbucks’ latest cash grab: instant coffee called VIA Ready Brew. Why, Howard Schultz, why?
• Eater’s series called “To Catch a Critic” (which strives to obtain photographs of New York’s top restaurant reviewers) makes me laugh. It makes me wonder if any Edmonton establishments ever had a photo of Judy Schultz posted up in their kitchen, heh.
• I had a quick lunch at Caffe Sorrentino (10665 109 Street) last week. Talk about fast food – by the time I sat down, my slice of mostly hot lasagne ($8.50) was brought to me – it made me wonder if they microwaved it. They scrimped on the cheese, and tried to hide this by doling out extra sauce, but it was definitely noticeable. With the large windows and coffee bar, the cafe provides a nice atmosphere, but food-wise, they’re a bit weak.

Lasagne from Caffe Sorrentino