I am totally going through Olympic withdrawal. I said I wouldn’t do it this year, the marathon hours in front of the television, and wouldn’t you know it, I did. Of course, if such marathons always included hockey games that involved beating the US in overtime, I would gladly sacrifice every weekend in a similar manner. Anyway, onto this week’s food notes:

• The location for the third Edmonton Foodie Meetup is set! For those who signed up on the wiki, I’ll see you at Famoso on Wednesday!
• A reminder that Downtown Dining Week gets underway on this Friday, March 5, and runs until March 14.
• The Melting Pot has scheduled their grand opening for March 10, 2010. On a side note, I love how active and responsive they have been on their Facebook page.
• As seen on Twitter – the long-awaited website for TZiN Wine & Tapas  is finally up! Nothing fancy, but at least we can see their menu online now!
• Avenue Edmonton released their annual food issue this month. It includes their second annual list of the “25 Best Things to Eat in Edmonton” (I think I like last year’s list better) and interviews with Shane Chartrand (of L2 Grill), Simon Smotkowicz (of the Shaw Conference Centre), Ajay Lala (of the Matrix Hotel), and Petina Haja (of The Dish).
• A profile I wrote about Chef Blair Lebsack of the Madison’s Grill was published last week in Vue. In the same issue, a lukewarm review of Skinny Legs and Cowgirls.
• Was it ever in doubt that Edmonton loves bacon?
• Liane posted about a new CSA listing for Alberta that is in the works.
• Twyla wrote about her foray into yak-cross meat – who knows, it might be all the rage in time!
• Worth a read: Calgarian John Manzo’s TEDx talk titled, “Coffee Talk: Calgary’s ‘Third-Wave’ Coffee Scene, and a Caffeinated Vision of our Future”. So interesting, and I love his perspective as a coffee aficionado grounded in his city.
• Back in August, I posted about the new Superstore on 17 Street and 44 Avenue, and in particular, about the community room available to groups that seemed built to house cooking demonstrations. Turns out, they actually do host cooking classes for both children and adults! At just $10 for an adult class, it might end up being a Loblaws commercial, but it’s probably one of the cheapest cooking classes in the city. E-mail Ashley for the schedule.