There's no small amount of irony that I'm covering for my editor on the food beat this week, considering that I often turn to Clarey for advice on all things culinary. Not that I take it, necessarily. He suggested that for a holiday dinner I might be able to find a cheap filet mignon.

There are eight guests riding out the winter over on Grove Street. And New Year's Eve is fast approaching. Were I you, I'd make my reservations now, or at least send a press release about my restaurant to the Triad's definitive alt-weekly. So far I've heard from just two restaurants.

Man, they really have their finger on the pulse of the nation, huh? Here in our own humble corner of the world, there are but a few things going on in the culinary scene you know, because of visions of sugarplums and all that. On Wednesday, Earth Fare.

There will be more about these new places in the coming weeks. Also worth mentioning: Allen McDavids Twin City RibFest.

Oh, and about that Lipton Cup-A-Soup thing: It seems they still make it, at least according to the intertubes. The line, however, has been narrowed down to three flavors- chicken noodle, cream of chicken and tomato with croutons..

If you like a nip of wine over the holiday, here's my short (local) list: The Grove Winery.

And it means caramel or at least it does at H%u4867en-Dazs. And a roulade is simply something rolled, which in this case would be a sweet bread. Look for it in the frozen section, and let me know what you think. Heres what I think about the culinary week ahead.

However, a few places have just opened or reopened for business this fall. In Winston- Salem, the Stocked Pot Co. Cooking School.

Howdy folks lots to talk about and not much space in which to do it. Prime eating season.

And hey: Is anybody else here freezing? Im freezing. Its going to be a long, cold winter. I can feel it in my bones. Thank god for whiskey, and the steam room at the YMCA..