We know -- it's hard to muster the strength to leave your house when there's a minus in front of that all-important temperature digit. But trust us that it's worth it this week, whether you're rallying to go to the (outdoor) beer festival in St. Paul on Saturday or just driving over to the Four Firkins for a free taste of Buffalo Sweat. 
Mmm...pasta.
It's an all-alcohol Week in Food, with numerous beer, wine, and liquor-themed events -- most with food mixed in to keep you from having an entirely liquid diet. Instead of staying at home and depleting your own stash of booze, head to one of these events for a good cause/time/meal. 
Pimm's and a mani!
Holiday eating is a rich affair, and one you have to ease yourself down from. This Week in Food we've got several events, both decadent (Lobster Week at Nicollet Island Inn) and thoughtful (Slow Food Minnesota's lecture) that will let you adapt to regular life again.
Lobster Week!
1/7
Every year the Nicollet Island Inn celebrates the end of the holiday season with one last hurrah: lobster week! From January 4 to 13 you can enjoy a four-course lobster tasting menu loaded with lobster broth, poached lobster salad, baked lobster tail, and more. It's a decidedly decadent way to wind down the holidays, and it's also your last chance to see the hotel's elaborate holiday decorations too. Make your reservations online or by calling 612.331.1800.
It's a boozy Week in Food, as we've found firkin tappings, wine tastings, and cordial samplings take up many of the events this first week of December. Remember to layer all these drinks with some Christmas cookies...
Rachelle Carlson It's gluten-free at Pizza Luce in St. Paul
12/4
Celiac suffers don't have to forgo the deliciousness that is Pizza Luce thanks to gluten-free Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the location on Selby. Avoiding wheat can be daunting, but not when these folks offer a special gluten-free menu two days a week. With Cooqi dough, the anti-gluten crowd can order any of Pizza Luce's pizzas without any repercussions.
Now that we've all downed our weight in turkey and stuffing, it's time to move on to the next big eating event: Christmas. We're already seeing holiday events creep into this Week in Food, so we hope you properly stretched your stomach last week.
The paleo-est soups can be found at the Wedge this week.
11/27
If you're attempting the Paleo diet but stumped for tasty winter food ideas, then the Wedge has you covered with its Paleo Diet Soups and Stews class Tuesday night. Keep warm and stay healthy when you learn how to make these simple Paleo diet soups and stews that are free of grain, dairy, alcohol, and sugar: slow-cooked, grass-fed-beef stew, cream of mushroom and shitake soup, white bean stew with cilantro pesto, avocado and chicken sausage, apple wood-smoked lamb, or chicken stew with zucchini and tomatoes. The class runs 7-9 p.m. and costs $49 for members, $59 for nonmembers.
It's the best eating week of the year! Thanksgiving is upon us, and we've got you covered with last-minute classes, options for dining out, and escape plans for when relatives descend this Week in Food. 
This guy is toast.
11/19
It's the ideal trifecta: sample food and wine from some of the best local restaurants, rub shoulders with Vikings players, and help fight childhood hunger all at the same event. Taste of the Vikings is a strolling food and wine event at the Mall of America that benefits the team's Children's Fund Summer Lunch Program via Second Harvest Heartland. Tickets are a hefty $150, but hey -- it's for the kids. The fun starts at 7 p.m., and you can find out more here.
We're getting into the home stretch for Thanksgiving, so this week is stocked with events that will help you expand your stomach in preparation for a major holiday eat-a-thon. 
Time to load up on whiskey at Zipps
11/12
If you're like us, you need plenty of liquor to make it through the holiday season. Thankfully (ha!) Zipps is having its annual Fall Whiskey Sale as we speak. You can nab all your favorite styles of whiskey for 10 percent off. Load up on gifts and expand your home supply in time for the holidays. The sale runs through November 17, so clear out some space in your trunk.
Is there ever a non-busy Week in Food? If so, we haven't encountered it, and this week is no different, with everything from a lecture on food criticism and an author dinner to the long-awaited, much anticipated Surly Darkness Day.
Expect lots of fans and a long wait before you get your hands on this
If you spent the weekend snacking on brains zombie-style, it might be nice to mix up the menu a bit and explore something a little less ... raw. Fortunately this Week in Food is packed with options, including City Pages' own Iron Fork competition.
The annual Iron Fork competition returns on Thursday!
Another week in October, another series of epic, not-to-be-missed festivals this Week in Food -- make space in your stomach and your weekend. 
Eat and drink your way along Route 66 at Sun Street Breads
10/8
Sun Street Breads is hosting its first beer dinner (you read that correctly) tonight by featuring a "A Road Trip Down Highway 61" with heaps of Fulton beers. Cuisine will start with upper Midwest dishes and travel down to Louisiana. Tickets are, naturally, $61 and come with four courses and four matching brews. The dinner starts at 6 p.m., and reservations can be had by calling Sun Street Breads at 612.354.3414.
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