For today's Fresh Forkin' Friday, I am flustered. Last Christmas, I gave my mom the gift of a dinner party with her friends, cooked by the Hub and I at our house. I am so not ready that I can literally hear the dust bunnies laughing at me from under the table. The good news is that it's a noshy affair with everyone sitting around the counter while we cook, explaining what we're making in a quasi-cooking-class format. There's just a bit more wine than at a normal cooking class. A flash of inspiration has led me down the path of making ramped up versions of vintage recipes. I'm not talking about retro rumaki, I'm talking about sampling from my circa 1928 Modern Priscilla Cook Book. I think the crab loaf recipe can become a mini-crab cake melt, but I don't know what I can do with fried calves' brains.

*****

Gamers and snackers are psyched! There's a new Chatterbox Pub in Edina/Linden Hills, freshly opened in the old Cafe Bicko spot near 44th and France Ave. You know the Chatterbox, the place that looks like your mom's basement circa 1982? Complete with Nintendo and maybe a (gasp) Atari? I'm a huge fan of the Hellcat Inferno burger, the lager-battered chicken strips, and the casserolesque build-your-own mac and cheese. After we brave Southdale this weekend, if all goes well, I'll head straight here and reward the teens with Sega and pizza while the 5er and I play a little Yahtzee!

*****

Everyone seems in a-tither over the "opening" of Tosca. I know Harvey McLain of Turtle Bread Company has been tinkering around for a long time with his Linden Hills space, but I don't think you can really call it open. I know Landon Schoenfeld is cheffing-up a menu of new food items, but it's still the same space and still the same counter service. I say, let's wait until January, when they promise dinner and a more complete identity, until we annoint them "the newest hottest thing in town."

*****

Bar Abilene just unveiled a stellar deal. On Monday through Friday, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., everything will be 50 percent off. Not just guac and chips, people . . . EVERYTHING. Yes to the killer margaritas, yes to the spicy crab enchiladas, yes to the southwestern juicy lucy.

*****

It shouldn't freak you out, it's a smart move. Nick & Eddie has stopped lunch service for the winter season. They'll resume weekday lunches in the springtime.

*****

Here's a potluck that's almost sure to be restaurant quality. Are you confident enough to put your dish on the table? I know, it's not about competition, but about hearing the great stories from the Minnesota delegates who went to Slow Food's Terra Madre gathering in Turin, Italy. Admission is free, all you have to do is bring a dish to share and a food shelf contribution to hear the Callisters, the Diffleys, and many other great local producers talk about the inspiring and life-changing trip.

*****

A little chill in the air won't stop the festing at Vino in the Valley. During the weekends in December, the outdoor restaurant/vineyard in Maiden Rock, WI will be celebraing the season with fresh-cut trees, sleigh rides, choir performances, and a little Santa action. They've still got the brick oven working, so you can enjoy the festivities with a belly full of hot chili or a warm slice of pizza pie while you warm up around the bonfire.

*****

Closer to home, the Grand Meander is happening on Saturday along St. Paul's Grand Ave. It kicks off with breakfast with Santa at Tavern on Grand (no walleye pancakes, please), includes an unveiling of the Winter Carnival Button at Dixie's, free trolley rides, and the tradtional soup tasting as you meander. In Eagan, they're celebrating the season on the Holz Farm, a 40s-era family farm. Free-of-charge activities include a bonfire, live reindeer, cider, vintage recipe cookies, and hay rides.