New Mexico food, wine and restaurant enthusiasts, you might want to consider putting some extra pep in your step and strapping on a second feedbag, because the next few weeks in the Land of Enchantment are packed with flavorful possibilities. The snow might be thick and the journey may take longer than expected, but good food never waits for the clouds to clear. Polish your forks, grab a scarf, kick the snow tires, and follow me into the near, very tasty future:

• • •

Friday marks the beginning of the 13th annual ARTfeast, a three-day event that pairs restaurants with galleries to raise money for arts education at Santa Fe's public schools. More than 40 local restaurants and caterers and 40 galleries join forces for the common goal of collecting art supplies and creating scholarship opportunities and arts programming for students and local organizations such as Fine Arts for Children and Teens, through the nonprofit organization, ARTsmart.

This year's ARTfeast boasts an array of fun events, including a Fashion Luncheon, an Art of Home Tour, an auction brunch, and an auction dinner paying tribute to ARTfeast 2010's well-deserving honorary artist, local painter and mentor Sam Scott. The main event is Friday's Edible Art Tour, which began in 1998 with a few hundred patrons but has now blossomed into a major happening that stretches from the Railyard, through downtown Santa Fe and up Canyon Road. Since its inception in 1993, ARTsmart has raised nearly $750,000 to supplement arts education in the City Different. For more information on ARTfeast, check out Friday's issue of Pasatiempo in The Santa Fe New Mexican. To purchase tickets for ARTfeast events, visit www.artfeast.com or stop by the event's headquarters at 102 E. Water St., inside El Centro Mall.

• • •

Quick on the heels of ARTfeast is the debut of New Mexico Restaurant Week (which runs much longer than seven days) from Sunday through Saturday, March 13. Santa Fe becomes the event's primary proving ground starting Sunday and running through Saturday, March 6. About 40 local restaurants ranging from family joints to fine-dining fortresses are taking part in this culinary experiment, and the pricing is perfect for your tax-season woes. Dinners range from $40 per person at the higher-end eateries to $25 per person at some restaurants, to $25 for two diners at other venues. Drinks, tip and taxes aren't usually included in the price, but you can score a good deal on some fantastic food. This is a wonderful opportunity to take your taste buds on a new adventure while creating fond memories with friends and family among the many great restaurants we have to offer.

Throughout the proceedings, local chefs and servers will likely see more of this Fork than they ever cared to. New Mexico Restaurant Week continues in Albuquerque between March 7 and 13, and all meals are priced between $25 for one person or $25 for two. Cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and other events that celebrate our state's culinary diversity augment the dinner offerings in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. To learn more about the inaugural New Mexico Restaurant Week, pick up the related publication in today's issue of The Santa Fe New Mexican. Visit http://newmexicorestaurantweek.com to view menus and a full list of restaurant participants. Considering the scope of Restaurant Week, which may become a biannual event, do yourself a favor and the food service industry a common courtesy: Make reservations.

Now where did I put that feedbag?

• • •

From March 5-7, Albuquerque's 22nd annual Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show brings the heat and meat to the Sandia Resort and Casino, I-25 and Tramway N.E. I went last year, and I was blown away by the largesse of the proceedings. My winter pantry is a better place for being stocked with barbecue sauces and jams that could strip the paint off a Stealth fighter jet with ease, and I have the Fiery Foods show to thank for it. There aren't many Santa Fe businesses exhibiting this year, but C.G. Higgins Confections (aka Chuck's Nuts, 847 Ninta St. at St. Francis Drive, 866-931-0615), the official candy maker of the Santa Fe 400th Celebration, will be back this year with its chile-pecan brittle, among other treats. Tickets for the flammable fete are $10 in advance for adults, $5 for attendees under 19. Admission at the door is $15 for adults, $5 for those under 19. For a full schedule of exhibitors and to purchase advance tickets, visit www.
fiery-foods.com. For more information, call
505-873-8680.

Send tips on what's happening in the local food and restaurant scenes to Rob DeWalt at rdewalt@sfnewmexican.com. You can also follow Rob and TASTE on Twitter at twitter.com/sfnmTASTE and read more food- and wine-related content by visiting etastesantafe.com.