Maybe you feel differently, but when fall comes along, I’m ready to go bonkers on some food. The air turns crisp, the leaves start to fall, and I need to get some fat on these bones, stat. After all, winter waits for no one—and neither does Portland’s world-class food scene, which shows no sign of slowing down in its pursuit of stuffing us contentedly to the gills.

That’s why the Mercury is always sniffing around for the newest, hottest restaurants (as well as the older, more experienced spots that also deserve our patronage) and the latest food trends in order to educate ourselves and our readers. In this edition of the Mercury’s fall Eat & Drink guide, we’ll be doing just that: stacking up loads of reviews of the places you need to check out this fall and winter (such as Canard and Casa Zoraya), as well as profiling the up-and-coming chefs you’ll be hearing a lot about in the future (like Deepak Kaul and his upcoming “Kashmiri soul food” spot Bhuna).

But that ain’t all! You spirit guzzlers will find much of interest here, including which last-minute, end-of-summer six-packs to snatch up, the glorious cocktails of Palomar, and some great reasons to fall in love all over again with chardonnay.

But fall and winter also mark snackin’ season, which is why we’ve included some great ways to hack store-bought ramen, choosing Portland’s top five fresh rolls, and the very best places to score the city’s most perfect pickles.

So slap on a scarf and some stretchy pants, because the Mercury’s fall Eat & Drink guide is ready to warm your cockles and fill your belly.