The best thing you can do is download the game (use the Lazy Newbie pack Psy linked to early on), open the Lazy Newbie pack, set the preferred options (I can't advise on them at the moment since I'm at work, but someone else can probably chime in to help) and mess about with a few games. Install a graphics pack and I advise using Dwarf Therapist, as it makes it a lot easier to manage your dwarfs after they get a little numerous.
As for a startup walkthrough sort of thing, well, the best you'll get is something like this...
Dwarf Fortress Wiki
Particularly the "New to Dwarf Fortress?" bit. Particularly this: DF2010:Quickstart guide - Dwarf Fortress Wiki
You'll lose a few games early on, probably, but eventually you'll get the hang of things. The more you play, the more you learn. There are still things I don't know about the game but I can have a very large almost-self-running fortress pretty quickly in this game despite that. Once you have a fair idea of how things work (ie how to change jobs of dwarfs, how to nickname them, how to obtain wood/stone, how to mine, how to increase food production, how to increase drink production, how to create things, how to build structures/place furniture, how to trade, how to run away from an enemy and how to attack an enemy) then you should be good to at least have a shot at the EoFF version. In fact, in the EoFF game, you'll barely have to touch the food/drink production for some time as we're overflowing with plant-food and alcohol.
Basically, though: Wing it! If you're not ready just yet, I'm sure someone else can have a go and then you can pick up after their year. =] But somebody carry on the line! If nobody is playing this game by tomorrow I may resort to PM'ing people bugging them into it. I'll at least PM DP, MB and Quin since they established an interest in running the game some time ago.