* Rachel Wolcott's once-upon-a- time French restaurant Aix (719 E. 17th Ave.), which recently morphed into a wine bistro parading a more casual menu of creative American eats with a California bent, is shuttered.

"The restaurant was doing great, but I just want to do something else. I needed a break," said Wolcott in an e-mail.

I liked Aix and I'm sorry to see it go, but the space won't be vacant for long. Wolcott sold her restaurant to Stephanie Bonin and Keith Arnold, owners of Duo (2413 W. 32nd Ave.), who, along with Duo executive chef John Broening and pastry chef Yasmin Lozada-Hissom, are negotiating a deal with the landlord. If all goes well, Bonin and clan will reopen the space as a yet- unnamed Mediterranean restaurant focusing, says Bonin, "on handcrafted foods from Spain, Italy and Southern France."

Wolcott, for her part, seems happy about the changeover. "It's great for them, great for me and great for the neighborhood."

* Restaurant Kevin Taylor (1106 14th St.) celebrates 10 years of staying power this month with a prix-fixe dinner for two priced at $99. The opulent temple of gastronomy, housed in the Hotel Teatro, is offering the three- course dinner through Saturday night, proffering a menu that includes everything from roasted rabbit noodle soup with root vegetables, walnut gnocchi and apple sage relish to pepper- lacquered Muscovy duck breast with duck leg confit, fresh cavatelli, caramelized fennel and a soy orange reduction. For reservations, call 303-820-2600 or reserve online at ktrg.net.

* In an attempt to take our minds off our plunging stocks, the folks at La Fogata, one of Denver's best Mexican joints, have rolled out a "Discount to Dow" stimulus package at all three of their metro-area restaurants (5670 E. Evans Ave., 8090 E. Quincy Ave., 16600 Washington St.).

Here's how it works: For as long as the Dow Jones Industrial Average closes below 10,000 points, La Fogata is offering a daily discount based on how many points below 10,000 the Dow falls. For example, if the Dow closes at 8,000 points, the discount is 20 percent, which is also the maximum discount available.

The deal is valid all day, seven days a week, including happy hour, with the only stipulation being that you need to order food.

"Times are tough, and we're trying to give back to the economy, increase business and give a break to our regulars," says Jackie Madera, manager at the La Fogata on East Evans Avenue. "At the same time," she says, "we're also trying to help our employees. We don't want to cut their hours, so the more customers we have, the more business we have for our staff."

Sounds like a cause worth supporting.

* Along that same vein, Fazoli's, a national chain, is giving away more than 2 million pounds of spaghetti - the equivalent of 1,000 miles of noodles - as part of its "nationwide revolution against high restaurant prices." The promotion, which runs through the second week in February, includes all six Fazoli's locations in metro Denver.

"With unpopular bailouts, a steady stream of bad economic news and food prices going up, we decided it's high time somebody gave customers a way to protest," says Carl Howard, Fazoli's president and CEO.

If you want to get your free noodle on, you'll need to sign up at freespaghetti.com.

* Three of Frank Bonanno's restaurants - Osteria Marco (1453 Larimer St.), Mizuna (225 E. Seventh Ave.) and Luca D'Italia (711 Grant St.) - are hosting a series of monthly food- and-wine-pairing dinners.

On the third Thursday of every month, Osteria Marco is preparing family-style wine dinners for $40 per person; Mizuna is offering a $100-per- person, five-course feast paired with wines on the fourth Tuesday of every month; and on the third Tuesday of every month, Luca D'Italia is rolling out three small plates paired with wines for $40 per person (tax and gratuity not included).

For reservations, e-mail Melissa Manley at melissa@mizunadenver.com.

* If you missed out on Lola's (1575 Boulder St.) January tequila samplings and dinners celebrating the coastal regions of Mexico, there's still time to get in on the action.

At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the lively Mexican spot is hosting a tequila social ($75 per person). At the same time on Feb. 16, Lola executive chef Jamey Fader is teaming up with guest chef Tyler Wiard (Elway's, Cherry Creek) for a dinner dedicated to the Northern Pacific Coast of Mexico ($75 per person). For specific menus and to make reservations, visit loladenver.com or call 720-570-8686.