TABLE TALK: Chocoholics score a local tasting club

Are you a serious chocoholic? Serious enough to join a chocolate tasting club? That’s what Chris and Darcie Farrow, owners of the Pikes Peak Dessert Lounge, 481 Highway 105 in Monument, offer with their Art of Chocolate Tasting Club. The club meets monthly to sample some of the Farrow’s newest truffles and bars. Often there will be a chocolate-themed discussion or movie. Call 313-9484. Visit artofchocolate.com or follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/pikespeakdesserts.

Sparkling lesson
Soirée, 1003 S. Tejon St., offers a sparkling wine class and tasting during the Curious Palate Tasting Club at 5:30-7 p.m. Dec. 11. Cost is $25 per person. Call 633-8313. Visit coloradospringsvenue.com.

Spicy dinner
The Margarita at PineCreek, 7350 Pine Creek Road, offers “Spice Route Revisited” dinner at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 4. It’s a repeat of their popular dinner last year, which featured seven-courses of globally inspired small plates paired with wine from The Wine Seller. Cost is $60 per person (plus tax and tip). Call 598-8667. Visit coloradoeats.com/margarita/.

Holiday hours
• Pizzeria Rustica, 2527 W. Colorado Ave., will close Dec. 24-25, Dec. 31-Jan. 3. They will also close for winter break Jan. 7-10. Call 632-8121.Visit pizzeriarustica.com.
• Tapateria, 2607 W. Colorado Ave., will close Dec. 24-25, Dec. 31-Jan. 3. Call 471-8272. Visit tapateria.com.
• Wisdom Tea House, 65 Second St. in Monument, will close Dec. 23-25, Dec. 30-Jan. 2. They will open at 10 a.m. Dec. 26 for Boxing Day. Call 481-8822. Visit wisdomteahouse.com.

A gift for the wine lover
Here’s a fun gift idea for anyone who enjoys trying new wines: An Old Colorado City Wine Bar Tour ticket. For $48 (plus tax and tip), you get to sample six wines, six food pairings at six wine bars in Old Colorado City. Tours take place on Thursday evenings. Not in the mood to go to all six wine bars? You can spread out the visits over several weeks until your ticket has been filled up. Purchase tickets at Motif Westside, 2342 W. Cucharras St.Call 635-5635. Visit motifwest.com.

Wine dinner
Jay Gust, executive chef at Tapateria, 2607 W. Colorado Ave., got my attention with jamon-wrapped snails with a portabella, bone-marrow terrine. He sealed the deal with foie gras dippin’ dots (part of the dessert). These are a couple of the courses he has dreamed up for his six-course “Dinastia Vivanco Dinner” at 6 p.m. Dec. 4. Cost is $79 per person (plus tax and tip). Call 471-8272. Visit tapateria.com.

Ring in the New Year
It’s not too soon to make reservations for a tasty beginning of the New Year.
La Baguette French Bistro, 4440 N. Chestnut St., offers a six-course prix fix menu for $60 per person (plus tax and tip). Two glasses of Cadet D’Oc French chardonnay or cabernet sauvignon and a glass of Marquis De La Tour French Mousseux is included. Seatings are at 6 or 8 p.m.Call 599-0686. Visit labaguettefrenchbistro.com.

Opening
Kyle Gerstner, franchise owner of Freddy’s Steakburgers, is making good on his goal of opening at least four locations of the Wichita, Kansas-based burger chain. Currently there are two open at 15778 Jackson Creek Parkway and 5825 Stetson Hills Blvd.A third location at 511 Garden of the Gods Road will open Dec. 13. The restaurant features lean ground meat steakburgers, fries, Chicago-style hotdogs and frozen custard.

“Our burgers are made with 85-15 percent lean ground beef,” said Gerstner, “compared to 80-20 percent lean ground beef used at other burger places.”

The burgers are formed into balls of meat and smashed on a 400 degree flat-top. The result is a thin patty with crispy edges. Visit freddysUSA.com.

Shuttered

As reported on Nov. 26 in the Gazette business section, the Steaksmith Steakhouse, 3802 Maizeland Road, closed Nov. 24 and filed for bankruptcy. The locally owned steak and seafood eatery had been in business since 1981. Mounting debt led to the closure, owner Dawson Hubert to business reporter Wayne Heilman Monday.

“KVOR Table Talk" guests on 740AM noon to 1 p.m. Saturday
• Rafal Zalewski, owner of Dr. Sweet’s Bakery, 4703 N. Academy Blvd., and Bob Lucchesi, marketing consultant for the bakery, talk about the bakery, which opened a little more than a year ago.  Call 645-8641. Visit sites.google.com/site/drsweetsbakery/.
• Jonny Stringer, beer manager at Old Chicago, talks about the Holiday Mini-Tour. The restaurant chain has introduced a new menu that he will highlight, too. Call 593-7678. Visit oldchicago.com.
• Krista Schulz, food and beverage marketing and PR manager for The Broadmoor, 1 Lake Ave., talks about the many new events and restaurants coming to the resort. She will also talk about the hotel’s new executive chef. Call 577-5733. Visit broadmoor.com.
• Sara Crowe and Steven Stokes, owners of Events Etc., talk about the Holiday Chocolate Festival at The Broadmoor’s Colorado Hall, 1 Lake Ave., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Dec. 9. More than 60 vendors will offer samples of chocolate and other holiday gift items. Admission is $5 and tasting tickets are $1 each. Visit eventplanningdenver.com.
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Send tips about restaurant openings, closings, menu changes and food specials to teresa.farney@gazette.com, 636-0271, Twitter @tffoodie or Facebook Teresa Farney. Hear Farney’s “KVOR Table Talk” radio show noon to 1 p.m. Saturdays on 740 AM.