Tea murder

Any woman of standing in the Victorian era had to be on her toes in the afternoons, when it was considered de rigueur to serve tea and social chitchat in the parlor without notice to whomever showed up on the doorstep. High tea, featuring light finger sandwiches and other confections, developed as a girl thing, and manners were everything. It was the ground zero at which a prim, corseted lady kept up with the Joneses, or at least with Mrs. Jones, pinkie properly extended at all times.

Times change. Nowadays, ladies can watch a murder while sipping tea in their jeans.  The Bayview School of Cooking hosts “Culinary Mystery — The Jasmine Moon Murder,” a stage play by Laura Childs steeped in crime activity and tea lore, held Thursday, Aug. 23 at the cooking school in Olympia.

School instructor Nancy Judge adds tea-inspired recipes to munch on including Haley’s chocolate zucchini tea bread, tea-smoked chicken, jasmine tea truffles and Drayton’s green tea tippler.

[Bayview School of Cooking, Thursday, Aug. 23, 6-8:30 p.m., $40, 516 W. Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.754.1448]

Nibbles

21 Commerce hosts its monthly Martini Club with reduced martini prices Thursday, Aug. 16 from 5-8 p.m. It’s at 21st and Commerce in downtown Tacoma. >> Bar Cinco has opened its outdoor seating area.  Check out the tapas bar at 704 Yelm Ave. W. in Yelm. >> Kids younger than 12 eat free with the purchase of every adult entrée everyday at Varsity Grill in downtown Tacoma.