Barbecue Ark

An excellent pedigree does not excellence make. Hailing from the same family that’s owned Caveman Kitchens in Kent since the days of disco, Roseanna Donely, along with sister Dale Jarosz, have opened The Ark Smokehouse Restaurant.



At the order-at-the-counter Marine View Drive barbeque joint, the air smelt smoky, meaty, sweet and earthy. Actual sandwiches were overly smoked and dry. Portions of sliced beef and smoked chicken were stingy; slightly more than half a cup of one and only three palm-size slices of the other were overshadowed by the large roll they were served on. Cole slaw was watery and blah. Esau’s dry stew was overly salty.



Potato salad was the big winner- hard-boiled eggs, soft skin-on potato, and onion did a creamy yellow dance. A close second was Eve’s Apple Melt dessert, served hot, sweet, and sugary — a definite hit.



Though prices were relatively low ($3.29-$16.49), I still felt ripped off. — Jennifer Johnson

[The Ark Smokehouse Restaurant, 1941 Marine View Drive, Tacoma, 253.274.1921]

Lunch with Dave

Lucky for me, I have Dave’s Meat and Produce just down the street in the north end of Tacoma. The staff can discuss the cost/benefit of prime versus select, and will go to great lengths to match me up with exactly the right kind of meat — not letting me leave until I’m hungry for more enlightenment. The prime steaks are laid out like Tiffany flatware. Tasty, beefy flatware. Mmmm.



What sets Dave’s apart is the love. Everyone who works at this tiny yet alluring meat and produce market is not just interested in, not just obsessed with, but head over heels in love with his or her job.



That’s certainly the case for Becca Cable, who enthusiastically whipped up lunch for me today from Dave’s new lunch shack. Yes, for the past two weeks Dave’s has been serving sandwiches, hot dogs and salads from its coffee shack. The Big Bopper Grinder — hot turkey and hot ham at $4.99 a pop — is tasty, and loaded with meat, lettuce, cheddar, tomato and staffer Martine’s secret sauce.  The Dorothy Coney Island Dog ($3.99) arrives with staffer Dorothy’s hot chili sauce.



Other lunch fare includes Asian and chef salads, a plain hot dog, sodas, smoothies (strawberry, peach and mango) and coffee.



Lunch hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.



A half-dozen tables are set up for outdoor dining. — Ron Swarner



[Dave’s Meat and Produce, 1312 N. I St., Tacoma, 253.280.9999]