Downtown martinis

More than 20 martinis grace The Seven-Oh-One’s drink list — maybe the best beverage bargain in the 253. The downtown Tacoma bistro serves scaled down, cost-effective versions of well-known drinks such as the Boston Sidecar, Lemon Drop, and Washington Apple - available for only $3.  Rather than Cointreau, Absolut or Crown Royal, less expensive liquors are poured.

Tropical martinis are highlighted — Caruso, Grape on the Beach, Key Lime, Watermelon — and are perfect for sipping while enjoying outdoor seating.

The staff at The Seven-Oh-One is creative and eager to please. I experienced this fact first hand, as a recent visit and request for a fruity fake-tini yielded a tasty alcohol-free martini-type drink. Having combined orange, pineapple, and cranberry juice, a splash of sour mix, simple syrup and soda, the server dubbed it a “Pure Caribbean.” Rum, vodka or tequila could easily be added. — Jennifer Johnson
[The Seven-Oh-One, 701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.2240]

Hello relleno

Get stuffed at Masa, a hip, happening American-Mexican cuisine complex that serves delicious, soft chiles rellenos. While many South Sound diners are fans of the egg roll type of relleno, that's probably because they've eaten one too many disappointing soft versions, which too often go wrong in the cooking process. But Masa knows how to avoid all those grease pitfalls. It packs wide, skinny poblanos with spiced beef, dried cranberries, pepper jack cheese and sliced almonds, dunks them in a thick egg soufflé of a batter, and then fries them until just the thinnest, crispiest, golden-brown shell forms around the chile. Then all that deliciousness is lathered in a tasty, three-cheese sauce. This relleno is the stuff of dreams, a crunchy beauty until the very last bite. — Ron Swarner
[Masa, 2811 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.254.0560]

Beer float

There's only one way to improve on dessert, and that's to find a way to sneak some alcohol into it. Sure, this tactic has left us with a world full of rum balls, rum cakes and rum tarts, but don't blame The Red Hot. Here, owner Chris Trashcan has come up with the coolest, most beerific dessert: the beer float. Served in a pint glass, this beauty combines two all time favorites, beer and vanilla bean ice cream. Put a spoonful in your mouth, and the melting ice cream immediately alters the liquid balance of the beer, causing it to melt across your tongue like a dessert served at a fancy restaurant. Cool. The Red Hot’s beer floats are a Sunday only treat. — RS
[The Red Hot, 2914 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.779.0229]