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Sadly, Bandito Betty was on vacation last week. Someone in the Sidekick Teamsters Local #445 approved her vacation time without my consent, and I had to live with the consequences. Union reps were not willing to negotiate, so a scab sidekick was needed. For this, there was only one real
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I'm pretty sure each and every hard working individual involved with the enormous production of this year's Weekly Volcano Best of Tacoma 2010 issue had a minimum of three drinks at Masa with me last week. Hell, I would even venture to bet money that anyone who even stepped foot
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My next iron-on homemade T-shirt will say, "Known for my clam chowder." This is funny for two reasons. The first being EVERY restaurant with clam chowder on the menu tends to declare their chowder the best. It's always "what they're known for." Even Tides Tavern. The second reason my next homemade
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Even if you don't live in Gig Harbor, you simply must have Hy-Iu-Hee-Hee on your tavern resume. Nestled back from Gig Harbor's main waterfront drag, Hy-Iu-Hee-Hee is located on a rural road - the type of road where I imagine a murderer would dump their dead bodies. As a matter
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Kris Blondin, the Weekly Volcano's "Grocery Stories" scribe, has got to be white wine's number one fan. If white wine had a fan club, Kris would be president. Hell, maybe there is a white wine fan club I don't know about yet, and Kris is already the president. Did I
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DuPont residents know far too well how to detect the signs of summer. Not the good signs of summer: warm sunrays, kids playing outside, and restaurant patios finally open for dining. I mean the miserable, annoying signs of summer, such as muggy afternoons, people who don't wear deodorant, and Sunday
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Thanks to Michael, creator of last week's "spread your wings" email (which instructed us to head out east), Bandito Betty and I were stuck in Bonney Lake for the day. Last week we ventured up the big hill, otherwise known as State Route 410, and set our sights on some
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A few weeks ago I received an email from a nice gentleman named Michael telling me to "spread my wings." In the email he explained that possible 3 Drink Minimum establishments were not only located in Tacoma, but also Bonney Lake and Buckley. I couldn't agree more. Yes, there are fine
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I might get flat-out fired for saying this, but screw the Weekly Volcano's Tournament of Tacos. Please, allow me to inform you I'm a self-proclaimed taco expert (for the length of this column, at least), and I'm here to crown the Corner Bar as BEST TACOS in Pierce County.
Stage
Marita Dingus is one of Seattle's most unique and well-known artists, renowned for works made from scrap materials such as bent wire and often depicting and commenting on the African American experience. For years she made art about the institution of slavery including a monumental, room-size figure of a slave
We Recommend
The story behind this sound begins in late sixteenth-century Cuba. Spaniards had arrived years before, establishing a colonial system, decimating the Siboney and Taino Indian populations. That left the invaders short on the labor needed to mine for the yellow metal that made them so feverish. Enter the Yoruba people.
Food Matters
NATIONAL EAT OUT DAY Sunday, Aug. 31 is National Eat Out Day! What does that mean? Well, grab some picnic goods, to go grub or a little something to snack on and get outside to nosh. Local culinary personality Aura Mae - a previous champion of a culinary face-off with Maxwell's
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There's no need to ever peruse the menu at Old Spaghetti Factory; I know exactly what I want. Never to vary, I stick with the KISS method: Keep it simple, stupid. For me, it's a quick order of Mizithra spaghetti with a side of broccoli. That's all I need. That's
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Look here, Tacoma Farmers Market. If you served alcohol, I wouldn't have to drag my ass outside of your barricaded confines for a little hooch after lunch; I'd have one-stop gluttonous shopping all within one downtown Tacoma block. But NO. Instead, you heed all county/city permits, rules and regulations -
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A few months ago I enjoyed a nice lunch in Federal Way. I was dining "Hans" style (solo), which I find enjoyable at times - seeing as how most people get on my nerves. There are only a couple of people I can tolerate for the entire length of
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My all-time favorite girl's name ever is Genesis. Coincidentally, our bartender for this week's Three Drink Minimum is also named Genesis. I only know of one other female named Genesis and she is an amazing soul. The original Genesis I know has a constant swirl of butterflies around her, with traces
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What would Jesus serve? Heck, I thought I was entering the Denny's in Lakewood - not the second coming of Christ's "Sportsbar." That is, if Jesus Christ had a "sportsbar," in which case it might have a better name than "Christ's Sportsbar." I can only assume that ol' JC has a
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Aliens often invade my brainwaves, sending subtle subliminal signals that force me to crave certain restaurants. These are different than normal cravings in the fact I have cravings not for certain foods, but the actual restaurants. I yearn for a certain atmosphere, a favorite bartender, or an establishment's basic menu
News Front
Hailing from Eastern Washington, 25-year-old Jolene Renee Green has been a part of Tacoma for the last three years. Without trying too hard to sound like a cheesy singles ad, I'll also point out she has a dog named Bodi with an ancestry from the "mutt" breed, almost always picks
