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It's not often I get out of the house from some grown up shenanigans but after their domination of the Slider Cook-Off at the Museum of Glass, I finally HAD to check out The Valley. Naturally I was not disappointed. I'm a huge fan of Valley co-owners Rob and Justin
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While innovation is often times key to culinary brilliance, sometimes one just needs to go back to the basics to concoct a truly divine dining experience. My Eat This Now recommendation this week is one such dish that can be found at Maxwell's Restaurant and Lounge as of Thursday, one
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Did you know top dog on the list of most consumed vegetables in the United States is the potato? Really, it's no wonder. Its far less versatile and less tasty companion, iceberg lettuce, follows it. Anyhow, the potato is a clear winner because it comes in so many different forms:
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Looking back on the last few weeks of Eat This Now recommendations it's pretty clear I love food like a fat kid loves cake. Mmmmm, cake. Though, I haven't covered any cake recently, the last few weeks included cheese dip, doughnuts and fried cheese - all delectable and all maybe on the
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Stink Tank, the wine bar attached to STINK Cheese & Meat in Tacoma's Triangle District, has changed its moniker ... well sort of. The space is now called El Tufo, which means "stink" in Spanish. Though the establishment has already gained a reputation for its fabulous wines paired with exquisite eats,
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There's a troll that lives under the bridge. He grimaces and holds me for ransom, then gobbles up my money every time I try to return home to Tacoma. Well, I mean, there isn't, but there may as well be. It's that damn toll. The toll makes Gig Harbor seem
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There are many reasons I will never be a fit person. It could have just about everything to do with my aversion to the gym. Aside from not particularly loving the whole sweaty hot mess thing, it often smells like the bog of eternal stench AND I have never really
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Things need not always be complicated to be decadent and delicious - often quite the contrary. Stadium District's Art House Café's Warm Goat Cheese Dip ($13) is a remarkable example. This appetizer is very simple and exquisitely executed with tart, creamy goat cheese delivered lightly browned and sizzling, then topped
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I admittedly don't dine in Lakewood nearly enough. It's not an area I'm opposed to visiting but I find myself always in a rush when in that city. My hairdresser happens to be in Lakewood, but those rare times I whisk myself away for some primping and pampering, the primping
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When you walk through the doors of Stadium District's Shake Shake Shake it's like walking through a time warp portal delivering you smack dab into a rad, vintage burger joint: think soda machine, clean cut, bee bopping bunny hoppin', McFly fun with creamy delectable shakes and damn tasty burgers. The
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I consider eating out my job, nay, sworn duty. Each nibble I take, each sip I imbibe I am always considering, "Is this something I should tell the beautiful Volcano readers?!" I often bounce from restaurant to restaurant until I discover a dish worthy of sharing. I've hit a rough
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This week was a superb excuse to go on a lady date with my oldest, which is a rare treat. Usually we are wrangling my youngest ones and noshing on drive-thru fare because we are on our way to an appointment or errand of some kind. Instead, the husband held
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One of life's greatest mysteries is: "who has the best burger in all the nation?!" It's one of the grand questions of the ages and is put to the test time and time again with burger competitions. Bates Technical College's Culinary Arts crew threw their hat into the ring during November's
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Me: "Hey, will you pick up some grub from that little vegan place tucked away behind Starbucks in the Proctor District on the way home from work? It's Viva Tacoma. I'll send you the menu." Husband (in jest): "I don't want any of the hippie food!" I proceed to tell him what
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Boy howdy, I am reeling with all that 2015 has already endowed yours truly with. The close of 2014 brought a sigh of relief and welcoming arms because I was exhausted from wrapping paper catastrophes, ugly sweater partying and last minute holiday shopping. I've rang in the New Year with a
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When you work in the restaurant industry there are some definite perks to the job. Typically those perks involve one of three things, in no particular order: the tips, the flexibility and the grub. I've been in the restaurant industry for more than a dozen years and can say, without
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There are so many breakfast options I think we ought to rename the strip. Maybe "Sausage Street" is more appropriate, or "Rise and Shine Road." Seriously, think about it: chilaquilles from Masa, Shakabrah's magic potatoes, elk hash from Dirty Oscar's Annex, Old Milwaukee Café's huckleberry hotcakes or Engine House 9's
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My husband is not a native Tacoman. He hadn't entered the Pacific Northwest until he set foot in Tacoma just over a dozen years ago. There are many Gritty City must-dos he hasn't checked off his list - including noshing on the beefy, finger food that is Frisko Freeze's bacon
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Sometimes I wonder why on earth people insist on trying to improve upon a classic. I mean, really? Red Dawn? Total Recall? We did NOT need remakes featuring slightly different plot twists and subpar acting. It wasn't necessary. This happens in the culinary world. Too. Time after time I see
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I'm skipping the kid-friendly joints and take-out spots this week. My Eat This Now recommendation centers on "date night." I grabbed the husband and visited gastropub Marrow in Tacoma's Sixth Avenue neighborhood. Always known for their exquisite presentation and compelling culinary prowess, the Hilltop Kitchen ownership purchased Marrow over the
