Food Matters
Family owned and operated, The Boxcar Grill at Freighthouse Square opened in January. An all-American "blue-plate" breakfast, lunch and dinner menu is offered in a very casual diner environment - though the bright garden green and jet black make for an unusual color scheme not often associated with dining. The large
Features
Not all fats are created equal. When reading the ingredient list on a package, people's first tendency is to check calorie and fat content. The common perception is that all fatty foods are unhealthy. The reality is that the human body needs fat in order to function correctly. A diet
Features
The health of the economy and the wealth of the people can dictate how America eats. Less money in the wallet means less money for going out. As consumers have less cash to spend, what that reduced income is being spent on falls under greater scrutiny. Two trends that have surely
Food Matters
Thrill of the Grill originally opened in 2009 serving American fare like burgers, waffle-cut fries, hot dogs and melts. The downtown Tacoma eatery was purchased by Sarah Slaughter and Gregory Brock in November 2011 and reopened in early January. The co-owners say they are keeping the original name (for now),
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For all intents and purposes, the city of Indianapolis is currently under siege. 150,000 football fans are expected to arrive in time for the big game, Super Bowl XLVI. Forty-four blocks are reportedly going to be closed to car traffic to accommodate fans on foot sporting all kinds of Patriots
Food Matters
Those who have already caved and thrown out their New Year's resolution to abstain from sweets, prepare to get giddy. Gig Harbor, the quaint gateway city of the Olympic Peninsula, hosts the third annual Art of Chocolate, Saturday, Feb. 4. As in years past, The Art of Chocolate festivities will not
Features
The Chinese zodiac deals in a 12-year cycle, as opposed to the 12-month Western zodiac or the astrological signs commonly associated with horoscopes. Each of the 12 years of the Chinese Zodiac is represented by a different animal, with characteristics and personality features attributed to it. The Chinese zodiac has
Food Matters
Thinly sliced "sheets" of ripe avocado form the outside of the Avocado Bomb at Flying Fish Sushi Bar & Grill on North Pearl Street in Tacoma. Inside, a mixture of chopped rice noodle, scallion and tempura battered shrimp is held together with spicy tuna so tender it resembles a paste.
Afterword
Confession: I typically approach physical activity with the intention of using it to kick my own butt. At the end of 2010 when I finished a month of boot camp at Elev8 Fitness, I had adopted the saying "If you don't feel like puking at the end, it wasn't a hard
Features
Hunkering down for the winter can mean staying indoors, inactivity and switching to a basic comfort food diet of meat and potatoes, pasta and bread. For all intents and purposes, the average Pacific Northwesterner embraces hibernation mode. Fresh fruit and vegetables disappear, and with them micronutrients and minerals. While that's not
Food Matters
A mammoth fireplace, lamps wrapped in barbed wire and antlers galore give Gig Harbor restaurant Tanglewood Grill the vibe of a hunting lodge, fisherman cabin and stuffed wildlife gallery rolled into one. The rustic raw beams and log-cabin wood walls help balance the Denny's-like feel of the floor plan. An American
Food Matters
Opening in late November on Hilltop Tacoma near St. Joseph's Medical Center, "juicy and tender" seem like trite ways to describe the Southern-style fried chicken served at Ezell's Fried Chicken. Thighs, legs, chicken tenders and jumbo wings are meaty and tasty. Searching for authenticity? Those wanting old-school proteins can get down
Food Matters
At the newly opened Lobster House in Tacoma's International District a range of Chinese dishes can be had; radish cakes, congee (rice porridge), chicken feet, salt and pepper squid, chow mein, walnut prawns, hum bao, chow fun and the hot ticket item of the moment: dim sum. Think of dim
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As a food writer and admitted sugar junkie, I've taken advantage of the rich foods made available to me this holiday season. But with the holiday season drawing to a close, January and February become a natural time for change. To usher in the end of my holiday gluttony and
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Amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, family traditions are comforting. A link to the past acted out in the present, they can be a way to measure the moments and years of our lives together. Impacted by economic fluctuations, family size changes and logistics, family traditions evolve
Food Matters
Under new ownership since August, most of the changes at Maxwell's Restaurant & Lounge have been internal. Replacing Vivian Irish, Maxwell's new executive chef, Leslie Westphal, comes most recently from the Tacoma Club, where she was also executive chef. Westphal puts out much of the same menu as her predecessor. The
Guides
Black is the color of formal evening affairs, little black dresses and tuxedos worn where lights flicker, glasses clink and merriment waltzes with joy. As that lovely image plays in your head remember that everyone knows the seemingly harmless sequence of numbers 01-01-2012 signifies the start
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Black is the color of formal evening affairs, little black dresses and tuxedos worn where lights flicker, glasses clink and merriment waltzes with joy. As that lovely image plays in your head remember that everyone knows the seemingly harmless sequence of numbers 01-01-2012 signifies the start of the zombie apocalypse. I
Food Matters
Winter Solstice is a marker of change. As if the earth was holding its breath in the cold darkness as the year draws to a close, the days begin to get longer and lighter. Different customs observe this day with the purpose of reflecting on what was, letting go of
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After a tour of the Children's Hospital respiratory therapy unit in 1999, do-gooder Silvia Tapia says her "...heart opened to all the sick kids. Walking into that place changes your life. Your worries, my worries are nothing compared to those kids' worries or problems." Eleven years have passed since Tapia first
