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Kris Blondin (of "Grocery Stories" fame) is pretty cool. With her friendship comes lots of fun, not to mention a wonderful knowledge of Tacoma, restaurants, wines, and never-ending reminders of how not to take life too seriously. Her man, Dustin, on the other hand, is a credibly hilarious dude who
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Someone recently asked if I visit drinking establishments at the same time of day, every week. They were wondering if I compared the bartenders in equivalent shifts, because theoretically the "best" bartenders work on Friday and Saturday nights. Why would I want to compare a Monday lunch bartender with a Friday
Archives
As I was exiting the doors of the Federal Way Commons (formerly known as SeaTac Mall), I noticed a dining establishment taking up an eighth of the block called Jasmine Mongolian Grill. I was too early to physically open the doors, but I did manage to press my greasy nose
Archives
Somewhere along the walls of the Weekly Volcano's vodka storage area/employee restroom the words "Matador's happy hour motherf***ing ROCKS" are carved into the faded baby blue 1984 wallpaper. These words, in all their utterly candid descriptiveness, spoke to me. If someone, whoever that loyal employee/vodka drinker may be, had the
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No polite, legitimate, non-douchey business owner cares what race you are, what religion you fall victim to, or if you make your money workin' the pole in stilettos with a fishbowl in the heel - as long as you're spending that money in their establishment. Thankfully, the people at Primo
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Other than the time an anonymous Weekly Volcano employee pooped on my desk, I have never been more sickened and appalled by something. That is, until I received notice that Harbor Lights had NOT yet been visited for 3 Drink Minimum. Yes indeed, my fair alcoholic friends, it was a sad,
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Bartender Tony from McGrath's Fish House has officially made the "Steph DeRosa Top 10 Bartenders" list. Yes, there is such a list; I would never lie about something like that. Lie about my age? Yes. Lie about how many drinks I've had? Of course. But lie about my obscene amount
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This southern girl has finally been conditioned to the Pacific Northwest. I no longer have the local suicide hotline on speed dial, and the carpet has started to perk back up in the corner where I used to curl up and cry for days on end. That being said, every
Features
There are restaurants I have to ease into slowly, coming around to their flavors or unique takes on cuisine by the end of the meal. There are other restaurants that win me over quickly - love at first bite, or damn close to it. Typically, the latter has to due
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Inside my driver side car door compartment, shoved alongside crumpled Kleenexes, old gas station receipts, and a few crusty, dried up pens sits my 2010 Entertainment Book. For years I've ridiculed local cheap-asses and their incessant need to always dine at establishments with a coupon in the Entertainment Book. Well,
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This is hands down, one of my all-time favorite dining establishments. Even after watching the creepiest of documentaries Food, Inc. and subsequently swearing off all recognizable forms of animal muscle for a short while — I still found orgasmic pleasure in the taste of Ranch House’s meat last week. A
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The entire Johnny's empire confuses me, I'll admit it. Though it's not hard to confuse me, when it comes to Tacoma's Johnny's, the gridlock in my brain reaches an all-time high. One name - "Johnny's" - can encompass all of the following establishments: Johnny's Dock, Johnny's Seafood, Johnny's in Fife,
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Not one for hanging out all girly-style, I often find myself amongst men when it comes to social situations. My few close girlfriends, whom I call "close girlfriends," are labeled as such because they enjoy the same things in a friendship: no drama, no dumb bitches, and no judgments held.
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After an indulgent foodie-filled weekend celebrating The KAke’s 40th birthday, cooking dinner on a Monday evening was the very last thing Mr. DeRosa and I wanted to do. Although we’re not as old as Tacoma’s newest AARP member, The KAke, our bones were still weary from all the hustle and
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An obvious stop for three delicious drinks will always be The Red Hot, and I avoided visiting owner Chris Trashcan’s cool frothy concoctions for this column longer than I reckoned I would. In ways, I’ve grown into a better person for withstanding severe cold-beer temptation. Yet, in other ways, I’ve
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Last year, after analyzing extensive locally-drawn anonymous polls, I determined The Dock was one of Pierce County’s top dive bars. Shortly after The Dock achieved their illustrious “Top Dive Bar” status, ownership changed hands from the fine people of Johnny’s Dock to gorgeous newbie Gwendolyn Stence, who renamed the bar
News Front
As a member of various boards and the Vice President of Tacoma’s Downtown Merchants Group, one might wonder where Judi Hyman gets her superpowers. You know the superpowers I’m talking about — the ones that give her the energy and will to participate in Go Local Tacoma, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber
News Front
You could take a huge crap and have the Beatles playing in the background and I’d totally watch. I love the Beatles. And yes, comedian Chris Bliss juggles to Beatles songs and will be at the Pantages on Saturday, but that’s not who I’m here to talk about. This Saturday, Nov.
News Front
Veggie quiches, homemade cupcakes, fresh scones and delicious coffee make for perfect all-day accompaniments to Corina Bakery’s free Wi-Fi connection. I often find myself hiding inside this established Tacoma bakery, trying to escape the madness at Weekly Volcano World Headquarters — only to find my damn editors blowing up my
News Front
Sushi has only entered my life within the last five years. This whole “raw fish” concept has rented out a space in my brain, and will most likely forever replace small memories of my family’s delicious southern cooking. Although I could never forget the grease-laden goodness of a deep fried
