>>> BEST ROTATING MENU

JW Restaurant

Considered hyper-frequent by most standards, this cottage-sized restaurant changes its small core menu every 60 days. Using vegetables, herbs and seafood at the height of season means quality ingredients add superb flavor to New American dishes. "It's really a melting pot of all cultures coming together.  You will see that in our menu. French, Italian, Asian," says Managing Partner Jason Winniford. "A smaller menu allows items to be made exceptionally well."  The constant flexibility with ingredients allows for many nightly features like fresh halibut cheeks, duck confit sliders and vegan root vegetable soup. - Jennifer Johnson

[JW Restaurant, 4107 Harborview, Gig Harbor, 253.858.3529]

>>> BEST BREAKFAST PIZZA

Milton Tavern

It's a hangover's delight and a diet's nemesis. Atop a slightly sweet pizza crust sits mounds of scrambled eggs, sausage chunks and warm country gravy. This pizza in the shape of a "long dog" may look like a lot of food, but once you comfort your soul with the first piece of breakfast pizza, you won't be able to stop.  Pairs well with the Milton Tavern's Bloody Mary ... or the hangover beer of your choice. - SD

[Milton Tavern, 7320 Pacific Hwy. E., Milton, 253.922.3340

>>> BEST GIANT PANCAKE

Old Milwaukee Cafe

Old Milwaukee Cafe on Sixth Ave is unassuming, tucked into a corner building just daring you to drive on by. But don't do it! Go inside and get the Wild Huckleberry Pancake; get two if you're feeling crazy. Each pancake takes up an entire plate and is just as much huckleberry as it is pancake, which just about made me bow down to worship this breakfast concoction. Each bite will make you swear increasing loyalty to all huckleberry kind. The pancake pairs nicely with a side of chicken sausage. One bite of pancake + one bite of sausage = breakfast bliss. - Kristin Kendle

[Old Milwaukee Cafe,  3102 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.761.2602]

>>> BEST EXERCISE IN GLUTTONY

Sunday brunch buffet at C.I. Shenanigans 

If you haven't attended this feast, you are denying yourself one of Tacoma's most extravagant ordeals. Expect a epicurean journey including oyster bar, shrimp cocktail shooters, hunks of meat, omelets, regular breakfast fare and crab legs. Plus they serve specialties that change weekly with a new geographic theme. And let us not forget the impressive dessert tower. Oh, what about alcohol? How about four glasses of a Champagne offering for $3? After this smorgasbord you will require sweatpants and a nap. Reservations are a must. Brunch runs Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. - Joshua Swainston

[C.I. Shenanigan's, 3017 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253.752.8811]

>>> BEST UNEXPECTEDLY GOOD BURGER

Masa Burger

Who the hell orders a burger from a Mexican restaurant? Lame-asses and 4-year-olds, that's who. But the Masa Burger is different. The Masa Burger makes its own rules. There's Pepper Jack on it ... fried Pepper Jack!  Fried Pepper Jack with bacon in it! And the roasted jalapeños and onions just seal the deal. The Masa Burger is seriously one of the most unique and delicious bombs of ground cow you'll find in T-town, whether it comes from a Mexican restaurant or not. Did I mention the bacon Pepper Jack is fried!?! - Matt Driscoll

[Masa, 2811 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.254.0560 ]

>>> BEST HEALTH FREAK HANGOUT

Smooth & Juicey

Want to be smarter, stronger and slimmer? Those riding the health train know the answer lies in a large purple building in downtown Tacoma. Staff can tell you the reasons for and benefits of making fresh smoothies and dairy-free juice blends part of your regular intake. Made with fresh ingredients (locally sourced when possible), beverages can be tailor-made. Add-ons of wheatgrass shots, protein and healthy energy-boost powder options are plentiful. Proving not everything good looks like pureed seaweed, the PBB & J is a non-fat yogurt or ice-cream based satisfier that vanquishes even the fiercest sugar monster. - JJ

[Smooth & Juicey, 1122 Market St., Tacoma, 253.365.6706]

>>> BEST STAFF ENTHUSIASM

P-town Forza

It's not just the coffee that wakes you up at P-town Forza. Try simply opening the doors and breathing the air inside. Buzzing with exuberance and excitement, Forza's staff communicates in some sort of secret Forza code while simultaneously holding conversations with each and every customer that walks through the doors. It doesn't take more than one visit for owner Bryan Reynolds and his cohorts to remember your name - something that still astonishes me, even after 4,215 visits. - Steph DeRosa

[Puyallup Forza, 210 W. Pioneer # 101, Puyallup, 253.435.6087]

>>> BEST BOOZE-FREE DRINKS

1022 South

Riding in the booze-free wagon typically means a cranberry-Sprite ‘mocktail' is as exciting as it gets in public settings. Unintentionally, craft cocktail house 1022 South solves this dilemma. Having fresh and somewhat exotic ingredients like coconut milk, lavender, infused bitters and agave on hand to mix with their wall of hard alcohol means these same ingredients can be expertly combined and left virgin. The result is refreshment that won't make you tipsy, but will intoxicate taste buds nonetheless. Tall glass of house-made cola or lemongrass ginger soda? Yes, indeed. - JJ

[1022 South, 1022 S. J St., Tacoma, 253.627.8588]

Photo credit: Steve Dunkelberger

>>> BEST BALL-BUSTER /CAMEL TOE INSTIGATOR

Buck Wild's mechanical bull

The debate of whether or not to wear underwear during the daunting task of mechanical bull riding draws on both science and theory. Sports bras are simply a must when gathering your mechanical bull riding attire, but underwear? The jury is still out on that one. With or without a cotton shield protecting them, your privates are in for a beating when straddling any type of bull, mechanical or not. Take part in your own underwear survey anytime with Buck Wild Saloon's mechanical bull. -SD

[Buck Wild Saloon, 11401 Steele St. S., Tacoma, 253.537.0801]

>>> BEST EUROPEAN DELI

Friendly Foods

A trip to this Eastern European deli is like a tasty field trip of multi-cultural gastro-education. Bologna in a tube, handmade sausages, canned fish you've never heard of, fresh produce, frozen foods, caviar, cheeses that defy description, pickled everything, cured meats, pastas, stuff in tins, clove candies - it's all here. Be warned: most labels lack a lot of English. Creamy beverage or salad dressing? Who knows, but I love finding out. Freshly baked breads stuffed with olives, onion and caraway seeds nestle next to sweet and savory pastries adjacent to the full-service butcher counter at the back of the store. - JJ

[Friendly Foods, 3612 Center St., Tacoma, 253.752.5649]

>>> BEST TACOMA SPELLED BACKWARDS

Amocat Cafe

Tacoma needs another coffee shop these days like most of the Volcano's staff needs another drink at 12:45 a.m. on a Friday night, but even so, it's been rather fantastic to have Morgan Alexander's Amocat Cafe on the scene in the St. Helens Avenue neighborhood. Pulling shots with 253 pride, and offering a home to music nights, CLAW gatherings and  even awesome civically dorky things like meet and greets with the design team creating the Prairie Line Trail, Amocat may serve coffee, but it's quickly become more than a coffee shop. - MD

[Amocat Cafe, 625 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.722.5373]

>>> BEST BAR SANDWICH

The Flora

Thin, easy-to-bite ribbons of marinated summer squash provide substance in the Flora, a meatless sandwich offered at 1022 South. Tangy Blue Rose chèvre balances the sweetness of apple slices, which in turn offset the earthiness of basil, red onion and shaved fennel. Smeared with both aïoli and punchy, semi-sweet roasted tomato jam, the sandwich's potato demi baguette is toasted lightly - just enough for the bread to slightly crust and add a bit of warmth. The Flora is what foodie dreams are made of. I have awoken with the imagined taste of it on my tongue. No lie. - JJ

[1022 South, 1022 S. J St., Tacoma, 253.627.8588]

>>> BEST HAPPY HOUR CONCEPT

Pacific Grill

How do you fill seats at a restaurant? Offer a creative, innovative menu with product-appropriate pricing. If there was a book on winning locally in the food game, Pacific Grill's owner, Chef Gordon Nacarrato, would be the author. The chapter on happy hour would consist of one page and one rule only: "Happy hour is about showing appreciation for your guests' patronage by giving something back; make the drinks less expensive and say ‘Thank you' with discounted menu items." Pacific Grill offers non-stop happy hour all day every day in the bar with 50 percent off the bar menu. That's one tasty thank you. - JJ

[Pacific Grill, 1502 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.627.3535]

>>> MEJOR DISCOTECA LATINA (BEST MEXICAN-STYLE DANCE CLUB)

El Tenampa

The doorman at El Tenampa greets patrons in Spanish. Once inside though, the language is dance. That's right, from Salsa to Tango and everything Latin in between, El Tenampa is fluent only in the language of dance. Hip dips, knee bends, enthusiastic twirls. El Tenampa knows how to speak. And after a few shots of tequila and a couple of Modelos, this new language comes naturally. - Brett Cihon

[El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant, 3121 S. 38th St., Tacoma, 253.474.3405]

>>> BEST BUTCHER & RETAIL MEAT STORE

The Meat Shop of Tacoma

Knowing there's a direct link between how animals are raised and the quality, nutrition and flavor of what ends up on the table is where this outfit's awesomeness starts. Operating within a stringent organic food program, everything the cattle and poultry offered at The Meat Shop of Tacoma come in contact with is certified organic from birth to slaughter. This is where The Meat Shop shines. It's open to the public for retail sale of Washington-raised beef and poultry, Oregon and Washington lamb, pork from Ephrata, Organic Valley certified organic, cheeses and house-made chemical-free cured meats.  - JJ

[The Meat Shop of Tacoma, 13419 Vickery Ave. E., Tacoma, 253.537.4490]

>>> BEST PUPUSAS

Mi Chalateca Restaurant and Pupuseria

I'm not going to tell you how a Salvadorian pupusa is made, because it's quite possibly one of the most unhealthy things ever produced outside of a Hostess factory. Instead, I will simply tell you how to eat one: cover first with spicy Salvadorian coleslaw, add second the spicy Salvadorian sauce on top, then pick up like a taco and eat. Fork optional. - SD

[Mi Chalateca Restaurant and Pupuseria, 33427 Pacific Hwy. S., Federal Way, 253.838. 1688]

Photo credit: Patrick Snapp

>>> BEST SOUL-SOOTHING SOUPS

Infinite Soups

No matter the season, bad days are always eased by comfort food. The warmth in my belly created by one of Infinite Soups' many delicious offerings always  does the trick. Made from scratch, these soups are just like your mama would make - if your mama was a global traveler who spent time in kitchens from the peasant ghetto to the culinary institutes and brought those skills back to T-town. More than 20 different soups are offered daily at this take-out only establishment. Don't forget the rolls. And butter. CASH ONLY. - JJ

[Infinite Soups, 445 Tacoma Ave. S. AND 744 Commerce St., Tacoma, 253.274.0232]

>>> BEST CHEESE HOUSE

Enoteca Wine Bar

A strong focus on American and European artisan cheeses and an exceptional wine list are just a couple of things that make this micro-bistro and wine bar a gem. Double doors connect to owner Bill Bonnie's wine shop, Tacoma Wine Merchants. An enormous, wall-mounted chalkboard menu with 4-inch tall lettering details a rotating selection of over 20 cheeses by name, origin and price. To any lover of fromage, it reads like a massive love letter.  Staff offer descriptions, history and recommendations of wine and food pairing with passion. Enoteca's quattro fromaggio grilled panini is the super model of grilled cheese sandwiches. - JJ

[Enoteca Wine Bar, 21 N. Tacoma Ave., Tacoma 253.779.8258]

>>> BEST ONION RINGS

Bair Bistro

Fat white onion sections are dipped in Chef Sarah Cannon's from-scratch batter, creating a golden, herb-flecked blanket for slices that retain a slight crispness and separate cleanly when bitten into. Fried quickly and seasoned evenly, the cooked onions' naturally sweet flavor shines through. Mounded high, a generous portion of rings are served with house-made dipping sauce of ranch or blue cheese ... though the onion rings don't need it. The flavor stands alone. Bair Bistro has mastered the handmade onion ring.  - JJ

[Bair Bistro - in the Bair Drug & Hardware Store, 1617 Lafayette St., Steilacoom, 253.588.9668]

>>> BEST TOURNAMENT OF PIZZA SHOWING

Katie Downs

Reputations and cultivated community support go a long way toward food competition supremacy. That's exactly the story of Katie Downs in the Volcano's 2011 Tournament of Pizza - this year's  incarnation of our annual March Madness-themed food throwdown where eaters from the South Sound weigh in on the best of the best, whittling a field of 64 competitors down to one champion through daily, heated voting. In 2011 we put pizza in the crosshairs, and throughout the Tournament of Pizza competition Katie Downs again and again pounded all challengers. When it was all said and done, Katie Downs hoisted the trophy of awesomeness. Look for the Volcano's Tournament of Breakfast coming next March. - MD

[Katie Downs, 3211 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253.756.0771]

>>> BEST RESTAURANT NAME

STINK Cheese and Meat

There. Now it's in print: STINK has the best restaurant name ever, so haters please move on. Stop writing nasty letters and spewing vicious comments about what has now been declared the best restaurant name ever. From this day forward, society will embrace what is delicious and delightful inside STINK and forgo the bitter jealousy that rages within over the fact that you didn't come up with an awesome name like STINK for your own imaginary cheese and meat restaurant. - SD

[STINK Cheese and Meat, 628 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.426.1347]

Photo credit: Patrick Snapp

>>> BEST FRENCH DIP SANDWICH

Rick's Dip at Rosewood Café

Dedicated to Rick Price, a firefighter based in the Key Peninsula town of Home, Rick's Dip honors the friend and supporter of the Rosewood Café.  Few sandwiches can compare. Roast Beef is the foundation. Sautéed onions are done to perfect, soft, caramelized sweetness. Horseradish mayo: a subtle complement that would be noticed more if it were not there. Havarti: Yum! Rustic roll: great balance between chewy and soft. Rosemary au jus: Dip away. The Rick's Dip epitomizes the savory balancing act done by geniuses. - JS

[Rosewood Café, 3323 N. 26th St. Tacoma.  253.752.7999]

>>> BEST CLEAN FREAK

Craig Adamowski at 99 Bottles

Craig Adamowski is a weirdo. Thankfully, I think he knows he's a weirdo. But a weirdo who can't recognize his weirdness? Well, that's just weird.  What's not weird, and is actually a positive obsession harnessed by Adamowski, is cleanliness. Adamowski tirelessly spit shines the floors at 99 Bottles, wipes down the glass doors that shield hundreds of beers and straightens countertops as though money were hiding somewhere amongst the clutter. - SD

[99 Bottles, 35002 Pacific Hwy. S., Federal Way, 253.838.2558]

>>> BEST AUTHENTIC ITALIAN SPOT

Sorci's in Sumner

Family-owned and operated, Sorci's has Italian meats, cheeses, pastas, vegetables, wines and savory meals - all delivered by friendly staff. With a tiny bar, tiny seating area and tiny patio, you can't help but feel like you're visiting the home of your Italian relatives ... who dote on you obsessively to, "Eat! EAT!" - SD

[Sorci's, 1012 Ryan Ave., Sumner, 253.891.8400]

>>> BEST USE OF A DEHYDRATOR

Caffe Dei

Caffe Dei owners Shuanna Holt and Shane Siegfried dehydrate stuff you'd never in your wildest dreams think of dehydrating. A direct cooking alternative, dehydration gives raw food eaters the ability to enjoy delicacies comparable to those the rest of society takes for granted. Tortillas, chips and burgers are just a few of the items created with Caffe Dei's dehydrator. It's amazing. - SD

[Caffe Dei, 2607 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2550]

Photo credit: Patrick Snapp

>>> BEST TOTS

The Office Bar & Grill

Nachos: likely the best bar finger food of all time. Tater Tots: delicious, deep-fried square-ish bits of potato delight. Combine the two? Heaven. The Office serves its own version of nachos known as Office Nachos. Golden tots smothered in melted cheese, green onions and bacon bits, all topped like a sundae with a dollop of sour cream. This dish alone requires a visit. Go and get your greasy digits on the jukebox. - JF

[The Office Bar & Grill, 813 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.3222]

>>> BEST NONSTOP STREAM OF COUNTRY MUSIC VIDEOS

Big Whisky Saloon

Usually, a bunch of televisions would ruin the throwback, horse-hitching style of a saloon. But there's nothing throwback about Big Whisky. From the discount Jägermeister to girls wearing little more than cowboy boots, Big Whisky is not your pappy's drinking hole. Yes, patrons wrassle, drink and flirt like it's any ol' saloon, but they do so in 21st century style. You know, drunk off Vodka Red Bulls and illuminated by a nonstop stream of country music videos. Gotta love the country. - BC

[Big Whisky Saloon, 100 S. 9th St., Tacoma, 253.272.0777]

>>> BEST NEW PAINT

Bob's Java Jive

It's a part of Tacoma's DNA - something gets improved, gets gussied up, gets redone all nice like, and there's a good chunk of the population here in T-town that's going to hate it. There are people who pine for the days when Cheney Stadium was a dump. People who reminisce fondly about the blight of yesteryear. Luckily, Bob's Java Jive has paid so many dues over the decades that when they slapped a new coat of paint on the coffee pot-shaped dive bar last September nobody worth their weight in emptied PBR cans even batted an eye. The Jive looks nicer now ... but not too nice. - MD

[Bob's Java Jive, 2102 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.475.9843]

>>> BEST VIEW OF THE CITY WHILE DRINKING

Stanley and Seafort's

With a sweeping view of our gritty city, Stanley and Seafort's is an ideal locale for romantic wining and dining. The twinkle of city lights, an illuminated view of the Dome and glimpses of the Puget Sound - a view doesn't get much better. But let's admit it: this glorious view is best seen from the lounge. Luckily, the vantage point is a perfectly good excuse to indulge in a happy hour beverage of the adult nature while you take it all in. Doesn't get much better than that, now does it? - JF

[Stanley and Seafort's Steak, Chop & Fish House, 115 E. 34th St., Tacoma, 253.473.7300]

>>> BEST HIGH SCHOOL HANGOUT

Sparks Firehouse Deli

Located across the street from Sparks Stadium in Puyallup, Sparks Firehouse Deli hosts droves of high school students and their families on any given night - with or without an athletic event taking place. Though I am not a high school student, nor part of a high school student's family, I still love Sparks Firehouse Deli. After all, Sparks is also a great place to take a date on the cheap ... especially when you work here at the Weekly Volcano. - SD

[Sparks Firehouse Deli, 621 Fifth St., Puyallup, 253.840.3354]

>>> BEST PLACE TO FEED KIDS FOR CHEAP

Varsity Grill

Kids. Turns out, if they're yours you have to feed the little fuckers or CPS shows up. Luckily, Varsity Grill knows the score and offers a special deal all day every day where kids younger than 12 years old eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée. As far as feeding kids go, free is about as cheap as it gets. Even better, the gazillion TVs at Varsity Grill help distract the fruit of your loins so you can do grown-up things, like check Facebook on your phone. - MD

[Varsity Grill, 1114 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.627.1229]

>>> BEST TO PLACE TO ENDURE KRY IN HOPES OF GETTING LAID

The Swiss on Saturday nights

Alternative rock cover band KRY doesn't get much Weekly Volcano love. Their whiny covers would be hard for even a deaf mother to love. But against even our most pointed advice, KRY still manages to pack The Swiss every Saturday night. Is it their boyish good looks? Their Sublime covers? Their stunning pyrotechnics? No. It's the fact that every Saturday night, The Swiss doles out gallons of booze to eager young ladies. Life is full of choices. - BC

[The Swiss, 1904 Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2821]

>>> BEST PLACE TO RELIVE YOUR MULLET

Backstage Bar & Grill

Your mullet was freakin' rad. All beefy in back, tight up top. Chicks totally dug your mullet. There's no denying it. When you had that mullet, those where the best years of your life. Sometimes you wonder what might have been if social trends and societal pressures hadn't forced you to get rid of your mullet ... but now you don't have to. Now you have the Backstage Bar & Grill, quite literally the perfect place to relive all the glory you and your mullet saw. If a band was big in the '80s, and they didn't OD or choke on spandex, chances are the Backstage has either brought them to town or will be bringing them to town soon. Mullet friendly. - MD

[Backstage Bar & Grill, 6409 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.564.0149]

>>> BEST PLACE TO WATCH OLD PEOPLE DANCE/ROCK OUT

The Spar

I love me some jazz and blues music. Apparently, so do old folks. Not just kind-of-old folks ... really old people. Like grandparents. Every time I check out the Spar's Sunday Blues Night, I'm surrounded by folks older than my parents. This is not meant to be a harsh judgment - just an observation. Another observation? Old folks can shake their groove thang like they're 21 again after a glass of wine or a brewski. Bonus: the Spar closes at midnight on Sundays so all the old folks can get to bed by curfew. - JF

[The Spar, 2121 N. 30th St., Tacoma, 253.272.2122]

>>> BEST PLACE TO WATCH GUYS BEAT EACH OTHER UP ON TV

West End Pub and Grill

There are a lot of places where you can go to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with testosterone-fueled individuals, but the West End beats them all by a long shot. Since the West End closes the bar down to thru-traffic for UFC events, you are guaranteed a spot for your $10 cover charge. Perks include every seat in the house offering a clear view of one of the 26 big-screen TVs and killer deals on bites like sirloin steak sliders and tots galore. - JF

[West End Pub and Grill, 3840 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.2896]