Conveniently located directly next to the Garfield Book Company, 208 Garfield could easily be confused for just another cafe character. And while, especially in the morning hours, it does indeed sling out espresso and fresh baked pastries, 208 seamlessly transcends to wine bar status in the afternoon, serving up clean plated gastro pub type cuisine.

208 Garfield's lunch menu includes a variety of tasty paninis, salads and sandwiches available throughout the day. Their Happy Hour Menu, which goes live at 3 p.m., adds a variety of cheese plates and larger entree like dishes such as a Slow Roasted "Pure Country" Pork Belly with a brown sugar glaze served with pickled mustard seeds and a shaved fennel salad ($7). This pork belly is among some of the most tender I've eaten. The brown sugar glaze loaned a nice sweetness and, when paired with the mustard seeds, certainly balanced sweet and savory together. To accompany the pork belly I suggest their onion soup, paired with a mixed green salad ($5). The soup-salad combo is a hearty meal in itself, and exceptionally priced.

208 Garfield also features a lovely selection of Washington and Oregon wines and local craft brews. For those looking for something refreshing minus the alcohol you can find tasty herbal spritzers infused with lavender, elderflower and vanilla.

If this post was called Eat These Two Dishes Now, I'd suggest the Tuscan Bread Salad ($6). Using toasted Grand Central ciabatta bread - a Pacific Northwest native - as the base 208 then tossed the salad with fresh red peppers, tomatoes, red onion kalamata olives and fresh basil. This bread salad was a satisfying matrimony of distinct flavors, including a Mediterranean-esque flavor profile. It's perfect for the carb lovers.

SLOW ROASTED "PURE COUNTRY" PORK BELLY, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday with happy hour 3-6 p.m., 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with happy hour all day, 208 Garfield St. S., Tacoma, 253.538.5990

LINK: South Sound Happy Hour App

MONDAY, MAY 20 2013 >>>

1. The Mac - that's Fleetwood Mac, for those of you who weren't around in the late '70s/early '80s and/or don't have parents - will perform at 8 p.m. in the Tacoma Dome. Drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie, guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks will be on hand, but missing will be singer/keyboardist Mac mainstay Christine McVie, who blazed in 1998. Without McVie's alto voice, you'll hear a lot more of Buckingham and Nicks, which according to tour reports, you might hear a bit of wear in their voices. Who cares? Bring on "Dreams," "Rhiannon," "Gold Dust Woman," "Don't Stop," "Tusk" and "Go Your Own Way." Bring on the lyrics full of heartbreak and recriminations. Bring on the between-song banter. In the end, the landslide will bring you down anyway.

2. If you've noticed we're pushing local breweries lately, you've caught us. We can't stay away from local beer. Plus, there's something about a local brewery that screams perfect date night. A couple pints of lager, a couple side salads, a doggy bag for the happy couple. ... Powerhouse Restaurant and Brewery in Puyallup offers a pasta and pint combination every Monday that's easy on the wallet. Buy pasta off the menu and get any one of Powerhouse's seven beers free of charge. 

3. Monday is typically a black hole for nightlife. Sure, if you run a sports bar, you'll do well during the World Series or football season, but for most eating and drinking establishments, it's just dead, dead, dead. There's a darn good reason why so many bars are empty on Mondays. So how do those that remain open find ways to fill barstools on this, the most dreadful evening of the workweek? The folks at The Swiss seem to have found a solution and, oddly enough, it's one that has been the bane of many other venues: live music. Since the beginning of time, The Swiss has hosted live blues every Monday. At 8 p.m. catch The Mark Riley Band.

4. Every Monday Jazzbones is packed to the brim with college kids. Party types. The type that wear tight shirts and trucker hats. Throngs of Chad Fratguys and Sarah Sororitysisters swarm the bar, line up for the bathroom and dance to the Rockaraoke - live band karaoke. The Rockaraoke band is skilled, too. Expect $2 PBR drafts, $3 Sinfire shots and $4 Smirnoff flavor vodka bombs beginning at 9 p.m.

5. Infernoh and Effluxus will rock Le Voyeur in downtown Olympia beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: Monday, May 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

If you're going to celebrate Armed Forces Day Saturday with the family, you might skip the breastaurant Hooters. Hanging out with the kids at Hooters makes as much sense as watching as gathering The 40 Year Old Virgin on Christmas morning. However, if it's just you and your fellow Soldiers looking for some wings after festivities at Joint Base Lewis-McChord or the big parade in Bremerton, Hooters with its orange interior and 1984-era wind shorts could hit the spot. Hooters is giving away 10 wings to all active and retired military personnel with a beverage purchase.

Now that's something to salute.

ARMED FORCES DAY, Saturday, May 18, Hooters, 6812 Tacoma Mall Blvd., Tacoma, 253.476.9464

If you drive by too fast, you might miss it. Tucked away in a strip mall near the Tacoma Mall is Peanut Sauce Thai Cuisine, a culinary gem located among fast food and chain restaurants. With one of the most extensive Thai menus in Tacoma, as well as having the largest Thai vegetarian and vegan selection, it is worth a visit.

On a recent visit, I was pleased to find two appetizers I haven't seen too often on other Thai menus in town: fried avocado ($6.99) and garlic spareribs ($6.50). You read that right - fried avocado. I don't know how they do it, but it's genius. Crunchy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside, this dish is served with a sweet chili sauce and ready for dipping. The pork spareribs were a little tough, but still a nice bite to nibble on.

When deciding between my favorite Thai restaurants, I always order the same dishes at each one to compare the different flavors and techniques. For me, good baseline comparison dishes are pad thai ($7.50) and pad kee mao, or drunken noodles ($7.50). Their pad thai was the perfect balance of sweet and sour, and one of the best I've tried. Although a bit dry, the drunken noodles had good flavor and fresh vegetables.

If the reasonable prices, friendly staff and excellent service don't keep you coming back to Peanut Sauce Thai, come for the endless selection of new dishes to sample.

PEANUT SAUCE THAI CUISINE, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 5003 Tacoma Mall Blvd., Tacoma, 253.475.4889

Burgers - an American dietary staple since the dawn of time. OK, perhaps that's an overuse of hyperbole, but burgers are meaty meal staples for many.

Mary's Burger Bistro along Pacific Avenue in the greater Tacoma Dome District presents an especially tasty version of the burger. The Secret Sauce Burger ($5.99) features a third pound of juicy beef in a hand formed patty - one could opt for a Mighty half pound or All Mighty one-pound patty as well. Fresh, thick slices of onion, crispy leaf lettuce, velvety melted American cheese and Mary's "special sauce" is sandwiched along with the patty on a lightly toasted Kaiser bun.

There are not a whole lot of bells and whistles to this burger. There need not be. Mary's Secret Sauce Burger is perfection. Add a side of house cut French fries and an old fashioned shake for $3.49, or a soda and fries for $2.49. Mary's shake selection is the usual suspects in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry and include root beer, butterscotch, peanut butter, blueberry, blackberry raspberry, orange, peach, banana, caramel and marshmallow.

Mary's - with its retro-like feel - serves up other burgers, fish and chips, salads and sandwiches, not to mention a decent selection of domestic brews and non-fountain beverages.

Skip drive-thru burger joints. Mary's service is genuine and friendly.

MARY'S SECRET SAUCE BURGER, Mary's Burger Bistro, 2301 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.779.0777

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

THURSDAY, MAY 9 2013 >>>

This summer Music and Art in Wright Park will, once again, shake the lawn bowlers at Wright Park in Tacoma's Stadium District. What began in 1993 as an awesome outdoor rock concert is still an awesome outdoor rock concert, only now with more art. Last year 2,500 lounged in the sun and soaked up Girl Trouble, Humble Cub, Walking Papers, The Plastards, The Jilly Rizzo and many other bands. There's no reason this summer's MAWP won't be equally awesome, unless there's no money in the bank. Unlike most summer outdoor rock concerts, there are no advance tickets for MAWP. The whole dang thing is free. However, like most worthy events, it's expensive. Therefore, festival producers will host a spaghetti feast and the musical stylings of the Original Rich Bundy and special guests from 4-8 p.m. at Louie G's Pizzeria. It's a family friendly, slurp fest. 

2. New York Times bestselling author Margaret Stohl, co-author of the Beautiful Creatures series, will discuss her new novel, Icons, which tells the story of four very special teens who could be humanity's only hope after Earth is taken over by aliens at 7 p.m. inside the University Place Library. She will be joined on the YA Icons Tour with local favorite Marissa Meyer, author of Cinder and Scarlet, Leigh Bardugo, author of the Grisha Trilogy and Kimberly Derting, author of the Body Finder novels.

3. The Oly Mountain Boys will perform at 8 p.m. inside the historic Spar Cafe in Olympia. The band proclaims its mission is to "reinvigorate the bluegrass genre by bringing the original bluegrass sound of the 1950s to a new generation of fans." We believe them, especially after taking a listen to the passion guitarist Chris Rutledge, mandolin player Derek McSwain, banjo player Tye Menser, bassist Phil Post and fiddle player Josh Grice get down with.

4. You could learn swing's Africanist cousin, blues dancing, at 9 p.m. inside the Olympia Eagles Ballroom. Blues dancing derives from the so-called "Black vernacular" of Southern dance styles and includes such moves as the Lindy and the irresistibly named "Funky Butt." Worst case scenario: you have two left feet but get to listen to Nina Simone.

5. The Engine House No. 9 is housed in a firehouse built in 1907 and still retains some of original firefighting artifacts. Purchased by the X Group, the force behind Asado and Masa, there's new excitement with better food, a whiskey bar, more craft beer from head brewer Shane Johns and a shuffleboard in the side room. Rev. Colin hosts karaoke two nights a week, including tonight at 9 p.m. He possesses a wealth of oddball musical knowledge and a disarming ease for calling everyone "baby."

LINK: Thursday, May 9 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

I recently visited Stadium District's newest eatery, Art House Café, for dinner and drinks. Having been open for a little over a month, I was looking forward to trying the locally sourced menu with most everything made in-house.

The goal of co-owners Lucia and John Armstrong and chef/co-owner Dustin Joseph to create a relaxed, fun environment was certainly achieved. The interior is light and airy, and a nice mix of traditional and modern, with an open kitchen that makes you feel right at home. The counter looking onto the kitchen was an enjoyable place to dine.

We started with cocktails. I ordered a Pimm's Cup, which I was pleased to see on the menu, and was told they were out of Pimm's. Fine. I then ordered the local berry and mint margarita, but it had a good deal of debris settled at the bottom, and could have used a good straining, as did the lavender lemon drop my dining partner ordered.

The in-house marinated olives ($4) were a nice-sized portion and full of flavor, as was their signature item, the pizza. With a crisp crust and oozy Brie cheese, the sun dried tomato and pesto pizza ($12) hit the spot. There were some misses, however. The roasted beet salad ($9), lacked flavor and was awkward to eat. The pan roasted tri tip ($12) on the small plates menu was actually a large plate, needed seasoning and was inelegantly sliced, but had delicious potatoes on the side.

As with most new restaurants, Art House Café has some work to do, but shows promise. With sticking points that are easily remedied, I look forward to giving their breakfast and lunch a try in the near future.

ART HOUSE CAFÉ, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, 111 N. Tacoma Ave., Tacoma, 253.212.2011

TUESDAY, MAY 7 2013 >>>

1. For those green-thumb-challenged folk who haven't quite got growing seasons down, the 6th Ave Farmers Market opens today at 3:30 p.m. Learn to grow a secret garden of your own and see it blossom. Not a gardener? Well then just visit the world's most productive gardener, the farmer, and pick up a bunch of their "fruits of labor" until 7 p.m. at Sixth and Pine in Tacoma.

2. The Grand Cinema continues its Tuesday Film Series with screenings of The Silence, the story of 13-year-old Sinikka who vanishes on a hot summer night. Her bicycle is found in the exact place where a girl was killed 23 years ago. The dramatic present forces those involved in the original case to face their past.See it at 1:40 and 6:55 p.m.

3. Sidney Rittenberg toured China during WWII, witnessed the birth of the People's Republic of China, got to know the Republic's founding fathers, and subsequently spent 16 years in solitary confinement. His documentary, The Revolutionary, screens at 3 p.m. in Tacoma Community College's Building 2 Auditorium, followed by a presentation at 4:30.

4. "My father's mother, Abuela Evila, liked to scare us with stories of La Llorona, the weeping woman who roams the canal and steals children away. She would say that if we didn't behave, La Llorona would take us far away where we would never see our parents again.My other grandmother, Abuelita Chinta, would tell us not to be afraid of La Llorona: that if we prayed, God, La Virgen and the saints would protect us from her. Neither of my grandmothers told us that there is something more powerful than La Llorona - a power that takes away parents, not children. It is called the United States." ... So begins the prologue of The Distance Between Us, as Reyna Grande, a 4-year-old with a fractured heart, says goodbye to her mother in Iguala, Mexico. Tonight, author Grande will discusses her immigration memoir, The Distance Between Us, at 7 p.m.inside the Olympic Room at the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch in Downtown Tacoma.

5. On any night of the week at 9 p.m., one can meander past the main bar in Olympia's China Clipper Club Cafe, to the back room where a disco ball, stage, stellar PA system, extensive song list, savvy DJ and lively, often tipsy, crowd scribbles on tiny, colorful paper then waits ... for Clipper Karaoke.

LINK: Tuesday, May 7 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Tacoma's Proctor District, though quaint in size, plays home to a plethora of dining options. Not one restaurant trumps the other; rather they are all different experiences. You have Thai, Italian, New American and Mexican cuisine all pocketed among the other destinations.

One of my favorite dishes is of the Mexican variety - the Carnitas de Cerdo ($13.95) served up at La Fondita.

La Fondita has a swank and funky Dia de los Muertos atmosphere about it with maroon walls, alternating between pops of color and macabre like shrines along the walls. Its menu is chock full of authentic Mexican dishes accompanied by a nice selection from their lounge. Rather than hide their lounge away in a nook the establishment is essentially sectioned into two halves with two separate doors residing next to each other.

Read more...

MONDAY, MAY 6 2013 >>>

1. It's Monday. Yesterday's awesome weather is still on your mind, and in about eight hours, you're going to be facing the eternal first-night-of-the-workweek dinner dilemma. We dunno about you, but hell no, we're not going to come home and start slicing and chopping and stirring and dirtying four pans on a Monday night. Yet there's the voice in the back of our heads reminding us that we ate out three times over the weekend, and the tired, drag-ass part that just wants to slouch on the sofa with a bowl of something. Don't do it. Head to Olympia for a chill dinner then hit Le Voyeur at 10 p.m. to see San Francisco's One F band. Gigging since 2006, One F has been described as listening to "Dinosaur Jr. vs. Pink Floyd, while being refereed by Pavement." One minute they're soothing with sincere balladry; next minute they're all-out rocking. We're so there. You?

2. The flowers at Lakewold Gardens are going nuts. It's an explosion of color and fragrances. There's not better time to visit as the Lakewood garden celebrates MayFest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through May 12. Check out the displays, exhibits and activities in the Wagner House. Smell a flower. Enjoy life.

3. It's Military Spouse Appreciation week on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The Cascade Community Center will give spouses a free slice of cheesecake with purchase of lunch through Friday.

4. The OverDrive Digital Bookmobile - a 74-foot semi-truck and trailer equipped with computers and mobile devices - will be parked outside the Tumwater Timberland Library from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can navigate the Gadget Gallery, Audiobook Alley, the eBook Experience, Digital Catalog and Video Lounge and learn how to access the library's digital titles for free.

5. Composer/guitarist Joe Mailhot, bassist Erich Hahn, saxophonist Scott Reed and drummer Mo-weee Mailhot, aka Malhotia Unit, will fill The Royal Lounge with original jazz tunes inspired by John Coltrane, Sun Ra, Albert Ayler and Jimi Hendrix beginning at 8 p.m. Special guest Charles Adler will contribute spoken word to this performance.

LINK: Monday, May 6 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area