Widely known as one of Washington’s best restaurants, Pacific Grill ranks high on my list of all-time favorite places to meet friends for lunch.  Nothing sets the last leg of my day off to a better start than a Pacific Grill grilled cheese and a glass of perfectly poured wine.  Actually, screw my friends — I could be dining with Fall Out Boy at Pacific Grill and I’d still be happy with the meal in front of me — and that’s saying something. To top it all off, Pacific Grill’s owner/chef, Gordon Naccarato, is one of the calmest, most open-minded and forgiving people known to man.  Knowing this only made me eager to test his patience. 

STEPH DEROSA: Would it be OK if I interviewed you?

GORDON NACCARATO: Sure!

DEROSA: OK, cool.  I’ll have to warn you, though.  It’s not a fancy column or anything. It’s just Trouble with DeRosa. 

NACCARATO: Huh?  What column is that?  I’m not familiar with it.

DEROSA: (sigh) I figured.  Well, what I do is sit and talk to people around town for a while and usually, by the time it’s all said and done, people get irritated with me and ask me to leave.

NACCARATO: Nah!  I don’t think that’s going to happen.  Go ahead and ask me questions.  I’ll do whatever I can to help.

DEROSA:  Wow, you’re awfully nice.  This is kind of weird, actually.  I’m used to people being irritated with me.

NACCARATO:Well, remember, I have sat in a closed room with you for over an hour at one time. 

DEROSA: Yeah, that was pretty awesome.  We do a fine job at creating a podcast together, don’t we?

NACCARATO: Yep.

DEROSA: Since we work so well together, think you have it in you to give me a job at Pacific Grill? 

NACCARATO:OK.

DEROSA: Great!  Wow, that was too easy.  I suppose you’d have me start as a dishwasher, right?

NACCARATO: No, actually I’d put you as a bartender.

DEROSA: Say what?  You’re kidding!  But, why a bartender?

NACCARATO:I think you have a great personality and you’d keep the bar guests entertained.

DEROSA: Oh, I see.  So I’d be the spectacle behind the bar — like the lady with a third eye or the freak show at the circus.  This will only make me want to drink all the liquor behind the bar, you know.

NACCARATO: I give up.  I’ve been nice all I can.  Drinking behind the bar is not going to fly.  You can leave now.

DEROSA: Well, it’s about time — although I wish you would’ve kicked me out earlier.  My butt is stuck to the barstool and my left leg is asleep.

NACCARATO: And what in the heck happened to all the vodka?

DEROSA: OK, I’m gone.

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