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Comfort food in Tacoma

Baked goods, pasta, Mexican and Asian cuisine

Find comfort in a bowl at the East West Café in Tacoma's Proctor District. Photo credit: Jackie Fender

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I awake in the morning to find it is still dark, and the idea of being bright-eyed and bushy-tailed escapes me. The sun hasn't greeted me, and seemingly fails to because when I get off work, it's still dark! While everyone else is marveling over the "extra hour" of sleep we received the evening of Daylight Saving Time, I'm grumbling at the frigid bite in the air and eternal darkness. The saving grace of these dark days is this: Tis. The. Season. And while many of you start fa la la-ing, I'm rejoicing over the fact that it's eating season:

Halloween = Copious amounts of candy;

Thanksgiving = Turkey and pie;

Christmas = Fruitcakes? Or more turkey and pie, maybe throw in a ham for good measure;

New Year's Eve = Champagne;

Valentine's Day = Chocolate.

See, it's eating season. And since it has just begun and I'm feeling more like a grumbly mama bear ready to pack on that extra layer for my hibernation, it's due time to get to eating. And what better way to prep for the eating season and battle the gloomy day blues than comfort foods!? Since Pappi Swarner has my personal favorite comfort food covered with his "Mac and Cheese Madness" Friday posts on our ServedintheSouthSound.com blog, I asked my foodie friends for their favorite comfort food in Tacoma.

Baked Goods. This is a no brainer. Santa loves cookies, and you should, too. People have gatherings based solely on their admiration of this crumbly sweet treat. Corina Bakery in Tacoma has forever and always been a solid go-to for tasty baked confections. El Zocalo Bakery in Tacoma's Lincoln District serves amazing molasses cochinitos. Metropolitan Market across town in the Proctor District can't keep "The Cookie" in the jar. The Met bakers scoop the chocolate chip cookie with walnuts from the baking sheet into the mouths of those waiting in line. Southern staples such as mac and cheese (natch) and fried chicken also made it high on the list of comfort food must-haves. Southern Kitchen pairs its fried chicken with all the fixings, which it then pairs with refreshing beverages served in mason jars, making it about as Southern as you'll find around these parts.

Pasta. Ah mama mia! I was surprised my Italian husband didn't list pasta on top of his comfort food list - unless, of course, you count the mac and cheese of the pasta universe, then it would have knocked all of the creature comforts deep down to the bottom of his countdown. I know I keep talking about the mac, but damn if it isn't my favorite. Carbs generously tossed in any kind of sauce PLUS cheese; you may as well snuggle up to your meemaw as she badgers you to eat seconds. My foodie friends named the Rigatoni Bolognese at Adriatic Grill by the Tacoma Mall and the Carbonara at Grassi's Ristorante in University Place as pasta winter layers.

Mexican cuisine. Nachos in particular, because well, cheese naturally. Cheese is an ingredient that can be kid-friendly or highfalutin. Top spots to dig into a mountain of nachos include The Matador in downtown Tacoma and Top of Tacoma Bar and Café in the McKinley Hill District. A neat little drive-thru joint on Sixth and Division, Memo's serves up some uber yum with its carne asada fries, which includes generous amounts of carne asada meat, beans, cheese, sour cream and guacamole piled onto French fries.

And finally, the number ONE recommended comfort food: Asian cuisine. Something with a little kick is the most highly sought after when looking forward to chilly season weather dining options, including soups. Though I thought for sure the Pacific Northwest's admiration for all things pho was eternal, Thom Yum Soup with its zingy, broth base won top spot. Piping hot and spicy to boot is sure why the Chinese and Thai dishes topped lists. Great joints to get your fix include East West Café in the Proctor District, Silk Thai, Wild Orchid and North China Garden on Sixth Avenue and Yen Ching and Kyoto in South Tacoma.

The only thing that will warm you from the inside out better than a generous serving of curry or cup of broth-y soup is bourbon. I'll write a 4,000-word love letter to bourbon on another day.

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