Restaurant openings, closures and brew and dumpling-fueled festivities abound in this week's edition of Grub Gossip.
Celebrate spring with the Dumplings and Beers Night at Dystopian State Brewing Company Friday, March 29, 5-9 p.m. Indulge in hand-crafted, traditional Siberian dumplings served with a dollop of sour cream and freshly chopped dill. Each dumpling will be paired with a brew that will perfect the flavor matrimony. Helmet Breaker IPA with chicken dumplings, Black Circle Stout with mashed potato dumplings, Gold Sigil with just about everything and more. This event is kid-friendly, though you must be over 21 years of age to imbibe, obviously. 611 S. Baker St., Tacoma
April 5 kicks off Peaks and Pints' Tournament of Beer, Northwest Pilsner edition, the perfect brew for spring time months. Beer nerds may have the 4=1=1 but apparently there are 64 popular pilsners here in the Pacific Northwest. Sixty-four, and Peaks and Pints takes their Pilsner seriously, they are presenting the best of the best in a knock-out, drag-down, chugfest. Voting will take place on tournamentofbeer.com from the 5th through to the grand finale and announcement of the pilsner champion on April 27's Tournament of Beer Party, hosted by Peaks and Pints. Here the top two pilsners will battle, live pouring from their taps with the victorious brew scoring a permanent handle through the spring and summer of 2019. 3816 N. 26th St., Tacoma, peaksandpints.com
Thursday, April 4, indulge in the Balikbayan Filipino Eats, presented by The Pearls of the Orient, Chef Domingo Ramos and Chef Jan Parker. The Jan Parker Cookery Facebook page says it's a collaboration pop-up between the two chefs. "Balikbayan" is a person visiting the Philippines after living in another country, hinting that one of the chefs will be relocating soon. Items featured on the menu will include Jufran Banana Ketchup and Soy Pork belly and Beef Bistek. Festivities run from 7 p.m. until midnight. While festivities take place in Seattle, I highly recommend you hightail it up there to embark on a culinary excursion with Tacoma Chef Parker. She's an utter delight. East Trading Company, 514 E. Pine St., Seattle
Da Tiki Hut closed its doors last spring due to a fire leaving lovers of Loco Moco, Musubi and other Hawaiian foodie fare mourning the loss. Luckily, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Da Tiki Hut reopened this last Tuesday. Get your booties down there. 4427 Sixth Ave., Tacoma
Lakewood's Tijuana Taco has been a landmark of the landscape for several decades -- you've seen the street sign ... really, how can you miss it? Sadly, the brick-and-mortar establishment closed its doors last week. Fear not taco fiends, though the iconic street sign will no longer lure you to their tiled walls and tasty tacos, Tijuana Taco will live on in the form of their taco truck. Follow them on Facebook to stay up to date on where you can find them next and get your fix.
We kicked this list off with dumplings, and we shall end with dumplings. Sunday, March 31, Eastside Urban Farm and Garden hosts Delicious Dumplings! This course, guided by Chef Gayle Nabrotsky, is a measly $15 per person, and gives you the opportunity to learn how to make a variety of dumplings. Hone your culinary prowess and wow your dinner guests. Pre-registration is required, simply call 360.972.2993. 2328 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia